Aiding shoppers and people in need
Read more: Matt's, Memo, Wrapper, Gift, Shoppingtown, Holidays, Charity, Needy
Rev. Kathy Barden bringing a smile to the face of many with her wrapping skills.
/ Photograph by Matt Mulcahy.
The gift wrapping stand in the corner of the mall had a sign that listed absurdly low prices for a highly valued service just three days before Christmas. Yet the sign said nothing about how many times a customer could expect to laugh during a visit or how big a smile would be plastered to their face when they walked away. That sign would say: Expected Laugh Count - high, Anticipated Width of Smile - broad!
As soon as I approached the wrapping stand I confessed my shortcomings as a gift wrapper to the joyful women manning the counter. The immediately knew my type. Male. They say their highly unscientific research shows 90 percent of their gift wrapping customers are men. They do get some women who are feeling the last second pressure of the holidays, but mostly it's men who can't master the skills of ribbon, paper and tape.
I had just one gift that needed wrapping. The Rev. Kathy Barden was the volunteer who stepped up to help me. She was loaded with several choices of boxes, paper, ribbon and bows. She even had a colorful plastic gizmo that zipped through the end of the ribbon to add some flair. She said it came from the Dollar Store which has since closed up shop.
While she wrapped we chatted with the other woman in the booth and the other men who strolled up with freshly purchased presents in need of a decorative disguise. I suggested to the Reverend they might increase business a little if they also had a few beers on tap to entertain the waiting customers. She thought that might be a good idea for the workers too
The workers are volunteering for charity. All the booths like this are fund raising for someone. In this case it was an agency called Person to Person. They are advocates for persons with developmental disabilities.
It is a classic win/win situation. We make a donation so the charity makes a few dollars. The gifts look spectacular when they're complete. And the human interaction is a wonderful respite from that overly commercial spirit of the modern Christmas. So in that late holiday rush take a time out to ask for a little help with your gifts. You'll be helping them too.
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