People living in a Victoria housing complex are thanking a mysterious benefactor, after discovering an unexpected gift of cash on their doorsteps.
Over the weekend, residents of 18 individual units in the subsidized housing complex on Esquimalt Road say they came home to find a $50 bill on their doorstep.
“There it was as I opened the door,” Joanne Parks told Global News.
“I thought, I don’t think anybody owed me money that they’re paying back, this is kind of crazy. I couldn’t figure it out.”
No one in the building appears to know the origin of the cash, which amounts to $900 in total.
There are plenty of theories flying around, however, including that the surprise cash came from someone who had won the lottery. Another theory is that someone found the cash but didn’t know its owner so decided to spread it around.
“This is pretty amazing, we were all confounded, and of course I was delighted. I though this is really weird — when does this ever happen? It’s like a miracle,” resident Veda Mata said.
“Most of us that are living in this affordable housing building are just living on our minimum-maximum senior’s pension from the government, so $50 is a big deal.”
Residents are taking the surprise in different ways. Mata said she was thinking of paying it forward and using the cash to pay for a pedicure for her granddaughter.
Parks said she’s holding onto the money for now, and is waiting for a sign on what to do with it.
“I don’t believe in Karma, I am a Christian. But it wasn’t God’s favour landing on my doorstep, although that did cross my mind the first time I saw it,” Parks said.
“I hung onto it and then put it under my Buddha statue to bless it, and I just said, because I have been thinking about abundance, well this is nice. Keep it coming,” said Mata.
The Greater Victoria Housing Society, which manages the building, told Global News it has no idea where the money came from, but spokesperson Vanessa Schneider said “it seems like a wonderful surprise.”
While there appears to be no answer in the offing to that surprise, those who received the money say it’s made them feel a little better in what are unquestionably tough times.
“I believe there are good people in the world so this is just a reaffirmation that people care,” Mata said.