“I arrived early at Belbin’s this morning, just a few minutes before they opened. I spent those minutes, as I’m sure many do nowadays, reflecting on how the world has been going to shite. When they let me in I thought I was the first customer in the store, but I was wrong. There was an older woman who had clearly been shopping for a while because her cart was full to the brim. As I grabbed what I needed, she gleefully wandered the aisles placing even more items in her cart. At one point she asked “where are the pancakes?” This was a good question. It made me seriously ponder whether you can buy pre-made pancakes in a store. I’m still not sure. After I finished shopping, I went up to the checkout and saw her cart, still full, sitting by itself at the entrance. With nothing in her hands but her purse, she was stepping out the door. The cashier saw me looking at the cart and told me that every Saturday she comes to Belbin’s 15 minutes before they open and they let her in. She says hi, fills up her cart, and usually leaves shortly after the store opens. They then quietly put all the items in the cart back in their place. I assume she may have some form of dementia, but that’s beside the point. Belbin’s does this every Saturday. They don’t ask for recognition or issue a press release about it. They just do it because it’s a nice thing to do. The moral of this story: if you’re a cynic and like being one, don’t go to Belbin’s. There’s a chance they might restore your faith in humanity.” – Cory

CORRECTION from BELBIN’S MANAGEMENT:
“Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to acknowledge our customer service through the recent Overcast Bullhorn post. While we always try to go the extra mile for our customers, we would like to correct the post. The woman in question has been shopping at Belbin’s for over 40 years. She is an early riser and likes to pick up her groceries every Saturday morning earlier than we normally open so we do open early when she arrives. Instead of carrying all of her groceries to her car and into her home, she opts for our delivery service. So after her shopping, she simply leaves her cart by the door and we pack and deliver her groceries when it is most convenient for her. She is one of our many customers who charge their groceries to their account. We apologize for the confusion and hope the contributor who shared this story with Overcast continues to see positivity and optimism brewing here locally and we hope to serve you in the future.”