Share Your Story of Giving!

[Founder (Greg Unruh)]

Share your story of giving with the rest of the community. Your story just might inspire someone else to do the same! I would also encourage you to go out on a limb and reach out to the other community members, and invite new ones to join!

[Founder (Greg Unruh)]

This isn't my story, but it's one that should inspire us all. I live in Kansas City, so I'm very familiar with the works of Larry Stewart, or otherwise known as the "Secret Santa".

Larry Stewart (April 1, 1948–January 12, 2007) was an American philanthropist from Kansas City better known as "Kansas City's Secret Santa." After poor beginnings, Stewart had—from 1979 through 2006—made a practice of anonymously handing out small amounts of cash, typically in the form of hundred-dollar bills, to needy people. The total amount he gave away is estimated to be $1.3 million.

Although he had also donated money to community charities in Kansas City and his hometown of Bruce, Mississippi, he believed in handing out cash directly to people in need because it is something people do not have to, as he said, "beg for, get in line for, or apply for."

He made his fortune through cable television and long-distance calling. Stewart successfully kept his identity hidden until 2006, when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which would later claim his life. He chose at that time to reveal his identity as part of an effort to encourage others to practice philanthropy.

Stewart's acts of kindness were not restricted to the Kansas City area. He has traveled to other metropolitan areas during times of local tragedy. He went to New York in 2001, and to Mississippi in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. After his illness, he began "training" other Secret Santas, who were scheduled to give out $65,000 during the 2006 holiday season, in addition to the money Stewart gave out.

Stewart was given a free dinner from 'Cookie' in 1979 when he was down on his luck, allegedly inspiring Stewart's personal tradition [1]. This in turn began with an impromptu act of kindness by Stewart. He was fired just before Christmas two years in a row, both in 1978 and 1979. Around Christmas of 1979, while nursing his wounds at a drive-in restaurant during a very cold day, he noticed a carhop working the cars outside. He recalled,

It was cold and this car hop didn't have on a very big jacket, and I thought to myself, `I think I got it bad. She's out there in this cold making nickels and dimes,. He gave her $20 and told her to keep the change. And suddenly I saw her lips begin to tremble and tears begin to flow down her cheeks. She said, `Sir, you have no idea what this means to me.'

His philanthropy has been supported and recognized by a number of well-known people, including Buck O'Neil, George Brett, Oprah Winfrey, and, in 2006 in Chicago, Dick Butkus (who had helped Larry as an "elf" since 2003).

Stewart died on January 12, 2007 from esophageal cancer, aged 58.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Stewart_(philanthropist)

[Tina Schraier]

In Januuary of 2003 ... I was searching for a business that would allow me to make a difference in the World. I was introduced to OurGVRewards.com .

Since I have been with the Co. I have seen numerous organizations come aboard OurGVRewards.com .. including the International Conference of Mayors... along with many many others.


I am excited to have a vehicle to share with Nonprofits and Causes alike that is so very powerful for their fundraising purposes.

This Co . has the best online shopping mall in the world today , with over 1400 top stores here in the U.S. and stores are being added almost daily in countries around the world.

The benefit to the supporters that shop are $avings... considerable savings for their families.
The benefit to the charities and causes is that funds are raised from the shopping.
In todays economy...... persons who would love to support their causes may be feeling a little more strapped.
This is a perfect solution for those supporters to merely " redirect " their shopping to benefit their causes of choice and have benefit .

Truly a Win , Win situation.

We also have a website partner program, whereby any supporter who has a website .. can choose which nonprofit they would like to support .... add a banner link to their website that redirects to their own online mall and when their customers shop .... a percentage is donated to their favorite cause .

So please , , have a look at the http:www.OurGVRewards site today .

If you would like to learn how to help others the way that I help others.... drop me a note . or feel free to call me anytime. I would love to explain further how the program works.

My story continues insteads of ending..... I am so happy to be able to help all those who need a powerful fundraising vehicle such as this . So for those who would like to start raising extra funds immediatly... please don't delay........ this Co. has a solution @!!
Please contact me today .

My story doesn't end .... . I found my mission in life..... or should I say ... it found me and even after I am gone.... I will be part of a legacy of helping to make a difference.

Sincerely,

Tina Schraier
[e-mail]
714 602 7997
call anytime

http:www.OurGVRewards.com
Where Shopping Makes a Difference

P.S. For those of us who need to make a difference in the world ,,, this business makes all the difference !!!

[Gurpreet Singh]

Has been a wonderful journey for me in the Art of Living www.artofliving.org. Everyday seems joyous these days and the days when I used to feel low and down in the dumps are gone for good. When I joined professional college after my 12th std (A level) I was drained with all the effort it took staying up nights to study every other day. My family also shifted from the town where I grew up and moved to a bigger town and I being mostly of an introvert made few friends in two years which were mostly devoted to rigourous enginneering college preparatory study. Well, I got through the college I wanted but was really worn out.

College (Undergraduate school) was nothing as I thought it would be ie fun and what followed was a gruelling routine of study and taking tests for a year. Two students also committed suicide on campus and I felt like doing the same mostly for the same reasons......too much academic pressure and too few outlets.

Entering second years the rungs began to give away and I ended the first semester with barely passing grades in all subjects. From there it got progressively worse as the years went by and soon I had a bunch of backlog courses and was in very low spirit and did not have the will to read anything. My mind began to wander and give in to cheap pleasures unlike what it had been like before and I felt my degree floating away from me with no end in sight.

There were weeks where I just attended two hours of classes out of eighteen. Stopped running or jogging which had been a passion before. In fact ceased all activity. Lost all sense of time and space. Would eat when I was hungry, sleep when I was sleepy. Would hardly interact with anyone.

Took a semester break from school. My parents took me to a psychiatrist. He diagnosed a depression and gave me pills but I got no relief from the pills. At least I could make no difference in any way when I took the pills and when I did not.

Relations with mostly everyone took a downturn. My very close cousins got married but my parents did not think I was fit enough to go to the wedding. In fact I got to know later.

Art of Living was a movement in school right from my first year but I was not in any frame of mind to accept a guru or let anyone tell me what to do with my life. I was too fiercely independant to listen to someone tell me how to breathe but in my third year one of my friends gently told me about the course and I went.

The course was great and I loved it and the sessions were very interactive and just what I had been looking for. But I never went for the follow up and did my practice only occasionally.

Things came to a head at the end of my fifth year in school and I changed my hostel and to get over the loneliness started going to satsangs (devotional singing) regularly at a friends house.

The very first time I went there it was my birthday. I did not tell anyone about it and only my family back at home knew. After satsang, people with birthdays were called out in front and the whole hall burst into a lovely birthday song for the two of us (Sagar mein ek leher uthi.....) (Today is the day the wave remembers the ocean where it was born). There was no turning back from then but I stilll did not go to follow ups mostly because of the lack of knowledge of when and where they occured.

Anyway I finally finished college and then spent a memorable four months at the Bangalore Ashram (Commune) - India during which I did TTC1 (Teacher's Training Course) . Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji http://www.srisri.org/ was very warm and supportive and that I think was the basis of my recovery. I felt I belonged. I felt I meant something to him and other people.

Came home after in January and since then have attended several advance courses and each time feel that it is a new feeling to be there.

Last year I quit the academic position I had which was getting me nowhere and joined a private firm. Someone now tracks my every move and my words have meaning. I am able to add to the bottomline of a firm. The company pays me because I perform. It is a wonderful new and beautiful feeling from the feelings of uselessness and helplessness I used to have.

There are still many milestones to achieve before I can say that I belong to the mainstream but I truly believe I am on the right path. It is just because of the Art of Living, Sri Sri , people, satsangs ( group singing), sadhana (practice), service , silence and smiles was this possible. This is nothing short of a miracle for me.

To donate visit www.dsyindia.org

Youth can visit www.artoflivingyouth.org

More service projects at www.5h.org

You can find a center near you at www.artofliving.org

In the US, the website is us.artofliving.org

My first teacher's blog is at www.bawandinesh.blogspot.com

Gurpreet Singh
www.linkedin.com/in/artofliving