My Mom Got Fired by Her Manager for a Ridiculous Reason — but Karma Took Care of Him in the End

Kevin’s mom, Cathy, worked at Beller’s Bakery for 18 years, known as the warm-hearted “Cookie Lady.” One rainy night, she kindly gave leftover bread and muffins to a homeless veteran — food that was going to be thrown out anyway. The next day, her new manager Derek fired her for “theft,” strictly enforcing company policy without compassion.

Ten years later, Kevin, now running a food-tech company focused on rescuing leftover food to feed those in need, interviewed a candidate for operations manager — and it was Derek. During the interview, Derek bragged about firing an older employee for giving away food. Kevin revealed the “older employee” was his mom and promptly told Derek he wasn’t the right fit for the job.

Cathy has since joined Kevin’s company as head of community outreach, continuing her mission to help others, but now on her own terms. The story highlights how compassion outlasts cruelty, and karma sometimes shows up in the most unexpected ways.