“He eventually found a shul, with a Meir Baal Haness pushka, and borrowed money from it, and when he got home, he retured the money to a Meir Baal Haness pushka there.”
Yes, but the “pushke owner” lost his commission. As with many pushkes, Meir Baal Haness pushkes are a source of income for many people who place them in stores, shuls, homes, shiva gatherings, etc. and are responsible for collecting the puske funds.