Pay it Forward via Starbucks...

I have to share something I heard on the radio today.  One of our local

Star Buck reported a drive-through customer wanted to not only pay for

her own drink, but also the one for the car behind her.  Well, that

individual decided to pass on the blessing to the next car.  This went

on for 109 cars total, each willing to pass up on the freebie to 

enjoy instead the blessing of giving it to another.  What a trip!  I

think that's true PIF thinking.  I only wonder why car number 109 didn't

want the blessing but the freebie instead, not worth nearly as much,

especially since he/she was planning on paying for it in the first

place. Maybe he/she just really needed the blessing more.  

Keep on PIF!

Robin Moyher

West Boca Raton High School Teaching "PIF"

Thanks for all you do Mrs. Donney

Mrs.Donney’s Senior High School English Students

…I will pay it forward whenever the possibility comes up. I think that the Pay it Forward idea is a very, very good one and over time, it will become HUGE!

I have already paid it forward once and can’t wait to do so again in the future.

I will also tell people about the idea and pass my bracelet on after I pay it forward.

I hope that many other people think positively about this idea. ~~ Justin

Mrs.Donney’s Senior High School English Students

…If everyone followed Pay It Forward, the world would be a different place. Everyone who it helps will then, in turn, help more than one person.

There are a lot of stubborn people out there. The stubborn people who don’t want to be helped only make this process slower than what it could be.

Pay it Forward can affect many people. If you don’t try it, then at least consider it. For all you know, you might actually have the heart to change a person’s life.

~~ Stephanie

Mrs.Donney’s Senior High School English Students

…I do think that pay it forward can change the world because it helps people resume their lives they thought they had lost...Random generosity, that’s what paying it forward is all about.

 Random generosity is the key thing to change someone’s life. ~~Edwin

Mrs.Donney’s Senior High School English Students

…..I believe that there are ways of paying it forward. It could be helping someone out with the dishes or laundry, taking out the garbage, or just opening the door for someone. People respect you more when you do these things for them.

You can even save a life by paying it forward.

Even when you think nothing is possible, it always is. ~~ Aerial

West Boca Raton High School

Pay It Forward Story

by Paris from West Boca Raton High School

I think this Pay it Forward thing is great. Pay it Forward is something I didn’t know about until I got in Mrs.Donney’s class. Pay it Forward to me is like giving your hand out to a person that really needs it at that point in time.

My heart is bigger than you think. One day, I was walking in the neighborhood. I saw this wonderful poor old lady. She had to be 75 years old. She was doing something that a normal 25 year old lady would be doing. She was cutting the grass, so I went to her yard and asked her if she would like me to cut the grass for her. She said no and explained that she didn’t have any money. I said to her, “Excuse me, I don’t want any money. I just want to help.” So she gave the lawnmower up to me, and let me finish cutting her yard. When I was finished, she tried to give me some money. I just told her, “No, thank you” and walked away with a smile!

"Mission To Be More Mission"

I just wanted to share a bit of information for your readers as well as fulfilling our "Mission To Be More Mission-driven" at my church, Wellspring Church in Farmington Hills, MI.. (Therefore, "Paying it Forward".).!

We are in the 4th month of offering a program to our community in Michigan, which we all know is struggling with unemployment and home foreclosures.

This is called Angelfood Ministries (angelfoodministries.com). In the true spirit of giving without expecting something in return, this program enables you to get approx. $70 worth of food for $30. Enough to feed an average family of 4, dinner for a week! They also take food stamps. There is no limit to the amount of $30 boxes you purchase. The only requirement: "If you eat, you qualify."..

This also helps those who: may have an income, but still have difficulty paying their bills. Or maybe they have to choose between filling their prescriptions or groceries. There are many reasons one might need a hand-up (not a hand-out..). You can go to the angelfood website and enter your zip code and they will direct you to a distribution site near you. It is a nationwide program, so far in 38 states, I believe..

We've had over 100 orders each month and have had only positive feedback!

Since we began this program, we have had many people come to church that would have never stepped foot in church otherwise. They are so grateful to God and Wellspring Church for bringing them this opportunity to feed their families nutritious food for very little and enabling them to maintain their dignity as well.

Angelfood was first started as a co-op in Texas, when a family had a vision and opportunity to get a large order of food in bulk, which they distributed to some of their neighbors who had a bit of bad luck and couldn't afford groceries.. What started as a charitable act, became a neighborhood effort for all to combine their funds and get food for cheap.. They decided to "Pay it Forward" by starting the "Angelfood Ministries". Please visit their site and spread the word.. And while spreading that information, please also share the fact that "God Is Good All The Time" and he works through you and me....

We are going to implement PIF during our Stewardship campaign this month. We are making cards to pass out at this time, since we didn't even realize this site existed.. We thought up the concept after seeing the movie. So happy that you have it in action already.!

God Bless You..

Muriel Pearson;
Wellspring Church, Farmington Hills, MI.

"PIF" Challenge for 3 Young Sons

My husband and I are challenging our 3 sons (13, 8 and 5 years old) this year. We always tell our boys to help those who can't help themselves. Usually that pertains mostly to the playgrounds at school. Keeping the bully's from hurting others and helping everyone join in whenever they feel left out. We are taking it one step further this holiday season. We are going to teach them how to "pay it forward" not just to their peers but to anyone they think they can help this time of year, young or old. They will all be given $100.00 each to keep with them and the money must be given away before Christmas Day. They will have to be responsible for this money and they will also have to keep a record of where the money went. The child that we feel gave the money to the most deserving person will be rewarded. This year we are not giving many presents to our children we are wanting them to give rather then receive. I want them to be able to feel that emotion. This challenge will make this holiday very special and memorable to all of us. I am certain it will become our new family tradition.

Jamie B
Missouri

HUGE "PIF" Message MUST READ!

Hello:   Please e-mail me back and let me know how I can get a supply of Pay It Forward Bracelets.  Today I had a complete stranger come to my home and pay my mortgage for December because I have been off work since September caring for my disabled son.  I would like to get some bracelets because I now plan to begin a major movement in my city due to this very unexpected gift.  The man that did this for me was paying it forward to me and told me of his story....I will be contacting the local newspaper to request they feature our stories and I would love to have bracelets so they can be pictured and we can use your bracelets to start our local movement.  Please respond as soon as possible and advise how soon and how many bracelets I can receive.  Also advise if you have any additional info you can forward to me for use in print or if I may mention your website in the news article.   Thank you.   Tonja

Paying it Forward is this Easy!

"PIF" = Happiness with Kids!

Giving happiness to kids!

I wanted to tell you how a gift that was given to me was able to bring joy to my niece & nephew...I received a call from my beloved mother to fix her computer because she was unable to send/receive emails from my brother in Iraq..At that same moment a friend named Sharlie informed me she was purchasing a new computer and asked me if I wanted hers, and of course I accepted the computer..So I was preparing my new computer for myself and preparing my computer that my mom bought for me 4 years prior to give back to her....Later on down the road my sister called me to ask me if I can try to fix a computer for my nephew..Before I went to fix the kids computer another friend, Michelle asked me to come over and look at her computer and in return she gave me an old computer which she had in her closet...Now I was about to take the journey to my sister, with the determination to fix at least 2 computers to be able to give one for my niece and one for my nephew's...In the end I was able to put 2 computers together and was just missing one monitor, which a friend named Larry had an extra in his garage...So I would really have to say thanks to my Mom, Sharlie, Michelle and Larry because of there generosity we were able to put smiles on my niece and nephew's face..I would like to pay it forward to my 4 friends..

Thanks Roxy!

Cafe always "PIF"

The aim of my cafe is to spread an awareness of the innate goodness prevalent in every human being. And so the Pay it foward concept really suits my cafe. We have been giving out free tea, coffee and bottled water together with a small pamphlet explaining the pay it foward concept, as well as directing people to your website and also telling them about your need of a sponsor for more bracelets.

I am hoping that I can continue to do pay it foward in my cafe . We only sell tea, coffee, juices and water and a few cakes. No other food. We have started selling a few gift lines to be able to cover the cost of running the cafe, and some self help books by Louise hayes and Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer. The books are all sold at cost price therefore no profit. So we are only relying on the gift lines to help us cover costs.However we have still not managed to break  even. It has been 4 weeks since we started our cafe.

But I somehow believe we can make this work as every week we are doing better and better and more importantly getting great feedback on the pay it foward concept.

My aim is to eventually donate all the profits from my cafe to the pay it foward foundation to fund bracelets as I believe That Pay it foward is an amazing concept and know that together we can all change our world.

Keep smiling.  It makes the whole world a little brighter.

Carolyn

Read Below!

What is Happiness? 

By Melissa McStott

What is it that the world is searching for today? Achievement, self-worth, money, success?  Perhaps it is all of these that we are searching for in hope that it will lead to one desired result…happiness- an eternal happiness that will exhilarate our hearts.  

Our society has been trained to think we are entitled to a happiness that will “fulfill” our lives.    So from there, our endless search for true happiness starts, yet unfortunately, many fail to ever truly capture it.  We keep reaching and hoping.  Maybe that next new car, tropical getaway, new account you attain, promotion you receive, or handbag you purchase will help you attain this sought-out feeling we call happiness.  The painful truth is, the feeling we receive from these materialistic things is not the true eternal happiness that gives you inner peace and pleasure in your heart.

Maybe it is not that we are entitled to this happiness.  Maybe we can’t even purchase this happiness, but instead, we need to earn it in other ways.  We most definitely mixed this entire happiness thing up, for happiness is priceless in that it both lacks a price tag and is beyond any monetary value.

I was very fortunate to learn this lesson as a young child from someone I am so blessed to call my mother; she has made such an impact on my life in guiding me on my path to happiness.  I was about 9 years old when I learned this valuable lesson. My mom would take me on shopping trips to the mall.  After returning home, I would ecstatically try on all my new clothes prancing all around the house to show everyone the new additions to my wardrobe.  That night I would go to bed exclaiming to my mom the excitement I felt about my new purchases.  She would always tell me to notice how I felt the next morning after I felt this excitement.  I never quite understood what she was getting at, but I definitely knew that this excitement was not as amplified the next morning, more importantly, the excitement didn’t even last till the end of that next day.  I asked her one night why this happiness always seemed to fade and she smiled, excited to teach me a significant life-long lesson.  “You see sweetie, it is not the purchases you make that will give you the true happiness that will stay in your heart forever, but it is the good you do for others that makes your heart really shine, never to fade.”

To this day I can not quite explain the feeling I get when I make a phone call to someone who is lonely, be-friend the lone-one, visit a sick loved one in the hospital, or make a difference in any way.  Or maybe it is the feeling I get when I see others do these things.  You see, the love in our hearts and the good we do for others is the only true thing we have to give when all is said and done.  As we all know, our jobs, homes, and money can all be taken away from us.  Today we need to spread the love in our hearts to attain this true eternal happiness that will make a difference in a world of turmoil. 

Today both you and I need to pay it forward, and make a difference in a world that is truly starving for one! 

"PIF" with a New Dog!

My name is Jennifer J.  I live in Indiana, with my two adorable dogs: a full grown chihuahua named Miracle, and a mix breed pup named Moses.   I have been so fortunate over the years to be the recipent of many wonderful things, mainly donations of furniture and food.  I recently read in my local paper of an autistic child whose puppy was stolen, tortured, and ultimately beaten to death.  I couldn't believe someone could be so heartless and cruel.  It simply broke my heart. After reading the article, I decided that the child had to learn that not everyone in the wolrd is mean spirited and cruel.  There are many people out there who love and care about animals, and the people who love them.  I got in touch with the detective working on the case, and he got me in touch with the mother.  I offered the family Moses, free of charge.  It made me feel wonderful to know that maybe Moses would bring joy into a heart that was once so savagely filled with sadness.  *Follow up- Unfortunately, Moses wasn't a good fit for this woman's family.  However, she was able to find another dog at a local shelter, and now we get together weekly to walk them all!

John Tyler lives "PIF" Everyday!

Hi,

We have a family friend, John Tyler, that lives PAY IT FORWARD daily.

John has chosen to view life as having solutions, not problems. Whenever, wherever he is he helps others. His euphemisms are his trademark, like "The only time you can't call me is NEVER," or "I'm available 24-8." There are too many euphemisms to include here but they are all the same--he's there for you. He is the first person to respond to someone in need in any situation that arises that he is aware of. He'd risk his life to save yours, he'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, he'd go without so that you could have WHATEVER.

Remember the widespread media coverage on "The Secret" (living in the present, consciously creating your life, etc.) well, John lives it. I know many people who try to better their lives and live consciously, but no one more dedicated and living it more than John. I'm but one person who knows John, there are many, many, many who he touches with his compassion and love. He makes each day brighter just being who he is and helping wherever he goes. John slips people extra money, extra food, you'll go to pay the bill and find it's been paid, whether its food, gas, or whatever. He's just consistently always there for EVERYONE. Our family is blessed to know him and can honestly say that we aspire to be like him. And everyone we know that knows John says the same thing. It would be an honor to be able to give John one of your PAY IT FORWARD bracelets. He is the epitome of PAY IT FORWARD. Let me know how much I need to send you.

Thanks for letting me share about our amazing friend!

Leslie Vaughn

Sonoma CA 

Paul W. Kutz Elementary School "PIF"

Hello!


I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful resource that your website is. I am an elementary teacher at a school in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. At our school we have made Pay It Forward one of our school goals. Each classroom and grade level have been meeting this goal in their own age appropriate manner. My classroom has started a Letters of Love letter writing campaign. We are using the friendly letter skills we have been learning to write letters to thank those that have helped and inspired us. Below is the tag that we put on the bottom of all our letters before we send them.


We have recieved braclets from our organization and are so grateful. I am continually returning to the site to get ideas and inspiration.


Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to this movement.

Our school, Kutz Elementary, has a goal this year to Pay It Forward, or voluntarily do nice things for other people without expecting anything back in return. As part of our school goal, our third grade class started a letter writing campaign called Letters of Love. We are writing letters to spread our positive message and encourage and thank those that help to inspire us. There is no need to respond, just take our positive message and Pay It Forward!

Christie Romano

Third Grade

Paul W. Kutz Elementary School

Even $2 Helps "PIF"

I had a classroom assignment at Pasadena College and i was asked to pay it forward which isn't hard for me becuase i live my life paying it forward. I saw some homeless guy in the street and i gave him 2 dollars so he can go get himself some food. It made his day and mine for helping him.