Hi guys.

I’m here today to bring together a small army of people in the hopes of making a BIG difference.
For years now, every holiday season brings a true happiness in me, because I try to make the “season of giving” truly about giving. For my 2019 New Year’s resolution, I decided to set out a monetary goal of $1,000 that I wanted to give to charity that year. There were carts full of groceries, bags full of coats, toys dropped in the Toys for Tots boxes placed at work. My job enacted a voluntary donation where you could have a percentage of your paycheck taken straight out, and then donated to charity; I checked the box for the largest percentage available. I found a program called Charity Water whose emphasis was to build clean water sources in Africa, and signed up for a monthly donation. Anything I could think of that would help me help others. With 2019’s goal accomplished, my 2020 resolution became to donate even more, make an even larger difference.

And then… Coronavirus shook the world.

It dominated every sector of our attention. Scores of people were laid off or furloughed from their jobs. Others had to push through at the risk of the very safety of themselves and their families. Businesses once running smoothly are now at risk of losing everything. In short, we’re all hurting.
So, this is where the plan changes. The plan is to gather as much donations in a one-week blitz as possible. A full 100% of those proceeds will go to gathering up as much food, coats, socks, and maybe even some toys too, and deliver them to some shelters or food banks just a few days before Christmas. We’ll also try to use those proceeds at as many local, small businesses as we can, so we can accomplish two goals – first, to help those most in need within our community and secondly, to help support the local mom-and-pop and family-run businesses.
With so many in dire situations this year, it’s more important than ever to try to help pick people up. I’m calling on anyone willing to help out, donate anything you can spare to help accomplish these goals. I understand that you’re probably not in as comfortable a position as you were just last year, so my request is small – a $5 or $10 donation still has the ability to change lives. Even if you can’t afford to give, casting a wider net through a share goes a long way to spreading this message of happiness, as it could lead to so many more donations. We can’t save the world all in one day, but if we can help one person, one family, or one business have a little more happiness and a little more security this holiday season, mission accomplished.

In conclusion, I know it’s a lofty goal. But, with your help, we can accomplish so much together.
Thank you for your generosity. I love you all. Happiest of holidays.