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Howard Kirby, an elderly man from Owosso, Michigan, purchased a used couch and matching ottoman for $70 from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. He realized that the ottoman was uncomfortable to sit on, so he and his daughter unzipped one of the cushions to fix it.
To their surprise, they found a box filled with $43,170. Kirby could have kept the money for himself as he was the one who bought the ottoman, but being a good Christian, he decided to track down the rightful owner.
After contacting the store, Kirby was able to reach Kim Newberry, the owner of the couch and the ottoman, and returned the money. Despite being offered to have his roof fixed and be repaid for his good deed, Kirby kindly declined the offer. Habitat for Humanity and a local builder had already made plans to give him a new roof in return for his generosity.
Once the story of Kirby’s good deed spread, people close to him started a GoFundMe campaign, which raised $15,000 for him. Kirby expressed that he was “blessed beyond words” and that he had “so much peace, so much joy” from doing the right thing, and that “$43,000 never could buy that much joy or peace or happiness.” Howard Kirby’s actions restored people’s faith in humanity.
