charity

A Story About How Benevolent Giving Impacts Communities

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You will find, as you look back upon your life, that the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others

-Henry Drummond

From The Treasure Chest

Papi use to tell me stories about growing up in poverty in Mexico. I remember how he would chastise and lecture us about our wastefulness.

He would shake his head with disapproval if we were being wasteful, and then would proceed to tell us about his experiences as a young boy in Mexico.

He would tell us that he was so poor that even as a 15 year old boy…he didn’t have shoes to wear. He would get teased and bullied by other kids at school because he didn’t have shoes.

To make matters worse…he would work out in the heat to help abuelito. With no shoes, I can’t even begin to imagine what the hot dirt did to his feet. Blister and burn him for sure.

He would tell us his stories with pride. He knew he had worked hard. They would pay him with livestock. He was giddy about a pig he earned once.

That was how it was back then. People didn’t have money, so…they bartered. They would “borrow” my Papi for field hands and manual labor…but pay him with what they had.

Papi didn’t tell us this because he wanted sympathy or empathy. Rather, he used this as a life lesson to teach us that we should be good stewards of everything we have. If he caught us being wasteful, we would hear about it.

I was blessed to have him as my Papi for 60 years. In those years I have many fond memories. Some of my favorite, are when he would take clothes and supplies to his family in Mexico. He even managed to buy trucks and take them to his brothers in Mexico.

I remember we would put a camper on the truck and load it up with boxes and boxes of clothes in the back.

I even remember when we took the clothes to an impoverished town to deliver the clothes. I will never ever forget what I saw and how I felt.

I saw my Papi calling all the people out to the truck. Papi had left the camper at the rancho. So the people just hopped right on the bed of the truck and began digging through the clothes. Smiling, laughing, and, taking what they could use.

I felt happy to see people were so elated to receive used clothes. I felt proud that my Papi loved his gente so much, and that he had a big heart for giving. He never forgot about his people.

To this day…I am inspired when I see mi gente buying ropa and zapatos y mas to take to Mexico. I work at a thrift store and am lucky to meet many amazing people.

Not just Mexican people, but many other cultures too. I have seen African women buying in bulk to send to Africa. And many others too.

One day a lady came to my register to check out. I struck up a conversation with her and discovered that she was making her purchase as a ministry gift to the impoverished people in remote areas in Mexico.

I got excited when she told me about her planned trip to make the delivery. I was so happy to hear this because it brought back many memories of my trips to Mexico with goods to deliver to familia and the poor.

I asked the lady to take lots of pictures and to please remember to come back and show me. Well several months passed by.

Then one day the lady came back into the store. Honestly, I didn’t think she would come back, although I hoped she would.

She showed me her photos. We talked and we cried. I listened to her tell about her experience and how thankful the people were. She was so impacted by the people that she said she would do another trip.

They asked her for food. But she said it’s very difficult to bring food from US to Mexico because of restrictions. But she wants to raise funds so that when she is in Mexico next time, she can bring them food too.

I have shared her gofund me link after this post so that you can read her story and maybe you will feel led to make a charitable contribution to her personal ministry in helping the poor.

Or perhaps you can just remember to give when and where you can. If you can’t give goods or funds….please….give kindness. Give your time by volunteering when you can.

Kindness is free. But nobody uses it anymore. I am very disheartened by the callousness of people’s hearts and actions these days.

This topic has been on my heart lately. I am not a perfect woman. I make mistakes. But I am proud that I had parents who taught me to give.

Parents that, despite being dirt poor, were able to bless many many people. I pray that I can be as kind a person as my parents. As kind as this good samaritan lady.

God doesn’t look at the size of your giving. He just wants you to give what you can. I learned from one of my favorite books, The Blessed Life, by Robert Morris, that you can’t outgive God. This book has the best teaching on the subject of giving and tithing. I recommend it to everyone any chance I get.

No matter what or how much you contribute, your giving has a positive impact. I pray that God would bless both the givers and the receivers, for we never know on which end we will be.

https://www.gofundme.com/37itjc0

Works Cited:

Morris, Robert. The Blessed Life

Wallis. L. Charles, The Treasure Chest. 1965. Harper & Row Publishers Inc. 49 East 33rd Street ,New York 16, N.Y.

A Single Lovely Action

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“All the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.”

-James Russell

Several months ago God put someone and something on my heart. I felt that HE wanted me to help a single mother who was struggling.

Being that I could truly empathize with her scenario all too well, I felt like I could do something to help her. Even if it would only be on a miniscule scale.

So I decided to “adopt a family”(this single mother and her 4 children) for Christmas. I gave myself several months to prepare…because as much as I love philanthropy, I’m no Oprah Winfrey with a billionaire status, who has unlimited funds to give extravagantly.

All I saw, was a single mom hurting, and I could relate to the hurt (because everything she said was me- and my life at one point in time.) Therefore, I felt a call to minister with a “lovely action.”

Before I knew it, another kind soul wanted to be a part of this kind deed. Then another, and then again, another. Suddenly there was 4 of us who had officially adopted this single mother and her 4 children for Christmas.

After several months of collaborative efforts on our part, we were able to abundantly bless this family.

With the help of these 3 ladies I was able to do more together, than anything I could have ever imagined doing on my own. Thank you Marsha Haywood, Marcene Weatherall, and Vanessa Hill, for your substantial and generous contributions.

Initially, I hadn’t planned on blogging about our kind gesture. I thought of this many months ago before I even started my blog. Although, I have since changed my mind and decided to share about it because it really was intrinsically rewarding and the four of us were glad to do it.

And if it encourages others to go out and participate in their own random acts of kindness and “lovely actions”…then it has caused a chain reaction of good deeds. Why wouldn’t I want to share my good and positive energy with the world?

One thing I hope to accomplish with my blog is to positively influence people, and to highlight the beauty of human nature. We see enough of the cruelty and callousness in human nature, and I don’t really have a vision for those topics and that direction right now.

So, may the words on this page cause a ripple effect in all who read, and inspire them to go out and find a single lovely action to perform this new year. Don’t forget to come back and share them with me.

Remember that all of your single lovely actions are more valuable than all of your well intended sentiments.

I know I have felt conviction myself behind this. Many times I have said to a fellow friend, “I’ll pray for you.” When it is just more effective and meaningful to the person if we just pray with them.

I’ll be honest, for me, it’s a fear that my prayer won’t sound right, or be eloquently expressed. Maybe 50% of the time I have the courage to actually pray with them. So, I know I have some growing to do in that area. But for now I will keep moving forward.

Please remember to leave a comment. What great ideas can you think of that might be considered a “single lovely action?”

Topic & Title Inspired by James Russell quote

Photo credits: Deanna G.M.Childs

Hearts for the Homeless, Coats for the Holidays

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Three years ago my little family became homeless for a short period of time. I had never been in that situation before. We went from staying at a motel to living with friends to living out of our vehicle.

It’s a pretty difficult circumstance to endure. And very stressful. You don’t eat well. You don’t sleep well. After days of no acess to a shower, let’s just be blunt about it you undoubtedly stink! You feel fear, uncertainty, and helplessness. When basic needs aren’t met the psychological state of a person is affected.

Not to mention we had three children at the time and it was especially cold on those October nights. We slept in our vehicle…this was one of our most trying hardships as a family. Thank God we had a vehicle to sleep in at the very least. Most homeless live out on the streets.

It can happen to anyone; veterans, single men and women, families, the employed, the unemployed,and virtually anyone.

Getting accepted into a shelter is challenging if not near impossible. In these bigger cities, where we have a higher population of homeless people, they occupy the shelters quickly. They stay full and rarely have space available.

It’s quickly discouraging because you realize they don’t have any room to help everyone. And they don’t have room to help you.

In Fort Worth, Texas you can go down Lancaster street and see the homeless men, women, and even children huddled in blankets together trying to keep warm.

The time I was homeless I tried to get my little family into a shelter but they said they were full. The only thing I could do was to be put on a waiting list.

Eventually I got a call from the shelter, but the call was literally 6 months after the fact and a whole new season later. By then we had an apartment again.

I just love to hear stories about people and organizations that go out and help our homeless community. I love those who have a heart for the homeless.

That’s why today I want to give a special shoutout to a business who went above and beyond. They went out and made an impact on the homeless community here in Fort Worth, Texas.

Cranium Barber Shop, and their team along, with friends and family,(approximately 12 to 15 volunteers) held their third annual coat drive on Sunday December 18,2016. They were able to distribute many coats/jackets to the homeless.

It is so beautiful to see love in action. Check out this candid photo of my work colleage and mentor, Marsha Haywood volunteering at this year’s annual coat drive. Marsha said,”I love helping people and wish I could do it more than once a year.” She said she was “amazed and encouraged by these less fortunate, who despite their struggles were very happy and in good spirits.”

The Holy Bible says

“…for I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.” ( Matthew 25:35)

And….

“…Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”(Matthew 25:40)

That means that when we help somebody in need, in essence it is the same as if we were helping God.

Thank you to Cranium Barber Shop for caring about the least of these in Fort Worth. We salute you! For showing us how you represent your organization. How you go out and support the homeless community with your benevolent annual charity event.

Allow me to leave you with my parting thoughts.

Don’t forget to remember the least of these. They are normal people just like you and I. They shouldn’t be forgotten. So I encourage everyone especially any readers or followers of my blog to go out and help out at least one homeless person this holiday season.

Come back and share your photos with me. I would love see your candid photos and to hear about what you did to contribute to ths homeless community.

You just don’t know how happy they must feel when they realize that we see them. We hear them. We want to bless them, pray for them, and believe with them in a better tomorrow. Help them in practical ways. Buy them a meal. Bring them a toiletries backpack. Or give them a warm coat.

Let’s show Cranium Barber Shop some love by liking their organizations Facebook page and leaving some encouragement and positive feedback.

Find them on social media at:

Cranium Barber Shop on Facebook

Like, Save, and Follow, to show your support.

Photo Credits: Cranium Barber Shop, Marsha Haywood

Published with permission by Marsha Haywood