Staff at the Atlantic Superstore in Antigonish, N.S., came through in the clutch this week, 'paying forward' a present from a donor who didn't leave his name after delivering envelopes containing $400 (above). The staff passed the gift on to local seniors. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Patti Hilton)

Generosity, it is very evident, is contageous

It started with an act of kindness by someone, evidently–and anonymously–trying to make things just a little bit better in the dark and terrifying times Canadians face these days.

Ah, but kindness and generosity–like the plague that is gripping us–are also contagious.

And–quickly–from that one act of kindness came more generosity–not random or pre-planned but collective and spontaneous.

Do yourself a favour.

Look up Antigonish Nova Scotia on your map. 

Know that some very fine people live there.

Antigonish.

The Atlantic Superstore in Antigonish, N.S. (Google Maps)

That’s where this story starts–this past Monday morning at the big box Atlantic Superstore–when a man who didn’t leave his name dropped off 10 sealed envelopes covered with messages like “Thank you for working,” “Thank you for all you’re doing during COVID-19” and “Thank you from the community.” 

Each envelope contained $40 and the man wanted the envelopes to be distributed to the staff.

“I was flabbergasted that somebody actually did this,” Patti Hilton, the store’s manager, told the CBC’s Anjuli Patil.

Patti Hilton is the manager of Atlantic Superstore in Antigonish. (Patti Hilton)

Hilton informed the approximately 40 members of her staff on duty about the offer at their Monday huddle. 

The money would go for groceries to help local seniors.

“Here’s the thing, we are still working. We still get a pay cheque every week and there are so many people out of work and so many seniors that need help right now that we decided to pay it forward,” Hilton told Patil.

“The colleagues were ecstatic, clapping. They really came up with this idea.”

Staff members are making the grocery deliveries personally.

Two deliveries have been made. The two others are set for Friday.

“Everything you hear right now is bad. You go home, you turn on the TV and you wonder how many [COVID-19] cases there are today,” Hilton told Patil

“So it’s nice to have, especially at this time, to have something like this go through the store. Just a happy good feeling for everybody.”

With files from CBC News’s Anjuli Patil and Canadian Press

Categories: Society
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