A Nation Of No Donation

Due to the current health situation, charity shops have to quarantine bags of donated goods for two days before they can unpack them, and since the shop where I volunteer is very small, we fill our quota of donations for the day very quickly. We always put signs outside the shop informing people that we can’t accept any more donations, but this doesn’t stop people from asking whether we’re still taking donations — usually while they’re standing right next to the signs.

After a shift where I have had this situation happen more than a dozen times, I head home feeling a bit tired and discouraged… until I walk past another charity shop which has a large sign board outside saying, “NO MORE DONATIONS TODAY”.

The shop manager comes outside to take the board indoors, we greet each other, and this happens.

Me: “I have a silly question for you. Do you ever get people standing right next to that board and asking you whether you’re taking donations?”

Manager: “All the time. People round here can’t read.”

Made me smile just knowing it happened to other people, as well!