Shaquille O’Neal has become synonymous with generosity due to his philanthropic acts. As the holiday season approaches, Shaq is living up to this reputation, distributing $500 gift cards to shoppers at JC Penny at The Parks Mall in Arlington, Texas.
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One lucky couple, Wendell and Laura Garrett, were in search of a sweater at the departmental store. Little did they know that they were about to bump into O’Neal as they entered the “Big and Tall” section. During their interaction with the NBA legend, the couple was blessed with a gift card.
“We looked at each other and said, God is so good,” Wendell said.
Like Shaq, Laura and Wendell also believe in giving back to the society. Their entire family reportedly volunteers at Beautiful Feet and uses the money to purchase gifts for 10 children despite having a rough financial year.
“That’s going to allow us to have Christmas gifts for 10 children,” Wendell said.
“I’d been praying like, how are we going to fund this because we’ve had kind of a hard year financially,” Laura said.
“God definitely used Dr. O’Neal to make this Christmas a little bit more special,” Wendell remarked.
O’Neal giving out these gift cards doesn’t come as a surprise since he’s a shareholder at JC Penny through Authentic Brands Group. Additionally, the business tycoon is constantly making news because of his charitable deeds, buying homes, electronics, and jewelry, among other things for the less fortunate.
Shaq’s stepfather instilled kindness in him
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the biggest humans in size, but, his heart is even bigger than his stature. O’Neal believes in giving back to society as much as he can and helping out people in need.
This soft spot that he has for the people in need was instilled by his stepfather. When Shaq was complaining about pressure while playing basketball, Sargeant Phillip Harrison taught him an invaluable lesson. Harrison showed him what pressure really meant – a homeless family wondering where their next meal would come from.
“6:30 (AM) the guy comes out and my father said ‘that’s pressure’. Then the wife comes out and then the two babies come on he said ‘pressure is when you don’t know when your next meal is coming from… You don’t know what pressure is, you still get paid after a bad game’,” Shaq recollected.
This philosophy gave Shaq a new perspective on life, teaching him to be more grateful. It also motivated him to do everything within his power to help those in need.
