Pay it forward stories

Jon

During the winter of 2008, the Airway Heights Wood gave us the best Christmas present; that of warmth in our home!

Amber

A shopper at the Northtown Mall picked three tags from the Tree of Sharing booth and told Amber that she had been a client of SNAP’s housing assistance program and felt it was important to do what she could to pay it forward.

She knew how important the gifts were to the people who received them and was very concerned about what happened to the extra tags at the end of the event. She was relieved to hear that the Tree of Sharing would make sure that all of the remaining gift requests would be filled.

Dennis

Ten years ago, Dennis and his best friend wanted to start a tradition of their own.

They decided to commit to providing a random act of kindness to a stranger once every month. At first, they thought it would be difficult to discern whose needs were 'worthy.' They discovered from the very beginning that extraordinary needs found them in the right place at the right time.

In the time since they began, the duo have picked up spilt groceries, rescued a kitten from a ledge, stopped traffic for a battery-powered chair, and found a lost parent for a frightened child.

Anita

Anita was homeless for four years. SNAP helped her into housing and provided her with heating assistance.

"I'm now in my own place. When I see homeless people, I see myself, so I offer to feed them," said Anita. "I don't give them money but I'll buy a meal."

Anita has also paid energy bills and bought groceries for families. She thinks it is important to be aware of others.

Chantel

Chantel was volunteering at the Tree of Sharing (TOS) booth when a woman came by to inquire about getting her child’s gift requests added. Chantel informed the women that, unfortunately, gift recipients were preselected by Tree of Sharing partner agencies, and explained how she may talk to her providers to see if they participate.

The woman continued to ask questions about how TOS worked. After looking through the tags for young children, she decided that even though her family was struggling financially, she wanted to help another child in need. She took a tag and happily exclaimed, “Thank you! I’ll bring this gift back soon!”