She was a solo mother with a young son, she was struggling to put food on the table, and she felt alone in the world.
But come Christmas Day in 1991, Miss Barnes found gifts on her doorstep, left by a complete stranger.
"I still remember that feeling coming home, and seeing that parcel there on my doorstep.
"It still makes me tearful when I remember it. There was a wee Transformer toy for my son, there were puzzles, plus food items."
The 47-year-old said to this day, she has no idea who did it.
"If I could say something to that person, I would say a huge thank you. They don’t know how much it touched my heart.‘‘I was a single mum. It was just me on a benefit. I felt very alone at times, trying to raise a baby on my own.
"It gave me a feeling of hope — that someone cared and was looking out for me."
Fast forward to 2016, Miss Barnes still holds the memory close, knowing all too well the significant impact a small gift can make at Christmas time.
For the past 11 years, she has led the Dunedin Kmart team’s Wishing Tree Appeal.
And every year, she aims to collect more gifts for those in Dunedin who would otherwise go without.
"Because of that act of kindness, my involvement in the Wishing Tree has just grown and grown. It’s a way for me to pay it back."
She works with local businesses and schools to get behind the appeal, to ensure not only enough gifts to meet the need, but a greater understanding of the giving feeling and how much joy it brings.
"Every year, I try to make it bigger and better. Every year, Dunedin doesn’t disappoint. They’re very supportive."
Last year, about 3700 presents were placed under the Wishing Tree. This year to date, 806 have been left under the tree, and Miss Potter was aiming to have about 4000. If you want to give a gift to the appeal, you can leave it under the Wishing Tree at Kmart in Dunedin’s Meridian mall.
