Henry Darby, principal of North Charleston High School in South Carolina, couldn’t ignore the hardships his students were facing. Three nights a week, he worked stocking shelves at Walmart to donate all the money he earned to his students. “I was taught that if you can find something to do, do it,” he said.
An incredible act of kindness came to light in the United States. It sounds like something out of a movie or TV show, but it’s real. The high school principal took on a second job and donated all his earnings to students who often couldn’t afford tuition and were living in difficult conditions.
Darby said he had seen students struggling to survive, some even sleeping on the streets or in their cars because they had nowhere else to go.
“I had two students, both girls, sleeping under a bridge, and another situation where a former student of mine and her daughter were sleeping in their car,” Darby told Counton2. After learning about their situations, he felt compelled to help. He couldn’t just look the other way.
Motivated by this, Darby — who also serves as a Charleston County councilman — began looking for a job and eventually took a part-time position at Walmart. “I was taught that if you can find something to do, do it,” he said again, adding, “Walmart gave me the opportunity to work so I could help my students.”
By day, he is a principal; three nights a week, from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., he works as a stocker at Walmart. Everything he earns goes to students in need. He also noted that some students were inspired to work after seeing him there. “Some kids thought Walmart was beneath them. But now that they’ve seen the principal working there, I have some students working with me. They don’t see it that way anymore,” he said.
His story quickly gained attention, and he became widely recognized for his kindness, appearing in multiple interviews. “I just wanted to quietly work at Walmart and use those resources for my students. But on my first night, someone shouted, ‘Hey Mr. Darby, do you work at Walmart? Aren’t you the principal?’” he recalled with a laugh.
His actions led to the creation of a GoFundMe page to support his cause, which has since raised more than $128,000.
His story reached even further when, on January 29, Darby appeared on the Today show and received a surprise $50,000 donation from Walmart. “You are amazing, and we appreciate everything you’re doing to support your community,” his boss told him. “I’m speechless. Thank you so much. This will go a very long way,” Darby responded, adding that he planned to continue working at the store.