Husband secretly saved $8,000 for a surprise — but his wife accidentally gave it all to Goodwill

The woman from California was not privy to her husband's secret efforts and unknowingly made the hefty donation.

PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO

An employee moves bales of clothing at a Goodwill Outlet Center on July 27, 2022 in Hackensack, New Jersey. (Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Spence Platt)

A woman had no idea just how valuable an old shirt in her husband’s wardrobe was. Linda Hoffman from California drove to her local Goodwill with a bag of old clothes, not realizing one of them was stashed with thousands of dollars. An envelope hidden away in a shirt’s pocket contained $8,000. Unbeknownst to her, she donated the generous amount her husband Bob Hoffman had been collecting with a special motive, as reported by ABC 7 News.

Woman putting clothes into a plastic bag for donation. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Kinga Krzeminska)

Two days later, Bob frantically looked for the shirt but in vain. Little did he know his six years’ worth of secret savings were sitting in a pile of clothes at Goodwill. The husband had been stashing away cash in the envelope for a surprise vacation to Italy for his wife. He thought an old shirt’s pocket would be the last thing Linda would decide to check.

A few US dollar bills sticking out of his shirt pocket. (Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Roman Stavila)

When the man's well-intended secret was out, the couple hurriedly reached out to their local Goodwill. On reaching the location, Linda and Bob were disheartened to find the shirt was missing despite efforts from the staff. They returned home with a heavy heart. "We looked at it as if it was gone, that we hoped it would go to somebody to help that family out," Linda admitted. However, the next day, a Goodwill employee contacted them, having found the shirt.

The couple breathed a sigh of relief when they realized the entire sum was still in the pocket. Goodwill employee Caitlin Mulvill discovered the shirt in a bulky pile of dress-up apparel. “I describe it as a miracle. I would say that it was honest people, and what touched our hearts the most is how honest they were,” Linda said. The Hoffmans were lucky in this case, as most people would have kept the money for themselves, especially a whopping sum of $8,000. On YouTube, Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) covered the bizarre mishap and the great fortune of the elderly couple.

According to Better Homes & Gardens, Alison Cate, former Director of Marketing and Development for Goodwill of Central Iowa, emphasised how even minor donations can make a significant impact in local communities. In the U.S., 3,300 Goodwills operate across different locations in addition to an online auction site, often featuring designer goods and antiques. "Goodwill even accepts items that are stained or ripped, as they're able to recycle the textiles and keep items out of local landfills,” Cate explained.

However, it’s not a one-person job. Goodwill collaborates with other organizations to recycle and refurbish items. For instance, working and non-working computers and gadgets are repaired and resold. She revealed, “If things aren't in working condition, the parts are recycled through a partnership with Dell.” The most popular item of all is home goods. Customers are keen to skim through listed items like crockery, lamps, glassware, decor, and furniture, in decent conditions, which are readily sold at the stores.