Friday, December 2, 2011

The $100 Challenge, The Second Year

Last year, Hubby & I participated in the $100 Challenge. Don't know what that is? Read the Story that started it all here.  Basically, Andrew, a Londoner, gave a man in need $100. And felt good about it. It got him thinking about how such an amount could do some good for another human being.

I wrote about the $100 Challenge last year, found here. What I didn't tell anyone really was some of the follow-up to what happened that day.

Last year, Keeping Kids Warm collected gently used coats and clothing for those in need. After our giveaway of well over $100 worth of coffee and cookies, the clothing items were gathered and dropped off at various agencies so that folks who needed them could get access to them. At one of the places, a man asked one of the volunteers if we had any dress shirts as he had a job interview the following Monday.

With donated money, and some of her own, that volunteer drove the man to a thrift store, and let him pick out a dress shirt, pants and shoes so that he would look presentable for his interview. He was truly grateful, and it made the volunteer feel wonderful to help someone who truly needed a hand up.

Well, the man in this tale got the job he interviewed for. The agency has since told us that he is now doing well, has an apartment of his own, and has become a volunteer to help others who were once where he was. When he speaks of the events that helped him turn his life around, he always starts the story with a lady who was dropping off coats and how kind she was to him.

It doesn't take $100 to help another fellow Londoner, but imagine what we all could accomplish if we just try to make a little corner of the world a better place?

I urge you to join dozens of other Londoners and give a little something to someone else. You don't even have to be in London! The $100 Challenge has people registered as far away as Australia who will be taking part on Saturday, December 3, 2011.

If you have $100 to give, or only $10, use it to make soneone's day. Buy a coffee for the person in line behind you at Timmie's. Offer to pay for someone's groceries. Approach a stranger, and give them $20. It doesn't matter how you do something, just do it on that day. Please. It can make a world of difference.

4 comments:

  1. That is such a nice story. My company is doing a Christmas morning for a family of 4 children (we buy them toys and shoes and clothes), and I really enjoy doing that. However, I think if I gave a random stranger $20 around here, they'd think I stole the money or something... That's awesome that you guys have a day like that where everyone pitches in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great story - I love it when the act of kindness is exactly what the person needs most!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely story...for another lovely, but sad story, I meant to say, not that I am trying to self-promote, but to learn more about the true meaning of christmas please visit my blog and then click the link on my latest post...moving beyond words.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This story made me get all teary. Love it! And, so inspirational. I will definitely be thinking of what I can do this year.

    ReplyDelete