Minnesota couple who 'lived off discarded food' donate $500,000 to Salvation Army

The couple declined to be named but said they wanted repay the charity they were once shown

The donors said they had once survived off discarded food (Salvation Army )

We don’t know their names, but we do know there was a time when the the couple from Minnesota once scraped by with the help of discarded food.

Fast-forward to 2015, and the couple repayed the kindness they were shown by dropping a cheque for $500,000 in a Salvation Army collection pot.

The couple, who have declined to be identified, left the checque in one of the charity’s distinctive red pots, located outside a grocery store in Rosemount, Minnesota, 20 miles south of Minneapois. It was the largest donation the charity has ever received in the area, according to the Star Tribune.

The donors said they had once survived off discarded food (Salvation Army)

“We are simply stunned and honoured to have received such a generous gift,” said Maj Jeff Strickler, the Twin Cities Salvation Army commander.

“This is a true blessing and it could not come at a better time for the Salvation Army and the people we serve.”

The charity said the “donors say they made the gift in hopes of encouraging others to give as generously as they can, too.”

“Also, they wanted to honor one of their fathers, who served in the trenches in World War I, and was always grateful to the Salvation Army Donut Lassies who brought soldiers free coffee and donuts," the charity said.

“That simple act of kindness and comfort made a lasting impression and created a family legacy of supporting The Salvation Army.”

The charity added: “Plus, when they were a young couple, the donors say money was so tight, they would often rely on discarded food from the local grocery store. Today, they can afford to help others in need.”

The charity reported that the couple had said: “You get to a point in life where it’s time to take care of others, the way you were taken care of.”

The group has served 186,000 people in the Twin Cities in 2015, providing 9,000 winter coats to children and groceries to over 100,000 individuals, she said.

“We really depend on the Christmas season for donations,” said spokeswoman Julie Borgen. “With this donation, we expect to meet goals and give back just as this couple so generally gave to us."