Rocklin High School

You recently sent 100 bands to Tiger Sorenson at Rocklin High School in 

California for the Varsity Football team. Tiger presented the concept 

of Pay It Forward to the team at the initial spring camp just after they 

arrived. The team has adopted this concept as a core principle for the 

team. Each week at the end of Friday's practice, each group meets with 

their position coach and each player recounts what they did to pay it 

forward. Every small act is recognized. It has almost a revival spirit

to the event. It is a success both for the players and others at the 

school are starting to take notice. Thanks for the bands. They have been 

a success!

The request. The Junior Varsity coaches have noticed what is going on 

with the Varsity and they have begun to implement the Pay It Forward

movement.

Thanks for your time and efforts. It is making a difference here.

Dave Sorenson

Football Operations

Rocklin High School

Santa's Pantry

My husband and I started an organization, www.santaspantry.org <http://www.santaspantry.org>  in January 2008. Originally our plan was to offer "free" pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus for food donations for our local food pantry for November and December 2008. We contacted businesses and ask them to allow us to draw coloring pages for a coloring book that Santa will give the first 1000 children. The pages would be specific to their business and we would do it for free so they would receive some free advertising to promote their business. When they ask how to repay us, we ask if they will help run copies of the page for us to include it in the book. We now have over 20 businesses doing this. We contacted other businesses that have been slow and struggling and told them what we were planning for the end of the year. We told them how Santa will have a bag that the child gets to pull a "coupon" from for a gift. Several businesses have donated coupons for buy one get o ne items to help Santa give things to the children and also help bring business to themselves. Other businesses have donated large "gifts" such as an airplane ride with Santa and a trip for a family of four to go to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. By doing this, they hope to help us bring in more people with food donations to help the needy in the community.

While planning the big event for November and December 2008, we found that several people and businesses are struggling right now with the slow economy and they needed help now. We started really pushing the idea of "Pay it Forward" within the community. On June 1st we will have ten children, all under 7 years, planting "Santa's Garden" A portion of the vegetables from this garden will go to a food pantry. We have also found four other gardens in Elkhart, Indiana doing the same thing.

We also have two 4 year old girls that are working on sponsorship letters to raise enough money to purchase 2500 boxes of crayons to supply all the first and second graders in the Elkhart school system with crayons for the new school year. We have several suggestions on our web site for ways that people can help Pay It Forward and also have several stories how local people have already Paid It Forward. Our goal is to get the entire community working together and Paying It Forward in some sort of way. With the slow economy, people have to help one another.

Thank you,

Debbie Micola
"Pay It Forward"
Santa's Pantry
http://www.santaspantry.org

Lemonade Stand

I just wanted to let you know that my sons, Gavin and Zack with the help of their friend Anthony did their pay it forward project over the weekend.  They had a lemonade stand to raise money to buy a toy for a little boy in the town who has brain cancer.  The money that was raised far exceeded our expectations.  The boys collected about $775.00 and gave out about 90 pay it forward bracelets. After they pay for the toy for the child, whatever money is left will be given to the family to help with their medical bills.  The kids are having fun in school with the pay it forward bracelets.  In fact they don't want to give their bracelets up, they all want to wear them.  We have decided to purchase I Paid It Forward bracelets for the children who submit stories.  This way they have a bracelet that they can keep!

Illyse

Links To Life Rally

I have many "pay it forward" moments however, the one that is most

moving to me goes like this; a young woman came in to my place of

employment to make a banner.  Her husband died a year ago from cancer.

The Links To Life Rally was the next week end.  This nice young girl

made a banner to display at the week end event.  She had trouble getting

her thoughts together, but we sat and talked and worked it through.

When the time came to pay, she realized she was short of cash and was

going to the ATM and would be right back.  I grabbed her arm and asked

her if it was OK if I payed.  Through a few tears

she said OK and I asked her to "pay it forward."  After a little

explanation and a bracelet she left with a smile and promised to pay it

forward.

Judy

Buckner Elementary School

Sorry it took so long but here is the picture of the students with their bracelets on.  You posted my email on your site about the Pay It Forward Project we had at Buckner Elementary School where the kids did extra chores to raise money to buy the Wii for the Kosairs Children's Hospital playroom.  

I was hoping you could post this picture with the story.

Thanks Charley for all you do.

Have a great holiday!!!

Sincerely,

Cindy Doud 

Rotarians "Paying it Forward"

I thought that you might both be interested to hear that at our Rotary District conference last weekend, my Rotary Club won one the coveted award for Best New Service Project for our Pay It Forward project. There are 50 clubs in our district and we won the award. Part of the reason was that it involved every one of our Club members, and of course, we'll never know the far reaching effects of the "good deeds" done by our members. Because we won the award, I also had other Rotarians asking about "Pay It Forward", and I'm told that one of them may be talking about it at the Rotary International Convention in L.A. in June. Rotarians from around the world will be there.

Hope everything is well with you both. Please keep in touch.

Shelly

American Red Cross

I just received the 300 bracelets you sent. We here at Grandview Terrace are overwhelmed by your generosity. Our kick off today with the movie was a great success. Our residents that attended received a bracelet to start paying it forward. They were equally as excited about this movement as our Customer Service Committee. There were many tears during the movie and the meaning was clear.
 
Our blood drive is in June with the American Red Cross. We are hoping for some media attention around the event to get the pay it forward message out there. All donors will receive pay it forward bracelets. We are thrilled to be a part of this. The passion is contagious.
 
Thank you again for all your support and providing us with the tools to make it happen.
 

Melody Sandberg-Dixon

Resident Services Director

Babysitting "Paying it Forward"

I live in a small town in the Adirondacks of Upstate New York and one of our church's youth groups recently received your bracelets from their group leaders and are now "paying it forward" all around town.  I am a freelance writer for our local newspaper and when our babysitter paid it forward with an evening of babysitting she refused to take money for and gave me a bracelet I thought what a great story to share.

Lollie Weeks

Feed The Homeless

I wanted to let you know that we utilized the Pay it Forward program in a Church Retreat in February to great effect.  The program was called “Community through Communion” a way for the Parishioner to bond as a community through their commonality in the Church.
 
Anyway, we gave out the Pay it Forward bracelets as a reminder to all the members of what we are and stand for – a community of passionate people.  As a result of this program, the reminder to go forward and help others selflessly, the community has responded well.  Our attendance in the Feed the Homeless programs are up 30%,  we’ve instituted a towel drive for those in need, other program have seen increased activity.
 
This is all due to this program.

Thanks for starting this!

Chris Wilson 

Stage Deli NYC

I had an eye opening experience on Monday at the Stage Deli in NYC.  I was having a quick bite to eat when the waiter asked if I need a box to take the extra home? But since I had no place to put the food once back at the hotel I said no thanks.  He smiled and returned with a to go box and kindly asked since management didn't approve if I'd mind sticking my extra food in a box and walk outside and place it on the newsstand for someone to take and eat.

For me this was a lesson on even for those who try and Pay it Forward all the time we need to dig a little deeper and in all situations look for a chance to PIF.

Thanks to the waiter at the Stage Deli,

BM

TASMAD (take a second make a difference)

My name is Jim Post and I am a high school teacher in McPherson Kansas.

I teach Social Psychology I and II, Psychology and an At- Risk class.

This project kind of took off on its own.  We had state assessments here

at our school like those across the nation.  I told my Social Psych

classes that if they really took the tests serious and tried hard I

would show them a movie that goes with our class for two full days after

the assessments.  Right away we found out that our classes did well on

the test's.  So I decided to hold true to my word.  I was trying to

think of a good movie to show that went along with my class.  I do a two

day assignment over everyday hero's, those people that you dont know by

name at first but somehow they made a  

difference in our world.  Kids loved the assignment, so I figured the

Pay It Forward movie was a great example of how kids their age could

make a difference.  We watched the movie.   Dealing with high school

kids you never know how they take in and interpret messages.   On a whim

I ran across your site and ordered a small amount of bracelets, thinking

the kids might think it was "uncool"   Man was I ever wrong!  I ran out

of bracelets by 3rd hour.  Kids were jumping all over them, wanting one

to wear and the other to pass on.  The school newspaper did a huge

article over the movement.  Kids outside my class were asking for them.

So I ordered many more.  Many stories have come back already, like one

young man who helped a person in  

town change a flat and the person wanted to pay them, but they said "no

thanks just pay it forward."  Another story of a young man who gave a

transit some of his money at a local store, A kid that gives another

student a ride home in the rain, etc. etc.  In fact I myself have done a

number of things to keep it up, my big project is my last project.  This

is my last year in the teaching profession, so what I have decided to do

is have a big hamburger cook-out for all students in my school on the

last day of finals for their lunch period.  I am in charge of a group

here titled TASMAD (take a second make a difference) it is myself and a

small handful of students who do positive things through out the year.

We are putting on the hamburger fry, making all arrangements, all

activities and anything else to make this thing a success.  This

campaign has really made a difference in some of the student body at my

school.   I am glad that as I am going out I can leave this as one of my

last great memories that people can cherish, thanks again.

Gateway High School

I have the best students here in Palm Beach County, Florida!  This is the last year our school will be open – However, We all have a “new mindset”  and are looking forward to our opportunities outside of Gateway High School!  Many students will be graduating this year – because they made a commitment to themselves, each other and the people in their lives that matter! The students that are not graduating have also made commitments – I believe the “mindset” has so much to do with them not giving up!  I also want you to know that The Daffodil Principal was so meaningful that we will be planting some bulbs here – unfortunately Daffodils do not do well in South FL but we have other bulbs that do!  When we leave our campus it will be planted with beautiful caladiums!

Leslie Knowles, Gateway High School   

Buckner Elementary

I contacted you back in March and you were kind enough to send the Pay It Forward bracelets for our project.  You told me to keep you up to date and that's what I'm doing.  I was in charge of my daughters Pay It Forward party at Buckner Elementary in Buckner, KY. Each class had to come up with an idea that would make a positive difference in the community and the kids would learn a valuable lesson in the process. Our class chose to do extra chores at home and instead of getting their allowance they asked their parents to pay it forward to our "cause".  We were trying to raise enough money to buy a Wii for the Kosair Children's Hospital playroom.  I have been working with the Children's Hospital Foundation and we learned that our Wii would be going in the playroom of the 7 West Cancer Care and Renal Center. These playrooms are open 24 hours a day.  The children view these playrooms as "safe places" because no medical procedures are conducted in them.

The kids worked so hard at cleaning siblings bedrooms, picking up what the dogs left in the yard, weeding gardens, some even held bake sales and garage sales.  They were so eager to give their money to our cause and so excited that we accomplished our goal.  I took a picture of the kids with their bracelets on and I wanted to know if it would be possible to share their story on your website along with their picture.  These kids are 2nd and 3rd graders and it may be inspirational to others to know that anyone can pay it forward - and make a difference no matter what your age.

Please let me know.  Thanks again for the bracelets - the kids loved them.

Sincerely,

Cindy Doud

Paw if Forward

Behind schools the 2nd most requested group who request to get involved in Pay it Forward are Animal Rescues.  "No More Homeless Pets", event this weekend.  Help our pets and start Paying if forward to them.

Fruits of the Spirit

I received one of your bracelets today, and it didn't take me long to find your beautiful web site.  What a beautiful thing to do, sending bracelets around the word reminding people to pay it forward.  I have a group called the Fruits of the Spirit, and every month we collect our pocket change, and give it to a person in need.  I would love to give these very deserving souls your bracelets,to remind as many as I can to pay it forward. 

Again, what a thoughtful way to change the world, one bracelet at a time. 

Fondly, 

Tina Gray

Happy Friday

Hi!

Happy Friday!  I received the PIF bracelets...THANK YOU SO MUCH!  My
client was THRILLED!  They plan to distribute them to the event
participants and companies that have donated items for the care
packages.  I'll send you detailed case histories once I have more info
about the companies, participants, etc.

I really appreciate your efforts...you're the BEST!  Take care and keep
in touch.

Nicole

Team David

Hi,

Thanks for your kind words.  Our kids met today - we had 4 more kids who came in late, because they had a soccer game; however, they asked if they could join after soccer season is over! We received a box full of the "Pay It Forward" bracelets today - it was such a nice surprise!  The kids will go bonkers over them!!   Thank you so very much for all that you are doing to help others be aware of the gifts we all are capable of sharing !!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

(Millie Cheek)

Team David

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Son in The Army

Hey,

I got the bracelets the other day, thanks so much. I talked to my human resources person about it and she asked me to bring one so she can see it and hopefully get something going at our company. I am so excited! I am also sending a bunch to my son in the Army and hopefully they can get it going out in Hawaii too. I will keep you posted, oh yea I love the new site.

Kathy Manoudakis