MACON, Ga. — There is a reason many hotel rooms have safes. Most folks are untrustworthy in a situation where bad things could happen.
Barbara Stinson is a good Samaritan at a Macon Days Inn.
"I'm particular about my beds," she chuckled while pulling up some covers.
Days Inn manager Terri Field appreciates that attentiveness.
"How did we get so lucky to get her here that's what I'm thinking," she said about Barbara.
Barbara spends her shift making the rounds making things are just perfect for guests.
"It was a single room like this," she described. "The money was laying on the TV table so when I saw it I left the room and that's when I wrote the note."
$2,800 was sitting on the table. For Barbara, the Benjamins just meant a way to fix a blunder.
"I took a video of me putting the note on the cash, she recalled.
Barbara didn't mince words on that note and then signed it.
"I fussed at them and said never leave anything like that because they never know who would see them plus they didn't know who else would have been in that room," she warned.
"We've had people that have worked here before that we didn't quite trust to do the stayovers... her we trust," Terri said.
Turns out, the money meant a new life for its owner.
"It was for their rent and deposit their first rent and deposit for a new place. They were homeless and they had been saving up money," Barbara said.
And all of this could make it's own story - but there's more.
"She helps get food and shampoo and stuff to the homeless people. She's helped people here at the hotel just by getting their room paid for," Terri recalled.
"There was a lady here she was hiding from domestic violence she didn't have enough to pay for her room and so I had some extra cash on me so I just paid the balance for her," Barbara said bashfully.
She cobbled up a good tip with some of her own funds for that person.
But Barbara isn't made of money. In fact, she has some fierce medical bills nipping at her heels.
"I have a few more months on the chemo pills I'm a recent cancer survivor," she said.
She's had to survive a lot in life.
"I was leaving a bad marriage, a bad divorce, and I left with what I had on and I started all over," she recalled.
So when you know all about Barbara, you can see a pile of cash was never a temptation for her.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, not how they do unto you. Because if you do people the way they do you it's not always right," Barbara said with a smile.
A motto we could all get behind.
The Days Inn off Arkwright road just named Barbara employee of the month.