California thrift store owner finds $5,000 in a pile of clothes

BURLINGAME, Calif. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - A thrift store owner in the Bay Area was puzzled to find $5,000 in a pile of donated clothes.

The day started like any other at Pick of the Litter in Burlingame. Oliver Jolis, the thrift shop manager, rang up sales and began organizing bags of donated clothes, when something very odd happened.

"Money just started falling out of the papers," Jolis spoke.

"Money flew out of the shirt! We went 'Uh oh,'" said Amy Walsh, employee of Pick of the Litter.

"It kept falling and falling. I was like 'This is a decent amount of money here,'" Jolis added.

Contacting the owner

It wasn’t just a few bucks. Rather, $5,000 in cash. Inside the bag, Jolis found an old piece of paper with car insurance information.

With the help of his coworkers, they contacted the woman who regularly donates items to the store. She correctly answered all their questions. She asked to identify her for her safety, and fear of being targeted.

"I said, 'Come on down. I’ve got something for you.' She came back and I gave her $5,000 in a paper bag and said 'Thank you for supporting us,'" Jolis detailed.

"He could have just put the money in his pocket. Nobody would have known. But he didn’t," the woman said.

Spirit of kindness

In a short time, Jolis has become the familiar face at the store. All profits go to the Peninsula Humane Society. The non-profit finds homes for thousands of animals, many who come to them sick or injured. Oliver rescued his furry loved ones, Summer and Alzie.

Regular customers have become friends.

"I wasn’t surprised he found it and gave it back.  We just love Oliver. The whole staff is great but Oliver is special," said Trina Pierce, a San Mateo resident.

That spirit of kindness abounds at Pick of the Litter. Sales and revenue are strong. That means animals looking for homes are winning too.

"Whatever you do in this world comes back to you ten times. Be it negativity or positivity, it comes back," the woman expressed.

"We’re grateful for all the donations we get, so it was a win-win," Jolis shared.

Summer and Alzie know too. That they have a forever friend who’s always looking out for those around him.