Pay It Forward winners give first update

St. John School eighth grade students Heaven Kirk and Sarah Isaacs sell cupcakes to second graders Baron Cahoon and Alex Burris in Hot Springs.
St. John School eighth grade students Heaven Kirk and Sarah Isaacs sell cupcakes to second graders Baron Cahoon and Alex Burris in Hot Springs.

Our three Pay It Forward winners are busy this Lent using their $100 grant to make their communities and world a better place. Here are the first updates on their projects since they started on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 25.

St. John School, Hot Springs
Our Mission Monday project is off to a good start. My students have made posters and banners advertising our cupcake sales. In addition to them becoming gourmet bakers, they have spent every recess painting and decorating religious items. These crosses and decorative boxes have been very popular with the adults.
We have expanded our school sales to each of the parishes in Garland County. Last week (March 7) we collected over $100 at the 5 p.m. Mass at St. John’s in Hot Springs. This weekend (March 14-15) we sell our wares at St. Mary Parish.
I am so proud of the students’ diligence and the help and support of our parents and grandparents. We have more than tripled our initial grant, and it is wonderful to see the spirit of giving and the meaning of Lenten sacrifice that has been demonstrated by all.
— Linda Good, eighth grade teacher, Sponsor of Mission Monday

Ladies of Charity of Arkansas, Little Rock
As stated in our proposal, the Arkansas Catholic grant was matched by $100 (a portion of our “seed money”) given by the Vincentian priests when LCArk formed. This $200 was divided into 40 $5 bills and given to each of the LCArk members along with the Pay It Forward challenge. These packets were distributed on Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, in person or by mail and followed up with an e-mail, visit or phone call to answer any questions or concerns. So far, the response has been remarkable.
LCArk members have been incredibly ingenious about ways to use their $5 to promote our projects and mission. Some examples include:
Purchasing boxes of plastic zipper bags to distribute to friends with the request to fill with cookies for the “Homeless Cookie” project. Each month these bags are delivered to a local homeless “soup kitchen,” Stewpot, which each including homemade cookies and an inspirational Scripture or quote.
Buying 12 42-cent stamps to mail a note to selected friends telling them about LCArk projects and inviting them to be a part of our mission through donation of supplies or funds.
Making or buying a jar to decorate and place at various gatherings (book clubs, bridge groups, basketball tournament, etc.) to encourage support.
Several members have pooled their resources to purchase items benefiting a specific project. One example is the new tiller used for the Ladies of Charities’ Urban Garden program at St. Joseph Home in North Little Rock where elderly residents of the nearby Christopher Homes have been invited to volunteer. Sponsorships of a foster, immigrant or homeless children to attend the fall “Art and Soul” camp have been received as members “pay it forward.”
One of the “fringe” benefits of this project has been the opportunity to share with our friends, co-workers, neighbors and family the mission of our group and invite them to support our work or even become members. We are sponsoring a member/guest brunch on April 18 and hope to include several of those who have already helped with the PIF project.
— Sandy DeCoursey, executive vice president

Immaculate Heart of Mary, North Little Rock (Marche)
Coming out of Mass, parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary were astounded to find a small tree growing $1 bills. After the initial shock, it was explained that we were now seeing some results from our “Pay It Forward” challenge.
Our $100 was passed out to families who wanted to try to live simply so others simply may live. They took their dollar bill home and in the past two weeks have been giving up treats, fast food, drinks, coffee and turning that money saved back to their special fund for “Pay It Forward challenge” watching that dollar bill grow. They were also asked to go without television or iPods and computers one night a week to experience being without electric. Parishioners were encouraged to live like a child of poverty and try to eat one meal a day what this child might to eat. Participants in this project were reminded that we truly are the “rich man” in the story of Lazarus and the rich man we read about in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 16.
When asked this week, it seemed that the consensus of the participants was “we grew up having to do without, or now are experiencing ourselves what it means to do live without the extras in life. This project is making us remember what we must pass on to our children. We must appreciate what we have. That we can’t just buy something because ’we want something.’” Parents are very concerned that their children will be drawn into the trap that possessions are what make you happy.
The adults are wanting to pass on to their children the importance of sharing love and not getting so into “stuff” and electronic gadgets that you forget that there are others who need help and we are the ones who are there to share with them.
It is the hope of our pastor and group that our money will be sent to a mission in Haiti and plans for continued support to follow with a “Dollar a Week” Club.
— Elizabeth Thomas

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