2009-09-23T17:27:09Z

The Feast Conference gathers the world's greatest innovators from across industries and society to empower, inspire and engage each other in creating world-shaking change. Free live streaming available or $250 tickets. NYC. Oct 1, 2009.

62 http://www.giving101.org/stories/ The Feast Conference

2009-09-23T17:27:09Z

2009-09-23T02:51:19Z

It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas--oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it--overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way. Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler’s ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved kids - all kids - and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition--one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on. The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn’t end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing to take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit will always be with us.

39 http://www.giving101.org/stories/ "For the Man Who Hated Christmas" by Nancy W. Gavin

2009-09-23T19:45:54Z

2009-09-22T02:41:02Z

I will never forget how God used our willingness to give last Christmas. When I found out that a local hospital was going to have to cancel it's annual Christmas party due to the economic downturn and the impact on charitable giving, I had to learn more. We found out that this party gave gifts to about 1000 children who otherwise would receive NOTHING. My heart broke. I knew we had to do something. I never would have guessed what would happen... We called the coordinator and asked her to reschedule it and tell us what was needed. The need was staggering. There were fewer than a dozen gifts accumulated from a YEAR of collecting.... and NINE days to rectify that. I emailed everyone I knew and was soon experiencing what could only have been the hand of God. The quantity collected and the staggering reach of the plea for help was only apparent when we showed for the event. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that SOMETHING was better than NOTHING and decided that Christmas for 50 children was better than none. It was soon apparent that this would not be a problem... the piles of gifts FILLED a room. At times, there were over 1000 IN LINE waiting to come through. EVERY SINGLE child who came through received several toys, books, games, puzzles, toiletry kits, and cookies. There was more work to be done than people to do it, and suddenly, a group of strong men appeared, said they heard we needed help, and set to work. In the end, several thousand children received much more than ever before. There were enough leftovers to give gifts and cookies to every child spending Christmas in the hospital toys as well. It was truly a modern day miracle. Jesus turned 5 loaves and a fish into a meal for thousands with leftovers. He did it again with a dozen gifts and nine days with a few hearts open to giving what meager donations they could. Never doubt what can be done by someone willing to be the hands and feet of Christ - he has the heart and generosity to fill in where we cannot. I was given more that day than any of the children. My life was changed.

30 http://www.giving101.org/stories/ Loaves and Fishes

2009-09-22T22:47:20Z