If someone did something nice for you would that inspire you to do something nice for someone else? That’s the question the McLaughlin on Your Side team wanted to answer as part of our Pay it Forward series this holiday season.
Ross McLaughlin visited the Waves café in Port Coquitlam with $100 and an offer to buy people coffee. In return, customers had the opportunity to drop a donation of money in a box for the Share Food Bank depot, which services the tri-cities area.
As each customer ordered, the owner of the Waves location, Yirong Chen, told them that CTV was paying for their coffee.
“Loving it, thanks a lot, eh,” said one surprised man. “It was a nice surprise, that’s for sure,” said another woman.
And many didn’t hesitate to pass it on, making a contribution to the box for the food bank.
“You didn't even hesitate to put money in the bin,” said McLaughlin. “No, why would I? It’s for donation, isn’t it?” asked the woman.
“Thanks for the coffee. I donated to the cause," said another customer.
One after the other, the customers pitched in. One man even went to the bank and came back with some money.
When CTV’s $100 was gone, 24 customers in all had received free coffee and donated to the cause.
The total amount raised was $132.40 for the Share food bank, which the On Your Side team dropped off.
"There are more and more families that really need the help so 20 bucks is 20 bucks. I'm not going to miss it. Someone's going to gain from it. That's perfect right," said one generous woman.
We hope our Pay It Forward stories have helped to inspire you. It's not all about giving money. Sometimes it's your time, a nice gesture or a smile. A little positive energy at this time of the year, and a little help can go a long way.
Happy Holidays!
