How actor Tyler Perry is helping elderly and at-risk shoppers in coronavirus pandemic
Movie maker Tyler Perry is doing his part to help those most vulnerable amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shoppers across Georgia and Louisiana got quite the surprise Wednesday morning when they learned their groceries had been paid for by the media mogul. Perry, a New Orleans native, teamed up with grocery store chain Winn-Dixie to provide essential items to dozens of elderly and high-risk customers at all 29 of the supermarket’s locations in the Pelican State, a Winn-Dixie spokesperson confirmed to location station WMAZ.
Shoppers at 44 Kroger stores around the Atlanta area were treated to free grocery items, too, according to Georgia station 11Alive.
“Senior and higher-risk Kroger shoppers in metro Atlanta did receive a nice surprise at the register this morning when they learned Tyler Perry had paid their grocery tab in full,” Felix B. Turner, a corporate affairs manager for Kroger, told the news station. “We would like to join our customers in thanking Mr. Perry for his kindness and generosity during this unprecedented pandemic.”
“It was truly a pleasure to see our customers fill with joy and gratitude as the news spread throughout 44 stores across metro Atlanta,” Turner added.
Winn-Dixie customers shopping during the store’s daily Senior and High-Risk Shopping Hour didn’t know what to think when they were handed a slip of paper that read “Random Act of Kindness.” A man who stopped by the Winn-Dixie in Amite, La. on Wednesday told WAFB he was instructed to hand the note to the cashier at checkout. When he did, he learned Perry, 50, had taken care of his grocery bill.
Dozens of other shoppers took to social media to share similar accounts of the actor’s good deed.
“My mom went to Winn Dixie this morning and as she went to check out they told her that Tyler Perry was paying for everyone in the stores groceries!! What a blessing he is!!! @tylerperry” one woman wrote on Twitter.
“@tylerperry Retired NOLA public school teacher who can’t THANK YOU enough for your RAOK this morning at the grocery!!! It means SO much!!! #Gratefulforyourthoughtfulness,” another chimed in.
One woman thanked the “Madea” star for his kindness and generosity: “I went shopping in Metairie, Louisiana this morning and your wave a goodness was felt. You put a smile on face and in my heart. God bless!”
Perry, who rocketed to fame as the writer, actor and producer behind the now-retired “Madea” movie series, is no stranger to giving back. According to several outlets, the actor left a $500 tip for the more than 40 out-of-work employees at Houston’s restaurant on Northside Parkway in Atlanta over the weekend, totaling a massive $21,000 tip, TV station WOLO reported.
Perry is a huge fan of the local eatery and was there to place a carry-out order.
Amid growing fears over the spread of the coronavirus, the movie maker has since halted production on all his film and TV projects until further notice, a rep for Perry’s studio told 11Alive. The disease has infected nearly 10,000 across Georgia, where his studio is based, and caused more than 360 deaths., according to Johns Hopkins University.
In Louisiana, Perry’s native New Orleans has emerged as a hot spot for COVID-19 There are more than 17,000 confirmed cases statewide, according to Louisiana Department of Health data, and close to 700 reported deaths.
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 3:56 PM with the headline "How actor Tyler Perry is helping elderly and at-risk shoppers in coronavirus pandemic."