What would you do, brothers and sisters?

Assalamu alaikum - today while I was grocery shopping a sister and her four daughters (seemed around 10–16) approached me. She greeted me with salaam so I returned it. As I walked on she tried to speak but didn’t know much English. She pointed to her groceries and I realised she was asking me to pay because she couldn’t afford them. Their cart had a chocolate cake and some ready-made food from the hot section. At first I felt flustered and didn’t know what to say. Part of me thought “those who need help don’t always ask, maybe she’s taking advantage,” and the other part thought “what if she really needs it and I refuse - Allah may question me when I had means (alhamdulillah).” In the end I told her to meet me at the register after I finished shopping. I paid for the groceries and it turned out to be $160, much more than I expected. She said it was her youngest daughter’s birthday and later mentioned her eldest has kidney problems - I wasn’t sure if that was seeking more help or just explaining. They thanked me, hugged me, and left. After I finished checking out I saw them in the parking lot looking for me, so I walked away before they reached me. What would you do in a situation like this? I often worry about being taken advantage of, especially when friends tell me to say no if strangers ask for money. But I also worry about my duty to help when Allah has blessed me with means. I’m not always sure what the right, Islamic approach is - should I give, set boundaries, ask for ID or proof, or offer to buy only essentials? Would appreciate your thoughts and any guidance from others on how to handle this kindly but wisely.