Our local grocer, 'one man band' tiny village store, has introduced a box by the door where you can place an item you have bought for the purpose. He then drops the box off at the Mission centre once a week to help the homeless.
This has grown from just odd items of groceries and toiletries to include all sorts of stuff. My OH bought some trainers online last week, tried them on when they arrived, didn't like them, the next day they joined the stuff for the Mission.
When the grocer has surplus fruit getting a bit ripe he gives it to me along with flour. I add eggs, sugar, whatever and make pies, cakes, jams etc that he donates to customers that he knows are struggling. We did a good line in banana bead earlier in the year, and lime marmalade!
I like the idea of leaving bigger tips but I never go anywhere or do anything that involves tips these days!
A friend of mine in the village had a lovely idea. She has a holiday chalet in her garden, totally solar powered. No visitors this year. She put a notice in the shop saying she had surplus hot water if anyone wanted to use the shower and/or washing machine. Several families contacted her and come twice a week to use her facilities, all the adults are out of work at the moment (they work in the tourist trade). They scrub the place spotless after they use it and wash her car and patio as a thankyou.
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