Perfect Timing

Your timing was perfect! I was going to email you today to tell you a couple of stories. First of all, I'll send you our updated Pay It Forward journal next week once I've had a chance to add the latest stories. Secondly, one of our Rotarians, Ann, was out shopping when the cashier noticed her bracelet. The cashier told her how much she loves the PIF concept and wanted to know where we got the bracelets. She wanted to get 35 of them for her son's class (different school board that mine). Ann explained that we had not paid for them and that she would talk to me about getting some bracelets. I have given her 35 bracelets and she is excited about starting PIF with her son and his friends. She thinks that more of the classes at the school will want to take part. She wanted to give us a donation for the bracelets but of course we just gave them to her.

The last story is even better. One of my colleagues, Lisa, was very excited about the PIF concept and my plans to kick off a big initiative with our Grade 7's in January/February, so I gave her a bracelet. She recently traveled to Ethiopia to get her new son whom she adopted from Ethiopia. At the hotel where she stayed, she often talked to the "doorman" and found out that he had 3 children. After speaking to him several times, she asked him if he could buy anything for his children, what would he get them. Without hesitation, he said that he'd buy them shoes. His salary amounts to about $35/month, but shoes cost about $25. So Lisa got the sizes from him but she said that she didn't think it ever occurred to him that she would help. Lisa bought all of the children play shoes, running shoes and dress shoes. When she gave them to him, she got a translator to help her explain the Pay It Forward concept to him. He was overwhelmed and promised that he would raise his children to live their lives paying it forward and that he would do the same. He got pictures of her to show his children. Lisa came into our office today for the first time since she returned from Ethiopia, and the first thing she did was to tell me her Pay It Forward story.

I'm in Dallas for the next few days so I'm hoping to give away a bracelet or two. We're also heading to Kenya in a few weeks. You had offered to give us some bracelets to take with us. If that offer is still open, perhaps I could take you up on it. Let me know. You've already been so generous, that I don't expect any more.

Anyway, I just thought you'd enjoy the updates. Talk to you soon, 

Shelly