Elderly Charity Shop Owner Baffled by Over 50 Boxes of Mystery Donation Blocking Store Entrance

By
Loh Huey Xin
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A charity shop collecting donated goods recently faced an unexpected situation when around 50-60 boxes of “donations” were mysteriously delivered to the store.

The boxes were stacked up to the corridor ceiling, blocking the shop entrance and obstructing residents’ passage, leading to complaints.

The shop owner claimed he had no prior knowledge of the delivery and had to pay $100 out of pocket to have the items removed.

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86-Year-Old Shop Owner Has Been Helping Orphans for Over 20 Years

Shin Min Daily News reported that 86-year-old Huang Kun Guan (name transliterated from Mandarin) rented a shop space at Block 120 Potong Pasir Avenue 1 after retiring.

He specializes in collecting donated goods and delivering them weekly to orphanages in the Philippines, Indonesia’s Bintan Island, and Batam Island, supporting hundreds of orphans.

Shin Min Daily News received a complaint from a resident on Friday (11 Apr 2025), stating that on Thursday (10 Apr 2025) afternoon, a large number of boxes were piled up in front of the store, taking up public corridor space and making it difficult for people to pass through.

Image: zaobao.com.sg

Photos provided by residents showed about 50-60 boxes of various sizes stacked from the corridor floor to the ceiling.

“This problem of cluttered items isn’t new, but this time it’s really over the top,” a resident said.

When Shin Min Daily News reporters visited the scene on Friday, they found that all the boxes in the corridor had been cleared, and no clutter remained at the entrance.

Shop Owner Surprised by Christmas Decorations Donation

Mr Huang told reporters that the incident happened around 4:00 PM on Thursday.

When he returned from a meal, he was shocked to see boxes “sealing off” his shop. He said he had no prior knowledge of the donation and didn’t know who had donated the items.

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After opening the boxes, he discovered they contained large quantities of Christmas decorations.

However, he only collects useful items, and decorations aren’t what the children need. He had to spend $100 to hire workers to remove them.

“I was stuck outside my shop for two hours and could only enter after everything was cleared. I didn’t expect to be criticized for this,” Mr Huang said.

He explained that his shop operates from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but some people donate items outside these hours.

Additionally, he can’t be in the store all the time, but whenever he sees items piling up at the entrance, he deals with them right away.

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Xue (name transliterated from Mandarin), a 25-year-old manager of the neighboring pet product store, said she saw the boxes that day and was quite surprised. The person who delivered the boxes had arranged them neatly against the wall, but she didn’t know who it was.

Mr Huang has been helping orphanages for over 20 years. His decision to get involved in charity work was inspired by his domestic helper, Maria.

He told reporters that he regularly mails items or personally leads teams to orphanages to deliver goods to children in need.

When reporters visited on Friday, they happened to meet Maria, who had travelled from the Philippines.

Image: zaobao.com.sg

She is one of the founders of a Philippine orphanage and has donated almost all her savings to support children in her village after returning to her country.

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“Before I started this business, I experienced those difficult days, so I want to help them as much as I can. Their smiles are my biggest motivation,” Maria said.

Richard, a 66-year-old retiree who regularly donates items to charity shops, told reporters that some people donate randomly, and the items can’t be used by the children.

“I believe donors have good intentions, but it would be more meaningful if they could provide useful things,” he said.

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Loh Huey Xin