Take us to your leader!

I spent about three hours this morning counting all the money from the collection pots after yesterday's bag packing day in Asda.

It was a long day as I was there from 10 am till 4 pm to make sure it all ran smoothly - which it did, apart from when we were evacuated for an hour! There was a gas leak from a storeroom canister in the McDonald's concession which injured two workers and they were taken to hospital as a precaution.

I don't think I packed a bag for 2 hours! Everyone was really polite and said they preferred to do their own packing but still put money in the pot. I'm exactly the same, if I see a load of kids from the local dance school or cub scouts, I'll put £1 in just to leave my shopping alone.

Even my husband doesn't pack our bags as he knows what I'm like. I do have a number of OCD tendencies which I think are quite common when you're a perfectionist. Noticing I've put one of the lids on back to front in this blip has made me a little twitchy, but since they are all now empty and packed in the car I've let it go!

We had no idea if the bag pack would be a success but we collected a few coppers short of £425 which was above anything we had imagined! Despite not being in an affluent area, sometimes those who don't have much themselves, are those who are the most generous.

One lady started crying at my till when I talked about how the service helped people and another gentleman just kept adding coins the more I talked. I was also really surprised at the number of five pound notes that were donated, everyone was so generous. 

One slightly sad moment was when a lady asked if we could direct her to a domestic abuse helpline. We all hope she can move on from whatever situation she is currently having to live in.

Quote for today:
Giving is not just about making a donation. It is about making a difference.
- Kathy Calvin