Mrs. Robledo carefully opened the DVD case, and a small piece of paper fell on the floor. At first, she thought that someone had placed the letter inside by accident. But when she began to read it, she quickly realized that it was meant for her.
Who was it from?
Strange DVD
Mrs. Robledo’s daughter, Elizabeth, was the first person she confided in about the strange DVD.
She texted her, saying: "I found money inside my DVD rental!" Elizabeth didn't believe her mother at first. So, Mrs. Robledo had to send her a photo of the letter and money she had found inside the case. There were five 20-dollar bills in total! But who would do such a thing?
Marcos
“There’s a letter!” Mrs. Robledo continued. Then, she started to read it. “Hello! My name is Marcos…” the letter began.
Elizabeth was just as confused as her mother. Who was Marcos? They didn't know anyone by that name.
Viral
Elizabeth shared the photo of her mother's strange DVD on Twitter, and it instantly went viral. She hoped that whoever wrote this letter for her mother would come forward and explain himself.
So what did Marco's letter say that had thousands of Twitter users in such a frenzy?
Not An Accident
In his letter, Marcos explained that he had placed the cash inside the DVD case on purpose.
"Every month, I take $100 that I'd normally spend on myself and give it away to a stranger," he continued.
First Giveaway Of 2017
"Every month, I take $100 that I'd normally spend on myself and give it away to a stranger," he continued.
Then, Marcos explained exactly what Mrs. Robledo needed to do with the $100. "You are the first giveaway of 2017!" he wrote.
Mystery Man
"I just ask that you put the money to good use. If you don't need it, give it away. If you need it, keep it. Have a great day! —Marcos." Elizabeth and her mother were in complete shock.
It didn't take long for Elizabeth's Twitter post to gain over 100,000 likes and 32,000 retweets. So what did people think of Marcos' letter?
An Unexpected Comment
People couldn't believe how generous and kind Marcos was. Then, one day, someone unexpected commented on Elizabeth's post.
“The internet is a small world! My niece saw your tweet in her feed and sent it to me. Glad I made your mom’s day!” Was he Marcos?
The Goal
It was none other than Marcos himself! As it turned out, he had been placing money and letters in DVD rental boxes in different parts of the city.
He shared his random acts of kindness on his Facebook page with photos of the letters and $20 bills. His goal was to complete 76 random acts of kindness monthly. But how did Marcos afford it?
Tough Spot
Marcos recently found himself in a difficult financial situation when he was laid off from his job.
“I was paying off student lunch accounts,” he said in an interview. “And that was something meaningful. I was sad that I had to stop doing them. But I can’t afford them. I can’t afford my own bills.” But then something unexpected happened that changed his life.
Janie Hernandez
Hairdresser Janie Hernandez was one of the many people who had found Marcos' letter and cash inside the DVD case. She was undergoing treatment for cancer and couldn't afford her medical bills.
So when Marcos decided to direct his act of kindness at Janie, he wrote a very touching note encouraging her to stay strong.
Helping People In Need
“It lifted my spirit,” Janie recalls.
"It lifted my spirit to know that there are still people out there who are genuinely nice and want to reach out to us." And that's when she decided to do something amazing for him in return.
Cash For Kindness
Janie contacted Cash For Kindness, a group that helps people in need. She told them about Marcos, and together, they planned an epic surprise for him.
"You helped me in my dark moment. And I know that you've helped different random people in their dark moments, and I'm sure you made a big difference in their lives. And so, I know you're going through some tough times, and I just want San Antonio to know that there are angels out there like yourself," she told Marcos.
Surprise!
”…and so, I think this time around we need to help people like you and learn to be more like you. So, I choose you as a recipient," she continued.
Then, The Fox reporter, Ryan Wolf, turned to Marcos and said: “In all the years of us doing this, we’ve never had somebody randomly give us much and as beautifully as you. So, because of your kindness, we want to give back to you. Would you put your hand out for me?” He gave him a stack of $100 bills!
$1,000
"A thousand dollars! I don't know what to say. I thank you. This is a lot. I don't think what I did deserves this, but I've learned in this experience to accept help when people offer," Marcos said.
“I’m a little shocked,” he explained. “I was not prepared for this… I thought I was coming here to do something for you, but I really don’t know what to say. I’m touched.”