A MODERN-DAY ROBIN HOOD
When I hear the name Robin Hood, I think of a man in green tights with a bow and arrow riding through Sherwood Forest stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Although many tales have been written about this popular folk hero, it has never been proven whether he and his group of Merry Men ever really existed or not. But in the small German town of Braunschweig, the local people think they have their own Robin Hood … and their hero has made them all believe in miracles again.
Shortly after a local robbery occurred a few years ago, people in the town started receiving white envelopes filled with cash. They were left in the middle of the night by an anonymous donor and stuffed in mailboxes or under doormats. It was the most exciting thing the town had experienced in years, and people began affectionately referring to the Good Samaritan as “Robin Hood”. What first seemed too good to be true soon became a real-life fairy tale, and everyone began speculating about who the wealthy well-wisher could be and whether it was a man or a woman. Some think it might be a modern-day Robin Hood who had a plan to help out the poor and needy. Others wonder if it’s someone who committed a crime but then felt guilty immediately afterwards. Or perhaps it’s an older person who is about to die and has no heirs. But ALL agree that it’s a RARE thing these days to see a complete stranger help someone else out, and even more rare that it has been done anonymously without the need of recognition or accolades.
All different amounts have been given, but most envelopes have been in the range of 10,000 Euros (or approximately $13,000 US). The first to receive one was a Victim Support Center. Soon thereafter, envelopes were also given to a day care center, a soup kitchen, a choir, a hospice center, and four local churches. There have also been individuals who have received money, such as a 14-year-old boy who had been severely handicapped after a swimming accident and a local man who was beaten up when he came to the rescue of a group of women who had been sexually harassed.
So far, more than 250,000 Euros have been disbursed, and most are accompanied by a newspaper article or clipping of some kind that indicate how the benefactor would like the money used. These mystery gifts have not only benefitted the recipients, but they have also been great publicity for the local newspaper which had been struggling to survive. With much interest and anticipation, the public looks forward to the Braunschweiger Zeitung reporting on every envelope that is received, and they are also charmed by the letters of gratitude that the recipients write thanking their mystery donor. Furthermore, this Robin Hood story has received worldwide-media interest, increasing the circulation and thrilling its editor whose “little paper” has suddenly been thrust into the limelight.
Copyright © 2013 (Michelle Parsons, Getting Back on Your Path). All Rights Reserved.
