So, I'm at the Goodwill. I go there a lot. The people who work there all know me and I know all of them, by sight, not by name. They know we homeschool and they'll often ask what we're learning about or tell us about some educational things they just put out in the store. I go there that much.

It's also the best place to pass the two hours while my 10yo daughter is at dance class just down the road. Yes, I could drive the 8 miles home and then come back to get her in two hours, but I'd be driving 32 miles for that dance class instead of 16. I opt usually for the 16, since most days I have errands to run that totally kill the two hours in a flash. This time, no errands...

So I'm sitting on a couch at the end of the men's pants row, browsing through a mountain of donated cross-stitch patterns that lured me into looking at them. I just started cross-stitching again ~ I'd stopped stiching *right about* the time my kids took to needing 24/7 entertainment and wouldn't leave me alone for even two seconds... considering that the oldest is now 16 and the youngest is 7, it's fair to say that they will, in fact, leave me a few minutes of quiet each day.

Anyway, I'm sitting on the couch, thoroughly engrossed in making my selections (who could resist buying them at only 49 cents each?), yet out of the corner of my eye, I notice a man, somewhat disheveled, with two garment bags in hand and almost more shirts and pants than he can stack on his arms and still see over. He was behind this couch (which is in the aisle-way, with a large book section to one side, directly behind me). He was bent over, fiddling with something near the ground right in front of the "purses and handbags" section at the other end of the couch I was on. I didn't give it much additional thought...

A moment later, a very... well, how do I say this... uptight? prudish? hmmm... nosy! yes!.... *nosy* woman shopper eagerly cranes her neck to see what the man is doing. She gingerly asks, "Sir, do you need some h-h-h-help?" The man looked up from what he was doing, which I still couldn't see because I was at the opposite end of the couch than he, but I could hear everything he said. He proceeded to tell her that he was the man whose home just burned to the ground a day or so ago and that he was told he could come in and get some items to tide him over since he lost *everything*.

Now, as the man was talking, I saw the nosy lady's husband slowly take a few steps back and slip away from the conversation. A moment later, I realized why... he had gone to get the people who work there, who by then were standing there for the tail-end of this man's plight with their hands perched bitchily on their hips, lips pursed and eyebrows raised. The manager asked the man if he had a "voucher"... to which he replied that he did not. He asked if he could keep the items on hold until he got the voucher and the workers promptly replied "no!".

It was at this point that it all turned... the workers practically berated this man for collecting things he wanted ~ without the PROPER VOUCHER! Their mannerisms, tone of voice and body language was VERY demeaning to this man, all because he didn't have the damned voucher. I really felt for him. He was by then in the center of atleast 10 people, gawking or whispering. The man, agahst and nearly in tears, just put the things on the book table he was behind and, with a bowed head, walked out of the store. The workers grabbed up the items, started looking through the bags and did all but accuse this man of attempting to come into the store to STEAL the stuff.

Ok, granted, I'm not the quietest person, but I do try to mind my business MOST of the time, lol. This time, though, I just felt compelled to confront those women. I calmly walked to the front of the store and placed my purchases on the counter. Among the chatter of "that man!" by the workers and "good thing we saw him!" uttered by the nosy woman/man and blank stares of the other shoppers, I said my peace... that I felt the man gave NO INDICATION that he was attempting to steal anything... that with the horror of just losing everything he owned, it's entirely possible that he didn't understand he had to get it first and bring it with him.  I did say that I thought this place, the Goodwill, was *FOR* PEOPLE LIKE HIM who really needed some compassionate help in times of need. I boldly said that I didn't feel this man was shown any compassion at all in his time of need.

They all just looked at me, some with raised eyebrows... one young worker nervously shifting her weight from side to side, one lady turned her back and started fiddling with coathangers, but the other lady, I could see, was mulling it over. She didn't say anything, not one single word in reply. By then, I had finished paying and simply took my bag of cross-stich patterns and walked out of the door.

I looked around the parking lot for the man, since I did notice that he didn't have a coat on as he was leaving the store and mentally wondered how he'd stay warm in the cold outside. I wanted to take the last $10 in my pocket, go back inside and let him find a coat, but he wasn't there. I can't help but think of him today, too, as the snow is pouring from the sky. I wonder if those workers from the Goodwill are thinking of him today too.  I doubt it.

oh my gosh Roxanne I am so glad you spoke up, maybe the next time they will look at someone with faith in them rather than immediately assuming he's a theif, you spoke up and that is what makes change begin to happen!!!! I read once that Rights are like muscles, if you don't excerise them you lose them, you excercised your rights to protest and in the name of free speech, bravo mama!!!!!!
I wish I coulda been there, I too would have wanted to aid that man.

You know what Rox???? I'm very proud to call you my friend!

Wow! Good for you!