The True Meaning of Giving

My 4 year old daughter and I helped with the Basket Brigade today. I want to teach my daughter at an early age that giving to others in need is something that we need to do as people. Not everyone can afford a Thanksgiving dinner and good people aren't defined by the tough times they go through. I first got involved to be a volunteer a few years ago when I was studying to become a Dale Carnegie instructor after graduating from a few classes. That is where I met two wonderful people; Victor and Cristina.

So we set out to help assemble the Turkey baskets, which had more than just a turkey in them. They included food donated from stores including a turkey, a metal bin to cook it in, a bag of potatoes, 2 cans of peas, 2 cans of green beans, a pumpkin, some other food items and a toy all packaged in a laundry basket. We were set out as a team to deliver 650 baskets. I brought some of my co-workers and their families to help out as a team-building exercise.

On the ride there I explained to my daughter that we were going to pick out a toy at the store so that we can add it to one of the baskets. She immediately started to cry like one of those downpours of rain that comes fast and unexpectedly. I consoled her by saying that we weren't giving away one of her toys but rather buying one for someone who couldn't afford one. When I told her that these people didn't have any money she exclaimed "but I don't have any money." I told her that the parents of these children don't have money and that we would buy the same toy that she already had.

It was my way of getting her to not only understand the purpose of our journey on a Saturday but also to get her excited for what we were set out to do. Needless to say she embraced the idea, ran into the store and down the aisles until she found the dinosaur toy.

Upon arriving at the warehouse in Milford we were greeted with the exciting and energy of hundreds of volunteers packing baskets, singing and dancing. Girl scouts, boy scouts, adults and children alike. What a warm, wonderful feeling of giving. It was an organized assembly line when we walked in. Different foods organized along large tables with volunteers on each table end placing each of the food items in as other volunteers carried the baskets from table to table.

After a couple of hours of assembling now came the really rewarding part - where we drive the baskets to the homes. Our first home we had to deliver 2 baskets. The turkey was too heavy for my daughter to lift so I had her bring the toys and pumpkin pies that were in each basket. We were greeted by a family, the father answering the door, with their two children coming down the stairs and the mother coming to the door from their kitchen. It was a very small house with a front door that was more like a small side door.

I encouraged my daughter to give the stuffed animals to the two children, which she did. One of the children warmingly took the toy and thanked Madison but the other, younger sister, was shy and didn't know what to make of this unexpected act of kindness. Finally, with her parents' encouragement, she extended her hand and took the gift. Our next delivery found us knocking on a door that wasn't answered. Just before we left, the resident from the apartment upstairs came down to get her mail so I asked if anyone was home in the downstairs apartment. We didn't realize we were knocking on the back door. She onto the front we went and sure enough, we met three African American adults, it looked like a mother and her two grown sons. They remarked on how my daughter should go into modeling since she looks like Shirley Temple.

Finally, we met the last woman outside of Walmart since when I called her she said she wasn't home but to meet her there. I certainly hope that she wasn't homeless but it didn't look like she was living out of her Ford. She passed us by once, I think making sure that we were legitimate, or to assemble enough courage to accept such a donation. She stopped the second time next to our car and greeted us with a huge smile. She is a nursery school teacher in New Haven for 3-year-olds. This hit home with me since my daughter just turned 4 and currently attends nursery school.

Paying it forward is something that we all need to do when we are able. Anthony Robbins once said "Everyone has the need to contribute. It is one of the six human needs. The need to give from your heart, it will come back to you tenfold."

In every basket we had a piece of paper with a neatly typed message which read 'This comes from someone who cares about you. All that we ask is that you take care of yourself and hopefully someday you repay the favor to someone who needs it.'

Suggested Reading/Watching

Anthony Robbins on the Basket Brigade
http://www.anthonyrobbinsfoundation.org/video/ar_on_bb_player.html