Suncor Energy Inc T.SU

The Experienced Challenge

[Obscure1]

I don't shop much anymore as my knees are sore and the stores are so big.  However, I'm on shopping duty these days as my wife had her hip replaced last Monday.  As an aside, it is remarkable how quickly she is recovering.

I just got back from grocery shopping and it was an eye opening.  

As a non-shopper, I was shocked at the prices but that was just the beginning.  As I was mulling over the selections, I watched  a lady pick up pre-packaged ham slices from the deli and then put it back before choosing a smaller size.  That got me curious so I just stood back a bit and watched for a couple of minutes.  In that short time, I watched another lady pick up an item and then switch to a cheaper product.  I also witnessed an elderly lady pick up a package and hold it for a few seconds before putting it back and walking away.  

The look on the faces was disheartening to say the least.  While I was actually angry about the prices, it was plain to see that the ladies were past angry and just sad.

I stopped the older lady that was walking away and handed her a $10 bill.  She looked up and said "thank you".  There was no  "you don't have to do that" or any excuse, just "thank you".  As hard as it is to believe that it has come to that in such a rich country, it is REAL.

My bank is in the same parking lot as the grocery store so I hit the ATM and picked up some $10 bills.  I'm going to keep the bills loose in my pocket going forward so that I have easy access to them.  I intend to take a few moments each trip to watch for someone that is clearly having a difficult time and slip them a tenner every time I go out from now on.  The people that need the money are easy to spot if you take the blinders off and I'm not talking about the people holding up signs at red lights. 

Please be kind and generous when you can.  Small gestures count.

[Experienced]

Great story and good on you to help that lady out. What you witnessed is something very real for people on fixed income where you get a raise once a year and so price increases in between make a big difference.  When you compound that with the Government changing the way inflation is calculated to lie about the real number, then it means that people like that fall further behind. By

[Kman86]

Very well done. It's very easy to get caught up in the day to day nonsense and stresses of life. When you sit back and actually take the binders off, you truly realize how difficult some people have it. As much as Christmas is an exciting/happy time of the year for most of us, it is an extremely difficult time for others. Please remember this and again, very well done Obscure.

[yureja44]

This post has been removed in accordance with Community Policy

[marketsense]

Gentlemen,  I commend all of you for acknowledging the disgraceful and sad state that many seniors,  elders and others are in with regards to the unaffordability of such basic needs as food.  Your kind help is I'm sure gratefully received by those who just can't afford what others take for granted.  I would just like to point out as contributor to our local food bank

[meritmat]

Local food bank gets my donation each year.  The old oil company I used to work for had a program were if you donated they would match it.   They matched my donation last year. I just emailed them and asked if they would again.