By Staff
So many of us preach the importance of shopping at home — but Medical Center Pharmacy employees are about to put that practice into action in a very visible way.
All 19 Brewton employees received a special gift Monday evening — an envelope of $2 bills from pharmacist Danny Cottrell, and the encouragement to spend it locally at shops and restaurants and to give 15 percent to someone who needs it more, such as a charity or other organization.
Cottrell, along with partner Tom Henderson, wanted to thank the pharmacy employees and give something back to the community. So Cottrell designed a unique way to do just that — a “country boy’s stimulus package,” as he calls it.
It is an amazing gesture, not only for the employees who have received their boon but also for the local businesses and charities that will benefit — and for all of us who see a shining example of generosity in the midst of some difficult times.
The $16,000 that Cottrell distributed to employees in Brewton and Atmore Monday won’t make a huge dent in sales for area businesses, but it certainly gives us a chance to see the impact of local shopping as those $2 bills change hands.
If you get that $2 in change at the grocery store or a gift shop, or a waitress receives it through a restaurant tip, then in turn it is paid forward over and over again, we can all see how important it is to shop at home — and to give at home.
Cottrell’s stipulation that 15 percent of the money be spent for someone who needs it more — his own is going to Hope Place — is an example of the kind of generosity most needed right now, when many people don’t have a lot of extra money to give to those in need.
Be looking for those $2 bills — and please pay them forward, here at home.