ARC Donation Pay It Forward

Dear Notable,
I had just drafted letter to accompany gift when my granddaughter, Amber, posted following on Facebook.
It is so apropos. http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/on-the-road-ohio-boy-pays-it-forward-with-found-fortune/
Over four decades ago I founded ARC, a nonprofit with a simple goal: care/share as able.

I simply wanted to love God with my whole mind, heart, soul;
neighbor as self…and I wanted to put the words into ACTION.

My role models did that:
Mother Teresa, St. Vincent de Paul, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi…others who achieved fame.

There were notables who were dramatic like the little Ohio boy.
High on the list: Alabama black husband and wife who worked for post office who had no children,
yet were always putting in for overtime. They had small home, car.
After many, many years it was discovered that they were the anonymous donors
giving money to individuals down and out in the community.

They never sought acknowledgment and/or reward. They just loved, helped, as able.

So I tried to imitate…I picked a symbolic amount of money to pray that God would bless - $3.00 -
and began sending it out to individuals, groups, nonprofit peers.

One in particular showcased.
She was a single woman who worked at an institution for mentally challenged -
wanted to plant trees around the compound so that her charges could have a campout.
She considered the $3.00 a sign for at that time my last name was Kilmer.
There is a famous poem by Joyce Kilmer called Trees.
Mom had memorized, used to recite to me as a child.
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

So, she contacted the newspaper, told them she had a sign;
they agreed - wrote another article; donations came pouring in.
I’ve heard from multi recipients that donation gifts too were richly blessed.
Recently I was given, from special friend Aida, red (my favorite color)
good luck http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year envelope with twelve one dollar bills in it …
each bill has a sequential number form 1 to 12 - so once again,
I am paying it forward with symbolic (multiply loaves/fishes three & number twelve).
I suggest doing same & then replacing.
I believe God renewed my life as survivor of 42 stab wounds to continue ARC’s mission with renaissance vigor caring/sharing - enriching my prayer warrior life.
My prayer list all-embracing/grows daily; you/yours on. God Bless You,
in Jesus’ name & the Holy Spirit; Shalom - Namaste+ I salute the light within you. ###