While out walking, I found two gift cards from a department store on the ground. I discovered they have a combined balance of $440. I asked customer service if the cards could be traced to their purchaser or recipient, but the representative said no. Should I go ahead and use them or perhaps pay them forward in some other way? The money’s already been spent to buy them. —A.M.
Here’s a two-step suggestion: Wait a month. It’s possible that the buyer of the gift cards will bring proof of purchase to the department store and argue successfully for replacement cards, voiding the ones you now hold. After that, though, if there’s still $440 on the cards, call your local homeless shelter or food pantry and ask what the organization needs that you could buy at the department store. Then use the cards to do it. If you want a personal reward for your trouble, make it a small one. These are painful times for so many.
—Adapted from “Social Q’s” in The New York Times Magazine