Pay It Forward Challenge Stories
Original Content | January 01, 2006
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Laurie deSilva, a social worker from Grand Lodge, Michigan, is inspired to inspire others. With a portion of her challenge money she purchases "kindness journals" to give to second-graders, and asks them to record the things they do for others and what others do for them each week. "It is my hope that those second-graders will benefit from this for years to come," Laurie says. Laurie gives a spa package, a dinner certificate and a Target gift card to a Lansing, Michigan, couple with three children, including two who have survived cancer. The mother plans to use the gift card to buy music for cancer patients. Laurie uses her remaining money to purchase groceries for people she meets at random in a grocery store. The store then chips in another $100 gift card, which Laurie gives to a woman who donates it to a food bank. "My absolute favorite part of this whole thing was … the journals, " Laurie says. "Knowing that those kids are going to be able to write something once a week, that they have done for someone else or someone else has done for them … and to know that they are going to be thinking about nice things to do for each other, an entire class, and hopefully that will continue to go on." |
