Category: social responsibility

Storytime. Through his mask, 70-something Walter spoke quietly with a tone of sadness in his voice. “I want to hug my granddaughter and tell her it will be okay. She’s in her last year of high school and we all know how that’s going this year.”

Walter was a long time regular, although not so much in recent months because of corona. “It breaks my heart what this year is doing not only to her but everyone.”

After a chat we found out Walter’s granddaughter adores pandas. Walter loved the card we had with a big fat panda on it. “I can’t hug you but this panda can,” he wrote inside the card. Walter left the shop to post the card, with a smile on his face.

People are finding other ways to love those they love in 2020.

Storytime. We had a string of new customers in last week buying different things. It was a thrill to see so many new faces. We commented to one that we loved seeing new faces. “It’s locals shopping with locals,” they said. They explained that they got the idea on Facebook where people were talking about supporting locally owned businesses, to support the local economy. We felt blessed for these angels spending money with locally owned businesses. #LocalsShoppingWithLocals Thank you!

Even in the middle of corona, we live in times of sunshine and goodness.

Storytime. I could tell eighty-something Nancy was sad as she looked at a jigsaw of Paris that we had for sale. I’ve known her a while and knew I could ask. “Why so sad Nancy?” “I put it off for too long, didn’t I?” “What, Nancy?” “When Terry died fifteen years ago, I said I’d go to Paris. I’ve never been and it had been a dream since I was a kid. I planned to go. Finally, late last year I booked, you know, on one of those tours, I’d be there now.” “Oh, I’m so sorry Nancy.” “Don’t be sorry, it’s my own fault. I should have gone sooner. Now, I fear it might be too late thanks to corona.”

Every day we hear stories of people with plans on hold, adventures missed, all thanks to corona.

When Nancy brought the jigsaw to the counter to purchase it, she was smiling a wry smile. “Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today, my mum used to say. She was right.”

Storytime. A lady last week asked us to print copies of two resumes. It turned out she was helping her neighbours, a couple, both of whom have lost their jobs due to corona. One was on JobKeeper and the other was not. They have 2 kids, one with a health challenge, and a mortgage. “We are trying to help them find work,” she said, “there are plenty of others worse off.”

“No charge,” I said as I handed them the copies of their resumes. While it is cliché we do believe that we are all in this together.

One of the best ways to celebrate good we see in others is to amplify it when we are able.

Storytime. I turn on the TV news at night and see stories about people misbehaving in relation to corona. While I get it that those stories are news, there are many other uplifting corona stories. Like the school teacher we heard of the other day who is now working 20 hours a week extra, unpaid, because of home schooling, and that they are paying their own internet access for video teaching of their kids.

I heard the story about a local mechanic who helped a young kid get their car back on the road for free so they did not have to travel on public transport.

Then, there was the story about the family that was cooking evening meals for the family of a single mum, their neighbour, who is a nurse and on the front line.

Our community is full of wonderful stories of community. These stories warm our hearts.