Emedinews:Inspiration: An act of kindness

Years ago, when my then husband had been made redundant, I was pregnant with our second child and our daughter was only 10 months old.

We were on benefits for the first time in our lives - even the baby milk was free - and our mortgage was being paid. Our pride was in our boots. A free supermarket bus used to drop off people outside our house and a lady got off the bus and came down our drive with two bags of shopping for us. She said she hoped I didn't mind but she'd heard of our troubles from some of the neighbors and had bought us a chicken, fresh cream, cakes and biscuits to help us out.

I stood on the doorstep and cried at her kindness. I offered to pay but she wouldn't hear of it and said I'd have the opportunity to do the same for someone else one day when our fortunes took a turn for the better.

I've done the same more than once and I'll never forget the stranger who knocked on my door with free shopping for me and my family in our time of need.