Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary School and "PIF"

Thank you so very much for the bracelets for our school.  I am doing an assembly tomorrow for the school on Kindness and reading the book, One Smile.  My plan is to give 5 bracelets to each teacher and have the children earn them with an act of kindness and then pass them on to someone else.  Everyone is very excited about it and I just wanted to let you know how your act of kindness has spread to us. Thanks again.

Carolyn Tassey

Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary School 

A True Pay it Forward Story!

Over the years, my partner and I have been the recipients of generosity from friends and family.  We have always sought to return this kindness and recently had a chance to help someone in a big way.  

A co-worker of my partner was living in a small, shrinking town and driving a long way to find work in the larger town where we live.  The co-worker was an older woman, living alone in a small-minded negative place, trying to maintain an older home that was needing a lot of repairs, and living on adjunct faculty (part-time) money as it came in. She needed to relocate to the larger town and make a fresh start, but lacked the resources to do so.  Our chance to help was to offer her a place to stay until she could get settled.

She stayed with us for eight months completely free with furnished room, internet access, frequent meals, and access to kitchen, laundry, and other of our resources.  She did help out with some household chores.  We didn't want to charge "rent" because we wanted her to save money and get back on her feet.  She was able to save up enough money to pay down some debts, find a buyer for her home (a miracle!) and find a place of her own.  She is a good person and we know that in the future she will share what she can, with whomever she can, in her own "pay it forward".  

It's not always convenient or quick and easy to help others, but people can find ways, big or small, to make a difference in someone else's life for the better.  We strongly believe in sharing as best we can and working to eliminate a belief in "limited good(s)". People can share and succeed and NOT have it mean that someone else has to "lose" if you "win".  There IS enough to go around if we are willing to share!

Sincerely,

Jeanne L. de Grasse
Helen A. Barnes 

Liberty Tree Elementary and "PIF"

Yesterday the second graders, at Liberty Tree Elementary, in Olentangy Loacl Schools, went on a field trip as part of our service learning project called, Pay It Forward, Operation Delaware County and Beyond.  Saving the world one second grader at a time.  We went to Willow Brook, a retirement and assisted living facility, and did our musical and hung out with some older friends .  The kids DID awesome and channel four news was there to capture it all. Thanks for all your support in making this service learning project happen!
Also, here is a website on channel four with some of the second graders!!!

http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/Second_Graders_Pay_It_Forward/14024/

Erin Budic
Liberty Tree Elementary
Second Grade 

Liberty Tree Elementary and "PIF"

I want to thank you for the bracelets that you sent for our second grade class-the kids LOVE them-and it has been a great reminder of how to treat one-another (and it also ties in wonderfully with our service unit project).  

I wanted to also share a photo I took today of two of my students that were writing letters to sliders overseas (one way we are paying it forward).  It's a big file and I hope you are able to open it.

Take care-and thanks so much again!!!

Erin Budic
Liberty Tree Elementary
Second Grade 

Paying it Forward in South Taranaki, New Zealand

Hi my name is Lynn Abraham and I teach in a small school in South Taranaki
New Zealand.

Last year I was honored to teach a group of misunderstood students.
I based our learning aroud listening with empathy and understanding as it
is very clear out there in the world that our young people care most for
themselves rather then others.

I introduced the Pay it Forward concept to this group of students and
explained that sometimes doing for others is far more meaningful then
having things done for you.  After a discussion we all decided that we
would like to raise funds  for three chosen charities because of the work
these charities do everyday with out recognition. We choose a local rest
home, National children's hospital and world vision.
We started our Pay it Forward campaign with a cake stall and a school wide
mufti day.  We also asked the community for donations of wool and we all
learnt how to knit and we knitted a lap blanket for the residents of our
local rest home, we still have more donated wool so this project is set
for another year.  We had a sausage sizzle and ran a few raffles in the
end we had raised $200.00 so this money was split up and donated to our
three charities along with a special note asking these charities to
continue with the  work they do because they really do make a difference
to peoples lives.  This year I hope to have another group of students and
we will be looking at Pay it Forward in other ways.  If 1 person could
help 3 more people and so on The world we live in would be a much nicer
and safer place.  That our dream.

Remember to Pay it Forward

Lynn Abraham
Patea Area School
Taranaki
New Zealand