A 70-year old woman, who is widely known around Hillsboro as the “Candy Lady” for providing gifts of candy to local organizations, businesses, and individuals, recently faced a daunting pre-holiday disappointment.
During a grocery shopping trip to Kroger, she made an ATM transaction to withdraw $100 she planned to use to buy discounted candy the day after Halloween and forgot to retrieve the money.
“Minutes later, I thought, ‘Oh, my, I’ve forgotten my money,’ and I went back in, and it wasn’t there,” she said. “I talked to the lady at the store, and I talked to the police, and they have a video of the person who took my money, but chances are pretty good they are not going to find that person.”
In addition to her contributions as the “Candy Lady,” the 30-year Hillsboro resident frequently purchases food for individuals in need.
“So, this kind of puts a crimp in Halloween and the holidays coming up for me and giving to people because people were kind of used to me doing that,” she said.
The “Candy Lady,” who asked not to be identified by her actual name, said the grocery store’s security camera revealed the woman who was the next to use the ATM took the money, but her face was obscured by a large hat and a mask.
“I’m on a fixed income, and I don’t have many things myself, and this makes it harder to do the kind of work that I do,” she said. “I don’t have a cell phone, and I scrimp here and there so that I can help people. I started to take it the wrong way, thinking, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t be doing this’ and ‘What’s the point,’ but that’s because I was feeling bad about forgetting the money, but it’s my fault really.
“I would have turned in the money, and I think most people would have turned in the money,” she added.
The “Candy Lady” is hopeful that the person who took the money will return it to Kroger or The Times-Gazette.
“That would be kind of a great ending to the story that shows that everyone is redeemable and second chances are important,” she said.
She expressed the sentiments that everyone should have a happy holiday, including the person who took her money.
Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.
