June 15th is the Worldwide Day of Giving. It is a very special day that was started on this date in 2010 as part of the founding year of Reed’s Year of Giving.
Participating is simple and can be done from anywhere in the world.
You can be a part of the Worldwide Day of Giving by doing one of three simple activities!
1. Give a stranger $10
2. Volunteer
3. Donate $10
At the end of the day, share your story of your giving here or on Facebook and help inspire others around the world to give.
SO….here are the details on the giving…..it’s simple.
1. GIVE A STRANGER $10
So you’re old school? You want to celebrate the Worldwide Day of Giving by paying forward like Reed did for 365 days. It’s easy. Find a complete stranger. Approach them and tell them that you are participating in the Worldwide Day of Giving and would like to give them $10. The only rules are that you may not know the person and you may not receive anything in return for the $10 (aside from the rush of goodness you will feel).
Ideally you will take some time to speak with the recipient, find out what they will do with the $10 as well as a little bit about who they are. If you can take a picture or video, that would be even better – we would love to have you post that here or on the Year of Giving Facebook Page.
2. VOLUNTEER
You can volunteer with any organization. For those of you who are busy and can’t take off work, consider micro-volunteering on www.sparked.com. Many of the volunteer projects take 20-30 minutes. You can volunteer on your lunch break!
3. DONATE $10
Give $10 today to your favorite charity. Don’t know who to give to? You can donate through the Year of Giving website to help some of the 365 recipients I gave $10 to in 2010. Most recently I’ve been helping Anthony from Day 67 – find out more about those efforts and donate by clicking here.
I hope that you will share your experience here or on the Year of Giving Facebook Page
Then sit back and start to watch the phenomenon begin. Stories trickling in from all around the world. Imagine the different reactions and stories that we will collectively have from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Raahe, Finland to Montevideo, Uruguay!
I encourage you to harness the power of social networking to help us get at as many people as possible to take part in this year’s event!
Use #WDoG when tweeting!
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I was very inspired by your blog and your idea. I think if more people did this, the world would be a much nicer place to live in…my birthday is coming up, and when it does, i am going to try to start my own year of giving – maybe not giving people ten dollars every day (i’m a little too shy for that) but i will try to do one random act of kindness every day…Thanks for your inspiring idea, and sign me up for your worldwide day of giving!
I saw you on CNN today and thought on my way home, I’m going to do that today. I’ve felt ‘unemployment’ for nearly a year in ’08 but now have an interesting good job. I take care of animals mostly and work with rescue centers to get them fixed and adopted as much as possible so I have put people on a back burner lately.
I stopped at the store on my way home (cat food for my back yard strays) and totally forgot to do it – to figure out who needed my 10 dollars. I felt ashamed until I got home and was feeding all those back yard strays……heard the knock on my door…..it was my brand new neighbor asking if I had any DRANO as he didn’t get paid till next Monday – that is 7 days away. LITEBULB moment !!!! I didn’t have any drano, but I did have 2 five dollar bills stashed away. It was just like you said : )
You’ll know who to give the 10 dollars to.
He almost started crying when I told him about what today is all about.
THANK YOU !!!!
I love it! -Reed
I have been receiving a few questions from people who are interested in participating in the Worldwide Day of Giving, but aren’t sure how to approach the person. First, you can choose anyone. I will tell you that people who are sitting in parks or waiting for the same bus or just having a cup of coffee some place are usually easier to connect with because they are not moving. Smile. Be friendly.
Here is an example of what you might say to the person.
“Hi…I was wondering if you could help me on a personal project that I am doing…well, let me explain to you what the project is and you can decide for yourself. I am participating in the Worldwide Day of Giving, a day that celebrates altruistic giving and community engagement. The project is simple….I find one person who I don’t know and give them $10, no strings attached. I would love for you to be the recipient of my $10.”
If they say yes, you can ask other questions and learn more about them….etc. If they are still unsure, explain that if they say no, then you will simply have to find someone else. If they say they are not worthy of the $10, tell them they do not have to keep it and that they can do anything they want to with it. If they say that they prefer that you give it to someone who needs it, remind them that they can also do that. Sometimes you get a few refusals….but hang in there and you will find the right person.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
My church group from Living Water Christian Church is donating a week of our time to work at koinonia farm this week. Read about them at http://www.koinoniapartners.com and our church at http://www.livingwaterchristian.org or visit my facebook page for updates on our mission trip at Cheryl Jackson Pinkman page. It feels great to share in the labor when there is no money to share.
Alright, here is my post for my part in the Worldwide Day of Giving!
I live in Starkville, Mississippi, and it is the home of Mississippi State University. My recipient was a nice young lady named Florie C. Florie is a sophomore of graphic design from Roseland Mississippi (in the Delta). She was on her way to the Union (our newly renovated all purpose building that has a great new food court) when I caught up with her on the Drill Field.
Florie was seriously surprised when I told her I wanted to give her $10 with no strings attached! From the distance I thought she was having a rough day, as she was lugging her MacBook in one arm and texting in the other. And I guess I was right! She was super delighted!
Florie is studying to be a graphic designer at Miss State and is currently having her portfolio being reviewed for acceptance to the program. She says it is really difficult to get in to the program, as it only accepts 1/2 of the class, and it is stressing her out to no end. But her dream job would be to move to New York City and work for VOGUE magazine designing covers, so if anybody can help her get there would be excellent!
Florie said that she was going to spend the $10 on lunch since she was hungry, and then whatever was leftover on charity! What a great idea I thought to myself!
I have this joyous feeling that my small $10 could make this young lady smile. She is on the difficult path to her dreams and just for 10 minutes today I could help brighten her day. I would have never met Florie, known how hard Miss State’s graphic design program is, or made a stranger smile today if it wasn’t for this event. What a great Tuesday! Check out her picture on the Facebook Event Page everyone!
Nick…I like your style! Well written and I feel like I know Florie now too. Thanks for taking time, inspiring, and sharing Florie’s story. You made her day! Reed
I just found someone at the Post Office in Falls Church VA to give my $10 to. I practiced and practiced my approach, and was still nervous! Does it get easier, Reed? Anyway, Jackie was very open without giving me the evil eye, and she took the $10 without hesitation, saying she would pass it on to someone else. How fun!
Great Peggy…it does get easier, but there are still times that I get nervous approaching others. Reed
The idea of giving is always rewarding and a blessing in more ways than anyone can ever imagine. AND, it is true that you can never be poor just because you helped another person! When you give, God, returns to you tenfold!
My story of giving is very different…
I am from Africa and between 2005 and 2007, I lost my two brothers and my sister! This was devastating of course, but another challenge was the kids they left behind. I didn’t have to think about it – I knew I had to step up…however challenging it is, I decided that I’ll make sure these orphans are taken care of; I pay their tuition, buy their food & clothes, pay their rent etc.
There are 9 orphans in total, 2 are now in college and 2 in high school. Although it is a huge challenge to raise all the money required, and although I’ll never replace their parents, I vowed to love them, to help them financially as long as I can, as much as I can.
So you see, for me, it’s not just a year of giving, it’s a long-term commitment to giving!
Nyabbs…your story touched my heart. There is no way to plan for something like that.
Hang in there. I hope somebody gives you $10 today!
Reed
I just saw my dad give his $10 away! Awesome! He got a picture and promises to post the story soon. Way to go Dad! I love you.
Reed,
I love this idea. It’s all about the good. That is so inspiring.
There is way too much negativity that we come in contact everyday. This project is truly a breath of fresh air.
What about calling it “microgiving”? In contrast to Bill Gates who is of course a macro-giver.
I plan to give $10 in quarters to people doing laundry today. If any interesting stories I will post again.
It is also wonderful that this brings attention to the, all but lost, true feeling of connectedness between fellow travelers on earth.
Good luck with the job search
My daughter and I went to a random location in Alliance, Ohio. There we walked around until we found someone we would like to go up and meet. Today we met a nice lady named Eva B. She was walking up to the register, so my daughter and I waited until she was finished and then we stopped her as she was leaving. I tol…d her hi and told her mine and my daughter’s name. I asked her name, and she responding cheerfully her full name. I told her today is World Wide Giving Day and that my daughter and I was going around to find someone to share $10 with no strings attached. I asked her if she would accept it, and at first said no to find someone else more in need. I told her that she could do anything she wanted with it or give it on to the next person. She accepted it and said she really appreciates it. I asked her if she knew what she would like to do with the $10, but said no. I hope this put a smile on her face for the day 🙂
I have an incredible story. I had this day marked on my calendar to give away $10. Then, didn’t have anywhere to go today, so wondered what I would do about giving away the money. My husband went to the local Fred’s to get our dogs a wading pool and he took the small car. He called me and asked me to bring the SUV because he couldn’t get it in the small chevy. As I was waiting for him to load it, I overheard a young man with a two year old, walking out of Fred’s and talking on the phone saying he was out of gas and had no money. I got out and took him the $10 and he was so thankful. He said his wife had died and they had burried her yesterday in Cleveland and he and the baby had been driving for 18 hours to get home. My husband helped him get the car started, put oil in it and filled it with gas. God works in mysterious ways and gave me and my husband (who didn’t know anything about the note on my calendar) a wonderful opportunity to help someone. Thank you for starting this.
Great story Melba!
Giving away $10 took more courage then I was expecting. I knew I had to bite the bullet on my short 20 minute commute home. On the subway platform, I decided I would give it to the person sitting next to me on the train. But I sat down to a man in his designer suit playing with his iPhone and I didn’t think he was the correct candidate. In the train car, I decided I would give it to the person standing next to me in line for the bus. But the two people on either side of me were busy reading magazines and books and I felt weird interrupting. Can you start to see my pattern of excuses?
Finally, just a few short blocks from my bus stop and after 5 minutes of internal debate on how I should start the conversation I turned to the women next to me on the bus and said, “I know this is going go sound crazy but my friend has a project he is doing this year where he gives away $10 to a random person each day. And he’s asked us to give away our own $10 today. I’m almost home and I need to give it away…so I hope you will accept it.” She said, “really? are you serious?” I said yes and she started crying. It turns out I was offering my $10 to Monica who has worked for 12 years at the will call department of the Natural History Museum (her first and only job). After 20 years of marriage, she is recently divorced and out of money. She paid all her bills earlier in the week and didn’t have anything left over before she got paid on Thursday. She said she was going to use the money to buy herself food…a pastrami sandwich to be exact. She was happy to tell me about her life including how she tries to volunteer and about the community garden where she and her friends bought a vacant piece of land for $500 where she now grows vegetables in her Bronx neighborhood.
With tears in her eyes, Monica told me how grateful she was to receive the money. I explained a little more about the Year of Giving and told her about the website. After hearing about it, she declared she was going to take $5 of the money and pass it onto someone who she saw on the train on the way home. I could feel her appreciation and excitement to continue the cycle of giving. She encouraged me to stop by will call at the museum so she could give me free tickets, “all you have to do is say you are Megan…I will remember”. I don’t know if I will take her up on her offer, but I will always remember the wonderful spirit Monica carried with her and the true power of giving.
I have definitely went through the same thought pattern that you did about who to give to…but you end up giving to the right person. It’s weird how that works out. Thanks for giving – Reed
Megan,
Wow! I wish the system allowed me to give more than one “thumbs up” to you. Great job!!!
Mike in the ‘Couve
I just got home from giving my $10.00. I went to our local dollar store, and just walked around waiting for just that right person. I chose a lady that was probably about 30 years old, and had a young child with her. I watched her checkout, and noticed that she set a couple of her items aside because she didn’t know if she had enough money. I guess I should have given her the money then, but I waited outside for her instead. I stopped her, and shared your story with her. When I started to hand her the money, she told me that I did not have to give her the money,and I just told her that oh yes I did. She told me that she would most likely put gas in her car with her money. I then shared with her that when you are in need, that you still need to give. She replied to me by saying that it was just like tithing. And she is absolutely right. At that moment, I knew I chose the right person in the dollar store. I have been in that position of need, and with Gods blessings, am slowly making my way up. I am not sure who I made happier today, that young mom, or myself. Thank you Reed – I can’t even tell you how good I felt when I got in my car and drove away. I just keep praying that some day I will be in a position to run around making people happy all of the time! Thank you so much, and enjoy the rest of your journey!!! God Bless You!
I’ve been looking forward to this day as I’ve been inspired by Jason for months now. So, about 10 minutes before I was going to give this guy I’d seen on the street this morning money I guy came into my work place and asked to see a supervisor. Long story short, he had an unpaid parking ticket from over a year ago and he was on SSI and homeless but, he still had his car (which I believe he occasionally also lived in). His name is Eugene F. (I don’t think I should give his last name here). I knew I couldn’t get the ticket waived for him at this point. But, I also knew if it didn’t get taken care of now he wouldn’t be able to register the car next week, he’d get more tickets for not having it registered and he’d quickly get into tow status and lose his only possession. So…I made up my mind that this was the guy who needed the help today!! So, while I told him I was getting “paperwork together” I paid his citation (yes, it was more than the suggested amount but, I could afford it so why not?) and came back to him and told him that I’d taken care of it, gave him the receipt, the paperwork for DMV and told him about the Day of Giving (and the Year of Giving and gave him the website address). He asked me if this was a personal gift and I said, “not really, it’s more of a gift of the Day of Giving, if it wasn’t for being inspired by this site I likely wouldn’t have done this”. He was so very cool and appreciative, he actually said, “well, I feel like I now need to go out and do something nice for someone else too, I can’t have it be monetary but, I will make it happen”. I believe the guy, he had a great vibe!
And just like I knew would happen, just like Jason said would happen….I felt GREAT for having made a positive real difference in his day! So…thank you to Eugene for being open to it and thanks to Jason for making this day REAL!!
I love this story Rick…and what I love even more is that Gene also wrote in on the website and told the story from his point of view! Way to go Rick! -Reed
I drove by so many people on my way home from work that would have been perfect recipients of the $10.00, but I was always in the wrong lane or saw them too late. I went to the grocery store on my way home and saw a girl across the parking lot sitting in the shade of a dumpster. I made the assumtion that she worked at the Subway just around the corner. I decided if she was there when I got out of the store she would be the one. She was. I went over to her and asked if she worked at the Subway – she was starting her shift in a few minutes. I told her about the Worldwide day of giving and asked what she would use it for. She said she would probably buy something for her 9 month old daughter. It was such a great feeling. I kept my eyes peeled for someone else on my way back home. I need to do this more often – it was great.
Hi, Reed,
I’m a friend of Ryan’s — we used to work together.
I had penciled in the original date, but neglected to note the revised date in my calendar. Fortunately, though I only get onto Facebook a couple of times per week, I happened to notice Ryan’s posts this afternoon.
My son and I walked to a local pizza parlor to grab a quick dinner. At the next table, I noticed a woman and her college-age daughter. The woman laughed frequently, and was having a lively conversation. I told my son that she was the one.
We finished our pizza, paid and then left. We stalked the woman, er, I mean, we waited outside for them to finish and leave. I walked up to her and explained the WWDoG concept. When I mentioned that you were unemployed, I think she thought I was going to ask for some kind of handout — i.e. the giving part would be her responsibility. She was floored when I told her I’d be doing the giving.
She asked if she could put the $10 bill into her church’s charity box. I said she could rip it up into tiny pieces and throw it on the street — but that I liked her idea better! We then talked about kids and schools, and said our goodbyes. My son and I have a great story to tell, and I’m pretty sure she does, too.
My son was originally bored w/ the idea; then, embarrassed/nervous when I walked up to the woman; and, finally, fascinated by the result. We really enjoyed the experience — thanks for suggesting it.
You ‘da man!
Glad it went well Mike…and even more glad that your son appreciated the experience! -Reed
I have been looking forward to this day ever since I read your inspiring story online. I just returned from getting a quick dinner in Calabasas, CA where I am currently traveling for work. Near the restaurant there are several small shops. I went into one to look at some hair products and got to speaking with a very kind employee named Christine. I decided she was the one I wanted to share this day with. I gave her the $10 and she was stunned, especially since there was nothing expected in return, no loopholes. Once we got to talking about why I was participating in this day and the wonderful benefits and kind actions that will stem from it she made her decision about what to do with the $10. She decided she is going to donate it to her Church on Sunday…as well as try and do something kind for a stranger that she runs into some day. I have also shared what I am participating in today with many, many people that I hope I will see posting comments from as well!!! Thank you for inspiring good, kind, thoughtful actions in others. It truly makes the world a better place. 🙂
I try to help people everyday when I can — and I wish I could do it for a living. I used to work as a social worker, and really miss it. My husband told me about today — but I worked all day and was coming straight home. Luckily I got stopped at a long light and was able to give the homeless woman on the side of the road money. She was very sweet and very surpised by the $10 I gave her. Thank you Reed for doing what you are doing. It’s very clever and inspirational. I wish I had met Nyabbs today, I would have given another $10!!!
Had to stop by Babies R Us to pick up a shower gift and thought what a perfect place to give my $10 to either an expecting mother or mother of a newborn. I purchased my gift and told my 15 year old daughter I would be right back that I had to give $10 to a stranger. My daughter said that I was crazy and the checkout girl just chuckled. I went on my merry way to find this new mother, with her infant in a stroller, who I saw a few moments earlier. But somehow I could not find her. As I turned down an aisle, I bumped into a young mother with a baby (maybe 4 months) and just blurted out that I needed to speak to her for a moment. At first she stepped back and did not want to take the $10. As I insisted, and gave her the article regarding Worldwide Day of Giving, she accepted. She would buy a little something for her new baby. I walked away and felt terrific! I got back to the register and again my daughter said that I was crazy and the checkout girl asked if my mission was accomplished and just chuckled!
I know your daughter said you were crazy…but I think she will think about it and realize the value in what you did. Maybe not today…but some day. -Reed
Today started like any other day but something felt different .. on the bus on the way to work it hit me . Today was Reed’s day of giving , I give thru out the year in different ways but I really wanted to be part of this day . Well I work in Downtown Columbus Ohio and I have for many years so I know lots of people so it was very hard for me to find someone to share with before I headed home . On the bus ride home I saw a couple of people but it just was not right for me . So I get home and I decide that when I take my evening walk I will talk the 10 with me I walk 3 miles I am sure I can find a person in 3 miles . I was talking to my mom and she said since she was not going out today that I should take her 10 with me , so now I have 20 to give away . I have started walking with two friends of mine and they called and wanted to go to a local park and walk . I figure I can still find someone at the park so out the door I head with my 20 bucks tucked away save and sound . Now mind you had I know this walking path had so many hills I might not have gone . After making 4 laps around the park as we were walking to the car I told them I would be right back and headed to the shelter house . I had noticed a couple of women sitting at the picnic table and it just felt like I should share with them I don’t know why I picked them. I passed a different woman on my way to them I could have stopped and shared with , but I just felt drawn to them. To be honest I was kinda nervous I was not sure how they would react . I just walked up said excuse me and explained about the Worldwide day of giving and Reeds blog and asked them if they would help me . They agreed so I asked for names so I could tell you about them . Miss Terri and Miss Jamie were nice enough to receive the 10 bucks from me .. I thought for just a moment about finding someone else for the other 10 but I just felt like giving it to them was the right thing to do . Miss Terri and Miss Jamie attend Southwest Grace Church and plan to put the money in the offering plate on Sunday . As I walked back to the car I wished I could do this more often but to be honest 10 bucks some days is alot of money to me . I returned to the car and to my friends and explained what I did and why I did it , which led to a discussion of this blog. So now 4 more people know about the wonderfull thing you are doing Reed and maybe someone can be helped thru the Church with the money I gave to the nice ladies at the park
I have been following your web site for some time now – and LOVE what you are doing! My husband and I went to eat at Woody’s BBQ in Winter Haven, FL, tonight. There is a young man who stands out by the road wearing a cow costume with a sign pointing to a Cuban restaurant near Woody’s. As we turned in, we both smiled and commented on what a tough job he has – it was about 97 degrees here this afternoon, and he was in that hot costume waving to everyone. As we were sitting in Woody’s, my husband said, “There goes the cow”. At that point, I KNEW he was the person I was looking for. We left Woody’s and walked to the Cuban restaurant but did not see him. I asked one of the workers if he was there, but he had left for the day. I explained to them about the Year of Giving and asked if they would give him the money. A young man working there said he was his best friend and would text a message to him about this immediately and would tell him to look up your web site. I was so excited that I forgot to get his name. Maybe he will post his story on here some day! Thank you for making our day special!
Nice choice….cow costumes in the summer are no fun!
Hi from Portland, OR! 🙂 I was so excited to do this and I told several people about it. One of my amazing coworkers/friends joined in on the Worldwide Day of Giving. I don’t know if she’ll be commenting on here or not, but she told me she went to Safeway early this morning and bought a breakfast meal and coffee for a homeless man who was outside of the Safeway.
I kept debating whether I should give $10 someone or to get change for several $5’s. My fiance’s 15-year old sister (who we have guardianship of) and I went on a mission to find people to give to; I ended up taking $20 out of the bank, drove to Walgreens to get it broken into $5s, and our search was on. First, we drove past these two guys who were trying to get their car fixed in the Walgreens parking lot. I wanted to give $5 to them, but for some reason didn’t stop (it was probably nerves) and left the parking lot. Well, I was so bothered that I ended up driving back around and parked right next to them and had her give them the $5. She was too shy to talk to them so she just told them it’s Worldwide Day of Giving and asked if they would accept the money and they said, “Sure.”
Earlier, on our way to Walgreens, we passed by this guy who was cleaning up his yard and he caught our attention (probably because we’ve been working on our yard a lot). We had really wanted to give him $5 so I drove back towards that way hoping he would still be there and thankfully he was! My fiance’s sister was going to go out there and give him the money, but I told her I really want to find out more about these people because everybody has a life story to tell so I told her I would go and give him the money (while she stayed in the car). I am soooo glad I did because I found out a lot about him. This guys name was Orlando and he is originally from Detroit, MI. He moved to Portland almost three years ago because he saw an episode on PBS about Oregon (the Blazers were getting Greg Oden and he also saw the amazingly, beautiful pictures of Crater Lake on the show). So while watching that show he said he wants to go to *that* (Portland) place. He is renting a beautiful house and keeps it up the best he can, but said he has been struggling to pay for rent by himself along with old speeding tickets he still owes money for in Detroit (and since he didn’t pay it off before, the fines have tacked on and he now owes $3,000 worth). He drives an old $170 car, he was extremely close to getting his college degree, but ended up dropping out before he finished, and he doesn’t have much, but he loves and appreciates life. He has strong faith in God, which I admire as I am also a believer, and he said “just earlier I was thinking I just need $5 more.” So he was really happy because I gave him the exact amount he needed. 🙂 I told him my name, why I was doing it, and he was so happy. He said I can come visit anytime and I said I probably will! I am sooo glad for this opportunity and hope to continue doing such things. Thank you, Reed!
It sounds like you gained a friend. -Reed
Tiffany Mayeda, I posted my Day of Giving story just before yours. While reading through your story, I realized that you had given your complete name and city/state. Since I have a hobby of searching for unclaimed money, I decided to check your name. I believe you will find that your husband and possibly other family members have unclaimed money being held by the State of Oregon. You can check this out online by going to
http://mscfprod2.iservices.state.or.us/dsl/unclaimed_property/search.cfm and typing in Mayeda as the LAST name. You can also contact the Oregon Unclaimed Property Division in Salem, OR, by calling 503-986-5200. There is NO CHARGE to file a claim. You should tell your friends/relatives to check their names, including names of deceased relatives. For other states, go to http://www.unclaimed.org and click on any state. I sincerely hope some of these unclaimed accounts are for you and yours. If you have any questions or if I can help you in any way, please feel free to email me. I could tell that you enjoyed today as much as we did – maybe God is repaying you with this unclaimed money – or maybe giving you a chance to help someone else. Either way, I pray that you will be blessed richly!
I finally was able to give my money away on the 4th try. That is right, I was refused 3 times before succeeding. My first attempt was a metrorail employee. He was friendly, and interested in the project, however he insisted that it was against policy for metro employees to accept money.
Next up was a guy waiting for a bus. He looked angry, and I thought, maybe if someone gave him ten dollars it would cheer him up. I approached him with a smile, and said “excuse me sir”, which drew his eyes to mine. I said, “Did you know today is the Worldwide Day of Giving?” He just stared at me with a very serious (and unfriendly) face for about 10 seconds, before saying “No comprende.” I was skeptical that he didn’t understand me, but I told him to have a nice day and walked away.
On the third try, I approached a tourist who was studying a map. I started by asking, “Is there any place I can help you find?” He said “no” in what was obviously a foreign accent, so I asked, “do you speak English?” He told me that he did, and so I explained that it was the Worldwide Day of Giving. He seemed uneasy during the explanation, and politely declined to accept my gift.
At this point, I figured I’d proceed to the gathering in Dupont Circle, and see if anyone there had any tips. Upon arriving, I didn’t see the group, so I asked the hostess, Sadé G., where the Year of Giving meetup was. She said that people kept asking her despite it being right at the bar. I went and socialized with the group; then it occurred to me that the hostess probably could use an extra $10… and wouldn’t it suck if people kept asking where the “Year of Giving” meetup was and receive none of that giving?
Sadé is a very pleasant and friendly woman. She happily accepted my gift, and seemed genuinely interested in learning more about the Year of Giving… and happy that someone stopped to tell her about it rather than just ask where it was. She wasn’t entirely sure how she would use the money, but said that she was saving for a trip, and would likely use the money for that.
Being the introvert that I am, I found giving money to a stranger to be very difficult, but I’m glad I did it. I have a new appreciation (already pretty great) of what Reed has been doing for the past 183 days!
Wow….four strike outs…that’s tough. Way to hang in there and glad you met Sadé. Thanks for being there tonight. It meant a lot to me.
Armed with a handful of $10s, I set off to the Atlanta airport in search of service men and women. I met those returning from Iraq, those heading to Iraq and several on their way to boot camp. Some said they would buy lunch, some said they would give it to someone else, a couple didn’t know what they would do with the money, one was going to pass his along to the USO and two refused the money.
I asked many where they were from. Interesting that they named the base where they are stationed not their home town. As I dug deeper, each smiled as they recalled their home.
Each wished me heartfelt thanks as I wished them safe travels. However, the pleasure was certainly all mine.
I have also given to past and present service men and women…it feels great. They are so appreciative of any gesture. and I am so appreciative of their service.
I went to the Library here in Vista, CA to tutor ESL. I was still sitting in my car when the new security guard walked by. I asked him if he had a couple of minutes to talk. I outlined the project, got out the money, a pad of paper, pen, and a printout of the home page for Year of Giving. His name is Jason and he has only been working here for a few days, so I had not seen him before. He was impressed with the concept and what he plans to do with the $10 is to add another 10 and find two people to share with tomorrow. He will look you all up when he gets home.
Great! I think I saw Jason’s picture on the Facebook site, right!
I tweeted this morning about today being Worldwide Day of Giving as I was most excited about meeting whomever would be the recipient of my crisp and clean $10 bill (I asked the bank teller for a “pretty one”) The weather started to turn rather snotty and wet here in Portland so I wondered where I should wander to seek out the recipient as most humans were inside somewhere seeking shelter. I “asked” for some advice and got the feeling that the Senior Center should be my destination. I had only been there once before on a short little tour of the facility but knew that locals gathered there to play cards and talk. Upon entering I encountered an older woman with long gray hair tied in a ponytail wearing sweatpants and an old white t-shirt who I believe took it upon herself to be the official interrogater of any visitors to the center. I smiled and said I had a mission to accomplish with a $10 bill. She said “Well you better hurry missy because the gift shop is closing up soon.” I then said that I intended to GIVE the $10 to someone. She then asked “Who are you looking to give it to?”
I smiled and said. “You.”
She asked “Why me?” I answered that I did not know her so she was the perfect person for the $10 and explained about the Worldwide Day of Giving…
(Still not smiling and a bit uncertain about the situation and me) she said, “Well I heard about such things. I guess then I should give it away?”
I reassured her that she could do whatever she wanted to with it, treat herself and a friend, whatever…as it is a GIFT!
She shook my hand and I asked her what her name was and she said “Chris.”
She then added “I’m going to tell my friends about this.”
I honestly don’t know who felt more blessed after our encounter.
I think I will have to do this more often as the domino effect of giving is AWESOME!
Good one! You painted a very vivid picture of the experience. I hope you continue to do this when you are able to. -Reed
Well I knew nothing about this project when I walked into the Parking Ticket office at City Hall in a large city in the San Francisco Bay Area. My nearly hopeless goal was to erase a $65.00 ticket that I could not afford to pay and which was putting a hold on my vehicle registration.
Long story made short, after being told by various minions that the ticket could not be vaporized, I was turned over to the Big Boss, to whom I explained my plight, and he said “Indeed, you have no administrative recourse in this matter.” So I began asking about what penalties I would be subjected to if caught operating an unregistered vehicle, this being my attempt at risk-assessment. He said “Wait a minute.” and began running to and fro, playing with various computer terminals, and came back and handed me a receipt showing full payment of the $65.00 ticket. I looked at him and said “What’s this? How did this ticket get paid? Did you just pay it for me?” His answer was “Yes.”
I paused and said “You just reached into your own pocket and paid off a $65.00 ticket for a complete stranger?” He said “Yes”, and then scribbled http://www.theyearofgiving.org on a Post It pad, and said “check out the website and do what you can.” Needless to say, this event was mind-boggling, the equivalent of going to the DMV and having a clerk say “we are going to register your car for free for the next 20 years.”
I was now the owner of an obligation, a part of a causality chain, and I spent the next two hours searching for the most reality-crushed person I could find. This came in the form of a filthy, bearded, grim-faced homeless alcoholic who was staggering down Main street gripping his gut and mumbling about “the pain”. I gave him $10.00, and tried to explain the project, but he was beyond all reason, and in a private hell. I don’t care what he used the $10.00 for, even if it was to buy a 40 ouncer of vodka–I doubt this was likely the day he was going to get sober, so if he needed to stave of the DT’s, so be it–I’m not a doctor or a judge, or a substance abuse counselor.
So this is how the world changes, and is made better. Small individual acts, that become a linked string of acts, that become an avalanche of acts, that become an overturn of a ruined and useless status quo.
Gandhi threw the British out of India with scarcely a shot being fired. That’s a good image to hold in one’s mind. Anything is possible where there is willpower and a just cause, because in the final counting good is stronger than evil, and will always prevail.
Peace to all,
–gene fisher
Santa Cruz, California
That’s an amazing story Gene. I’m smiling. -Reed
Dude…you rock…I knew you’d help someone else out!!
My 11 yr old grandson and I had the pleasure of participating in the Worldwide Day of Giving. For weeks the day had been marked in huge red letters on my office calendar. We spent a lot of time talking about the project and given his enthusiasm, I really wanted him to share the experience with me.
During dinner at a local restaurant, both of us scanned the faces of all the diners and employees, but no one really stood out. Our next destination was my nail salon. Patiently, he sat and looked around while a tech proceeded with my manicure. When he nudged me just a few moments later, I expected to hear that he was tired or bored…but instead, he said that he’d found the person that he wanted to give the $10 to. He indicated one of the techs resting in a spa chair. She’s usually a bubbly gal who greets and chats with all the clients so it was obvious that she was not herself. I shook my head since I am a regular customer and wouldn’t consider her a stranger. My grandson was obviously disappointed but didn’t question me. We finished up and did a bit of shopping, during which time my grandson found a toy that he really wanted. No surprise, the toy was $10. He joked that he should use the money to buy himself something nice and then quickly returned the toy to the shelf and walked away.
Later, as we walked through the mall area, I think we were both feeling a bit blue since we still had the $10 to give away. Then we noticed the nail tech coming out of the salon. She was walking very slowly, arm across her abdomen. Once again, my grandson noticed and aiming his biggest puppy dog face my way, held out his palm. I pulled the money from my wallet and he took off with a huge smile. Confidently he went right up to her and explained his mission. They turned to look at me as my grandson pointed. She had an instant smile and, in spite of her discomfort, made her way over to me. I introduced my grandson and she thanked him repeatedly. Then she turned to me and shared her story. She’d just learned that she is pregnant and was so ill that doctors hospitalized her. After missing work for nearly two weeks, she was attempting to return because she needed her paycheck. It may have been just $10, but the look on her face was worth a million to us.
On the way home, my grandson was beaming. He called to share his story with family members and told them that a simple gesture does make a difference. I hope that this memory stays with him as he continues to look for opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others.
Beautiful story Sharlen. As I have told others, I love when people involve children/grandchildren into the process. It provides a wonderful opportunity for them to learn, to question, to think about the difference between needing/wanting, etc. I especially liked the part where your grandson felt like getting the toy for the $10 but excercised self restraint and followed through with finding someone to give it to. -Reed
A typical string of days in the office usually mean that I’m not coming into contact with many new people, so I had to be certain to change up the routine a bit for the Worldwide Day of Giving. I started the day with a trip to the gym.
Working away on an elliptical machine, I became hyperaware of the people around me. Guy watching the World Cup match two machines over would likely not want to be bothered. Same with the woman on the recumbent bike ensconced in a book. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the group exercise class going on and inspiration struck–the instructor of this class would probably be just the right person. Unfortunately, the class let out before my workout finished–but thankfully the instructor was behind the front desk as I was leaving.
I nearly lost my nerve and kept right on walking, scrolling through various other scenarios in my head, including a cop out of paying tolls for cars behind me on the toll road. I decided to go with my original instinct and walked right up to this woman and introduced myself.
Lynne is an instructor at Gold’s Gym in South Arlington; she teaches two classes on Tuesday mornings starting at 6am–yikes! I told Lynne that I admired her work and that of her colleagues; fitness instructors are people who spend a good bit of their time literally improving the lives of others. And almost without fail, they are always in a good mood, positive and supportive. That is no easy task when you are at the front of a room of people who frequently stare blankly at you as you put them through their paces.
I went on to attempt to explain the Year of Giving and your situation–must work on that elevator pitch because I was nervous! When I asked Lynne if she would accept the $10, she replied, “But he has no money! I can’t take his money!”
“No, no, it’s my money,” I replied.
At this point her face lit up with understanding. “OK, great! I will take it and you know what I’m going to do? You have to tell him exactly what I’m going to do.”
I agreed to tell you exactly what Lynne will do with the $10.
Lynne is cycling 63 miles in Virginia this weekend for the Tour de Cure to benefit the American Diabetes Association, and promised to commit the money directly to that.
What a rush! I nearly forgot to give her the web address but I did, and she made me promise to come back next week and take one of her classes.
Yesterday I was in Washington, DC to participate in the “World Wide Day of Giving” and, of course, attend the “DC Meet-Up / Happy Hour”. I also accompanied my son to the CNN studios for his appearance on the CNN Newsroom with Ali Velshi.
I met and gave my $10 to a very admirable young man. Tony, who is from Springfield, Va, lost his father two years ago to cancer at a rather young age. Tony is now the man of the house and is working hard to send his three sisters to college. His father came to this country from Afghanistan many years ago (before all the wars over there started) to attend college and never returned. Tony says he will try to “pass it on” to someone else, perhaps a homeless person.
I have had this day marked on my calendar for months and months! I am in Minneapolis Minnesota. I’ve been talking about this day around the office for a few days now. My co-worker decided that she wanted to do it to. So we headed out down Nicollet Mall this afternoon with our $10 each in hand and my Flip video recorder. Not a block away did my co-worker and I come across David R. He was playing his guitar and chatting with passers-by. We approached him and introduced ourselves stating that today is Worldwide National dayof Giving and that we would like to give him her $10.00. He gave us “the look” but accecpted the money. We asked if he would mind if we video taped him. He was more than willing and even sang us a tune on his guitar telling us that he is” going to buy some groceries, going to buy some groceries, going to buy some groceries… so that he can eat”……I will post that video later today. He thanked us and we then went in search of our next recipient. About a block later I came across this young man named Nick. He was cleanly dressed and playing a beautiful tune on his violin. We have a lot of artsy and musical people in this fine town. We waited until he was done with his song. I introduced myself and talked about why I wanted to offer him my $10. He explained to me that he had just graduated with his Masters in Education. And that he wasn’t out to gain pity but rather to just share his love of music via his violin. I explained that I was giving freely of my heart and for no other reason than to see his smile. He accepted the $10 and told me he was going to use it to help pay his rent this month. My co-worker and I walked away smiling. He allowed us to vide him and I will post that later as well. It feels so good to give! A side note. When we returned to our office, my co-worker received a text from a friend of hers telling her that he had just been handed a $10 bill from a stranger and was told “Happy National day of Giving”. That’s beautiful!
I love it. Especially the text msg from your friend…we live in a small world 🙂
I had a destiny experience. Yesterday started out bad! I was driving down the highway and hit a big rock in the middle of the expressway at 75 mph. It blew 2 tires and damaged two expensive rims (the car is a Mercedes SL55). I had to be transported to the Mercedes dealer for repair. They gave me a loaner car. Since my …original travel plans were ruined I decided to go to Harbor Freight to get some items my racing lady friend wanted. While inside the store a man approach me and ask if I could give him a dollar for bus fair to get to work. The man did not look like the typical homeless person and sounded
sincere. Normally I don’t give money to strangers but this was “world of giving day”. I gave him $10 and told him why. You’d of thought I gave him a million. He blessed me and said he would use it for bus fair and some food. It made me feel good inside. I feel I made a difference and it was destiny since I wouldn’t have been there if my car hadn’t been damaged. It made a bad day good.
Already a day late in participating in the Worldwide Day of Giving, I was feeling some self assigned pressure to give away my $10. While our town has more than 100k people, it’s very spread out and suburban…..not a lot of downtown area where I might find a lot of candidate recipients. I decided to go to the bus transit station not too far from my house and see who I run across.
The station was pretty sparse at 6p, but I approached Sharon as she waited for her bus. Sharon is middle-aged and was dressed in a business suit. She certainly didn’t appear to “need” the $10 herself, but I’ve learned enough from Reed to know that you never know what you learn from new friends.
I explained what I was doing and asked if she would accept my $10. She was understandably very guarded and declined my offer. I asked her if she would reconsider and explained more of the Year of Giving. Sharon asked me if this was affiliated with a church and I assured her it was not. I showed her the printout from the site that I brought and told her there were no strings. Sharon considered this some more and chose to accept the $10.
I wanted to learn a little more about Sharon, but I could tell she was still uneasy and I didn’t want to scare her off. I asked what would do with this new found money and she said she would give to someone else, if that was ok with me. I told her any answer was fine. She thought for another second and said one of the bus drivers is having a hard time and is down…she will give the $10 to him. I told her that was exactly the spirit of the YoG. We shook hands goodbye and she offered a “God Bless you” to me, which made me feel like she trusted our encounter a little more.
Others have mentioned making this a monthly habit, and I have to say I plan to copy that idea.
Mike in the ‘Couve
Gene Fisher/Rick Claeys, what a wonderful story! Hope you will both go to the California Unclaimed Property Web Site at http://scoweb.sco.ca.gov/UCP/Default.aspx, type in your LAST names (also search GENE and EUGENE Fisher) and search for unclaimed money. I believe you or your relatives may have some just waiting to be claimed! There is NO CHARGE for filing a claim. You can also call them at (800) 992-4647. For other states, go to http://www.unclaimed.org. May God bless you richly!
I had an interview at 3:30 with this company on K street. You know, I remembered the Worldwide Day of Giving, however, I could not remember where the event was going to be held. I remember waking up feeling kind of sad because I didn’t have $10 dollars to give to anyone. Since I only had $3, I want to make the best use of it. Well, before arriving to the building on K street, I was walking and noticed a man that was sitting with some cups out on the sidewalk. I asked him if he needed anything to drink. I didn’t receive a reply, so I walked to CVS and got him a $.99 drink. I went and placed it beside him but he didn’t seem to want it. So, I left it there and went off to my interview. When I came out of my interview I was leaving to go catch the metro when this guy stopped me, outside of the building. He said, ” I see you have a suit on, what are you some type of lawyer or something.” I told him,” No, I’m actually an Combat Veteran, who has been looking for a job.” This sprung up an interesting conversation. The man, that goes by “John Wayne”, told me about his life in DC, on the streets. He mentioned that he was from Indiana and that he used to do work on construction roofing. He said that he lost he job and came out to DC. He called himself a roamer and a traveler. He stated that when he got tired of being in DC he would go about an hour and a half out of town for a few days and come back. I could hear in his voice that his heart was very heavy. That he had a lot of anger and pain, so I decided to give him a dollar and something that I felt would help a whole lot more than a dollar. I gave him one of my chains that I was wearing. It was a dog tag that had a scripture out of the Bible on it.
When I took it off, I told him to read it. After he read, I told him to keep it. I asked him if he would read it to himself everyday. He said he would and that he was going to show it off to everyone he met. After ending our conversation, he shook my hand and as we walked separate ways he said, ” Thank you very much, this means more than a million dollars. You don’t understand how much you gave me.” It really touched me because I was so focused on giving someone money because I figured money would help anyone, however, the thing that I did give was much more valuable than any amount of money I could give.
Ivory, giving the dog tag was a very generous gift. It’s so personal. I hope you don’t mind that I mention you are the same amazing Ivory from Day 106. Looking forward to catching up! -Reed
WOW…that’s an amazing and wonderful story. Thanks Ivory, your story has totally inspired me today.
I was at a Greyhound station in Jacksonville, FL, while I watched CNN and saw the report on the “Day of Giving”. I just missed my bus to Daytona Beach. I came from a wonderful meditation retreat , and was not ready to spend hours at not such a nice place as the Greyhound station.
I saw a family sharing a little food. Their kids spoke to me, and ask me where I was from. I told them I was from Germany. I thought this was a family having fun traveling, but the father told me that they just lost their jobs, their home etc. and they were on the way to Vermont.
So I went over to the mother, with the $10 in my hand. I said Do you know about this “Year of Giving program?”, she said NO. I asked her if she would accept some money
from me, and she said YES. She was just so happy and speachless.
I did not ask them for what they will use the money, but I saw them eating later.
I had my answer to the question why I missed my bus to the beach, I was suppose to give something.
I am really thinking about starting this in Germany , I think
this would be great if all people all over the world could participate.
Their would be so many people able to buy food.
Eva L.
Germany
That’s wondeful Eva! I hope you do start this in Germany! Thanks for giving…thanks for sharing. -Reed
Isn’t it GRAND : ) It’s not even a good feeling for you (us) It’s just such a nice feeling to KNOW someone else smiled and you were there with the wave of the universe’s hand. LOVE IT !!! Krista
I live in the Netherlands (Holland)
In our household I do not do the grocery shopping. So on occasion I will go to the local grocery to get one or two items that I need.
By the entrance many times there is someone standing who greets you with a nice ‘hello’ and when you leave with a ‘have a nice day’.
Sometimes the shoppers will give this person the 50 Euro cents that they have used for the shopping cart and upon returning it, still have this coin in their hand and thus are very likely to hand it to the person standing there.
The person standing by the door is selling a newspaper called:
Straatnieuws (street news)
Straatnieuws is a newspaper which is being sold by homeless people. It contains news and information for and about the homeless.
Why buy Streetnews?
Selling the newspaper gives the homeless person the feeling of selfrespect. He/she generates some income which stimulates the person to be more mindful how to spend money. The seller needs to invest and buy the papers. He/she learns to take care of himself and because he/she earns some money, this will help to grow their sense of self worthiness.
So when I was leaving the grocery store on the 14th of June, I asked the lady standing by the doorway if she was going to be there the next day. She said ‘yes’ so the next day I made an effort to go there with my camera and my 10 euro, but she was not there.
This morning however, she was there and I met:
Valentina N.
Valentina is from Bulgaria and has been in Holland for approximately 2 years now.
Now that we have the E.E.U. (Economic European Union) the migration from one country to the other is so easy, since we have no border crossings anymore.
Valentina came here to find a better future, her country is still in a bad economic state and corruption is rampant.
In 2 years time she has learned to speak almost fluent Dutch. I carried the conversation in Dutch only, since I don’t speak neither Bulgarian of Russian, which are the languages that she speaks.
She has a daughter who goes to elementary school, but since she Valentina has not been able to find adequate work, she will probably have to send her daughter back home.
They live in a house in Gouda with many more fellow Bulgarians in almost like a commune. Those that have work take care of the rest and everyone shares in the cost
She totally flipped when I offered her my 10 euro, after explaining what this was all about and when I asked her if she knew what she was going to buy she was not sure, but thought that she would buy herself or her daughter something special.
So Reed, I’m a couple of days late, but I was determined to give this to her.
I don’t have a picture of her. I guess I can get it if you really need it, but I thought that the story was more important than a picture.
I hope you got many more stories from the Netherlands. I have sent my customers 2 newsletters about the International Day of Giving and I hope that if not some, at least 1 has responded.
Take care, you are an inspiration to many and I hope that June 15th. will indeed officially become the Day of Giving
Ivonne, what a wonderful comment to come home and find from you here. I am so glad that The Netherlands are participating! I did a radio interview for BNN Radio some months ago…and have noticed a good amount of Dutch followers on the website. As you are probably aware we have a very similar newspaper here, Street Sense, which is a great organization. Their vendors are amazing, I have given $10 to more than 10 of them and bought newspapers from probably 25. I loved Valentina’s story. Don’t worry about the picture, I think it compliments the story in the fact that it puts a face on the recipient which sometimes helps the reader connect with the individual. It makes the recipient more human, however, your story was excellent and I think it is just perfect the way it is. -Reed
On Tuesday, I met Helen and Sara in Dupont Circle as they waited patiently for their bus. Helen is from France and Sara is from Chile, though they have lived in DC for about 40 years. At first it looked like we wouldn’t have the chance to speak much because a bus approached, but it went out of service leaving them waiting.
Sara asked me about my name and shared how she used to work for an Indian doctor. She said she really got to know a lot about India as well as Islam through him and that she even learned some Arabic, which she demonstrated for me!
I waited with them for a little awhile, but the bus didn’t show. They were tired and headed a bit further down the street to sit and wait. Helen and Sara had planned to use part of their $10 for the bus, but considered springing for a cab if they had to wait too much longer.
It was great to slow down my day for a few minutes and meet Helen and Sara. They really appreciated the idea of this project and Reed, they wish you a lot of luck in finding a job!
Hi Reed,
Just wanted to report on my Worldwide Day of Giving experience, which I need to file as “somewhat incomplete” for the moment. I went over to the Sly Fox, a microbrewery in Phoenixville, PA, where I live on Tuesday evening. It had been a kind of intense evening around the house. Nothing bad, just a lot of noise, as generated by a 12-year-old, and almost-eight-year old and a dog, so I was looking for a little bit of somewhat quiet time (accompanied by a beer and some classic rock).
I need to point out at this point that my younger son is on the autism spectrum, and sometimes, when he gets fixated on a certain subject he will talk to you about it at lengths that can be very exhausting if you’re not in the frame of mind to be receptive at that moment. This is part of what was occurring on Tuesday evening, before I went out for a little while.
Anyway, there weren’t many people over at the Sly Fox when I got there, but I sat down in close proximity to a guy a little bit younger than me at the bar. I seriously considered making the $10 offer to him, but I wound up thinking too much about it and wondering if this guy was the right person or not.
Eventually, he got ready to settle up his tab, which looked to be about $12. I have a gift card for this place and thought about picking up his tab with that, but, again, I wasn’t quite feeling it, so I didn’t and the guy left.
After awhile, I was ready to go as well and paid for my two beers with the gift card. The server had been very attentive and nice, though she and I had not really talked (though she was having a conversation with someone else at the bar). I did not initiate a conversation with her, but when it was time for me to go, I left a $10 bill for the $9.50 worth of beer that I had already paid for with the gift card. And then I slipped away.
On one hand, I liked the stealthy nature of this, but I missed out on the sense of connection that seems to come up over and over again in your encounters. I do not consider myself to be particularly shy, but I am often hesitant to initiate any sort of conversation with someone I don’t know.
So, while I got out there and did it on Tuesday, I do not consider it to have been a complete experience. But I will try again sometime.
On the plus side, when I got home, I had a great conversation with my younger son, who was still awake. he wanted to talk about the different forms water can take and also about the Titanic. Having gotten out for a little while, I was better able to focus on being engaged in the conversation and I always find that being engaged at that level strengthen my bond with my son, no matter what we’re talking about. Had I not gone out in pursuit of a Day of Giving recipient, that conversation might not have happened, so thanks for that!
Regards,
Rich
Thanks for sharing Rich. Very touching. As for feeling “incomplete” I understand your comment. You did give, and that is important. I find often that the more valuable part of the experience is the communication exchange between me and the recipient, so I do think it would be interesting to give it another try. Don’t over think it too much and be sincere and it will work out. Maybe not the first time, but eventually. Definitely let me know how the next go around works out. -Reed
We were visiting friends in Owosso, Michigan and we decided to go to the Flint Farmer’s Market. What a beautiful day and a great place to visit. I had a mission, a quest. Instead of looking at at goods now I focused on people.
On the second floor of the inside market there were two open shops and a cafe. Inside the Damascus Boutique was a vision in pink. She wore a pink straw hat, long pink cover and a pink skirt. And her aura was pink as well. (Pink – This is the color of love. It represents compassion, and possibly a love of art and beauty. ) It took me two times before I was brave enough to talk with her tho she appeared quite open to a chat. I explained about the Worldwide Day of Giving and asked if she would like to participate by taking the $10 I had. I explained that she could do anything with it and with a beautiful smile she said yes. She said she knew exactly what she would do with it and she would tell me why.
Her Name is Paige Curran and she is the mother of 11, four sons and seven daughters, one man, one marriage, 32 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren.
She lived all of her seventy seven years in Flint. She had been in the same shop location for twenty years ever since all of her children had gotten out of school. The shop was nothing she had ever done before but she needed to something to keep from being bored.
Her shop has a variety of new and preloved items. I noticed the hats right away and she explained that she designs hats.At one time they were a very good selling item. On the day I saw her she said she had only one sale. She said that she loved playing the 33’s and the jazz which was lively and happy.
Again she said she knew what she was going to do with the $10 without saying what.
I don’t know which made me feel better the fact that I was able to bring a smile to her face or the hug she gave me. Probably both.
[…] Day 181 was the Sunday before the Worldwide Day of Giving. As I passed the Starbucks near my house I saw a young lady sitting on their patio studying flash […]
After a hot and humid round of golf, I drove home making sure to go down 19th St. My daughter and I had been out walking a few days earlier and noticed a sign in someone’s front yard and took the time to stop and read it. They had recently installed brick pillars and placed plants on the top of each one. Unfortunately someone had stolen two of them and the owners were very disheartened as it was plants from their wedding. I thought this would be the perfect place for my $10. I was a bit nervous going up to the front door, but the owner (I forgot to get her name) was very pleased with the gesture and it brought a tear to her eye. I left feeling that I may have given hope that there is still good in the world.
[…] 183 was the Worldwide Day of Giving. I did some media interviews that day. In the morning I was on News Channel 8′s Let’s […]
[…] to all of you who participated in the Worldwide Day of Giving! It was amazing. So many great stories from all over…pictures and even video from some […]
I happened upon your blog by accident and it was after the “official” day of World wide giving. However, I was determined that I was going to give away $10 to a stranger sometime in the few days after reading all of the great stories. The next day I saw an elderly gentleman walking through the parking lot of a place I like to shop. I smiled at him and he smiled back. I said, sure is hot to be out in this heat. He says, we got a little breeze. I am thinking maybe he is the one. I go in the store for awhile and when I come out he is walking through the parking lot again. Here is my chance but I just can’t find the nerve. So I wave and go about my way. I go around town running other errands and decide to go back to the parking lot. The man was gone. I had missed my chance!! Surely another one would come my way. I was a little upset with myself for not going with my heart and getting up the nerve. Wow, I didn’t know how hard giving away $10 to a stranger would be!!! I went home a little heavy hearted, but determined that next time to go with the heart! Well, today I got to give away $10 and it felt great!! I happened to be in a Goodwill store shopping (Yes, Goodwill!!) and a young couple came in the store. The heat index today was 105 and this couple had been walking. They were sunburned and the young man was carrying a huge hiking backpack. I heard the cashier tell them about a few churches in the area. I couldn’t hear what they said. They left and I walked up to the register. I asked her what they wanted and she said they were looking for a soup kitchen. I ran out of the store and yelled Hey!! They both turned around and I said are you guys thirsty? (I had water in my truck.) The young lady said no we have water we need food. I said well I am going to give you guys $10, I know it is not much, but you see there was a day called world wide day of giving and I missed it. I am making up for it today. They were both all smiles, thanked me and said God bless you!! (Oh yes I am blessed!)I didn’t get their story because it was 100 degrees outside and I had an appointment. I left with a good feeling but even now as I type this felt like I should’ve done more. Thanks for planting a seed of giving in many people myself included. I hope this grows into something even greater.
Great story Jennifer…glad you stuck with it and found those two! Way to go! – Reed
On June 15th, the Worldwide Day of Giving, I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia. There were many opportunities for generosity and gifting, as there are many people living in extreme poverty, especially women and children. We gifted many of the families navigating the river with riels (the currency of Cambodia).
Our tuk-tuk driver, Jay, struggled on our journey to the Kompong Phluk floating village in Tonle Sap. While the washed out and rutted roads were challenging, his motorcycle helmet did not have a protective eye shield, causing bugs, dirt and wind to hamper his vision. At the end of the day, I gave him $10 and we stopped at a motorcycle shop in the city and purchased a new helmet for him.
Thanks for sharing Pat. I am sure your generosity was deep felt by Jay. Thanks for sharing the Year of Giving with the people of Cambodia! – Reed
Interesting blog. I followed your link to Dr. Darron Collins’ pages on the WWF site and read his personal and upfront account of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It was inspiring and it is my belief Dr. Collins’ heart is in the right place, as I’m sure your’s is as well.
As I read through the day-by-day accounting, I felt something was missing from the story. Even though each day was documented with pictures and personal accounts of workers coming to and from the beaches, I saw no devastation.
The level of despair and violation the people of the Gulf States are suffering is not acceptable. They have done everything asked of them to fulfill the need for the resources from the Gulf from the rest of our Country and others. Now they suffering from a phenomena of real and deplorable human intervention.
The pictures Dr. Collins presented show the real beauty of the Gulf. I was born and raised there and I can personally feel the sense of loss.
One thought I kept having is it seems the people are suffering more from the responses to what was supposed to be a catastrophe, than from the catastrophe itself.
Fishing bans, beach closures, toxic dispersant, cancelled events, and the pollution of humans as they gather to defend what wasn’t there.
The term “knee-jerk” continued to explain the tragedy to me. It seems an over abundance of funds, energy, and sensationalism is what has destroyed the way of life for the people, much more than any damage that has occurred, or looks likely to occur.
It has seemed we wanted, in a sad way, to see the oiled animals, the difficulties the working people of the area, and destroyed beaches; similar to people stopping traffic to watch after a fatal accident or fire. Are we this oblivious; are we this sick?
This was hard for me to accept. In all our concerns, we thought we were helping, but in fact we ARE the problem. The unintended consequences of us smothering this event with “help” when we actually are the cause are evident.
The beaches are still beautiful, just like reported. The smell in the air at Grand Isle is always of oil. One would have known that if they grew up there, or had ever visited. That is the same throughout that area and West through the Houston area. We even affectionately called Pasadena, TX “Stink-adena” as I was growing up. I actually learned to love the smell.
As I stated in my opening comments; our causes are worthy. It just seems sometimes we get focussed on something and do not consider if we are over-reacting. We tend to throw money at it and assume everything will be fine, as long as we have more to throw. And maybe, we can think about the possible outcomes, good or bad, before we take the actions and do the damage that was never intended.
DC
For 2011 WDoG stories – check out the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194437247247533
Hi, I am Reed’s dad. I did not make it to the second annual World Wide Day of Giving this year giving (June 15) because of prior commitments and because my knee has been giving me trouble. And I did not give away my $10 on the 15th (or 16th).
But, on Friday, June 17th, I attended the wedding of my friends Bill and Megan. It was a great wedding and a perfect couple.
I’ve known Bill for many, many years and, over those years, I have never seen him “glow” about any other girl friend the way he does when he is around Megan or when he is talking about her.
At the wedding I had the opportunity to meet the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey R. Trexler, who is close friends with Bill’s parents, who are my “role models”. (The Rev. Dr. sorta keeps an eye on Bills parents and it “shows”.. Bill’s mom is 89 and his dad is 94 and they get around better than I do.)
The Rev. Dr. was a physician with a private practice for many years, but for the last 5 years he has been the Executive Director of the Order of Malta (American Association) . As such he overseas the efforts of 269 clinics, hospitals, and other charitable care giving institutions.
Like me, he has a bad knee and walking is not fun.
His wife, Connie, has been a nurse for many years and both of his sons are studying in medicine related fields (Pharmacology & Rehab Medicine. I’m all for advancements in both; but especially the Rehab Medicine).
What a great person to give my $10 to! Someone who’s vocation is providing care to those less fortunate on such a massive scale. As I was explaining a little about the Year of Giving and the $10, he immediately said he would put it to good use, saying there are many needy people. I had the impression that he meant, perhaps a street person in New York, but, hey, he does have 269 other choices!
Globally, The Order of Malta is a Catholic charity with a long and venerable history of helping people receive medical care. Originally starting in 1048, with a hospital in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims of any religious faith or race, the Order today is a major global, professional organization in terms of the humanitarian aid and the medical care that it provides.
The Order is respected as an unbiased and independent organization and as such it is able to avoid some of the difficulties other organizations encounter due to political, geographical, ethnic, or racial prejudices. The Order currently has formal diplomatic relations with 104 countries.
[…] Day: 15 Link World Juggling Day: 15 (Saturday closest to the 15th) *Worldwide Day of Giving: 15 Link *Bloomsday: 16 Link *Fudge Day: 16 Link Family Awareness Day: 16 (Third Sunday) Father’s […]
[…] The remainder of today’s holidays warrant little more than a passing mention. As always, the links are provided below. Native American Citizenship Day. World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Worldwide Day of Giving. […]
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