This is a forum for our leadership and volunteer community to share information, stories, ideas, etc. about The Giving Spirit (TGS) organization and events. Everyone is welcome here, so sign up and start posting!
We just completed our Fall 2007 event and it was a tremendous success. We welcome all our volunteers to share their thoughts on the experience with us. Upload and link photos as well as video and share new ideas on how to improve the experience next year.
Most of all we want everyone to keep "the spirit" alive throughout the year. We have a summer event coming up and TGS needs new members and volunteers. If you would like to become more involved we welcome the help, so email info@thegivingspirit.org and let us know what you're interested in. We need help with fund-raising, marketing/PR, logistics, event planning, finance, tax, etc.
Thanks for being part of this wonderful group and we look forward to hearing from you!
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11 comments:
..My 13 yr. old son and I had the most amazing experience at the Christmas event. We unloaded trucks , packed the bags and hit the streets. The first gentleman we approached who looked very much in need , turned us down and said there were others down the street who needed it more. This was a story we heard several times that day, along with guiding us to others in need "just down the block" or "sitting on the corner".My son and I came away with the realization that not only are these folks just like us but many are kinder to those around them than some of our more affluent friends. A real eyeopener. The sad story however was a lovely lady who has been sitting on a bus bench at PCH and Sunset for over a month reading her Bible. We attempted to gift her with our bag and blanket and she refused us saying she was just waiting for her ride and couldn't take all our stuff. That was her reality and how she survives on the street, she is still sitting there, wish we could have helped her.
My name is Julie Hartz and I am a teacher at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. A group of students and I organized a club at school which benefits this incredible organization. We attended the December event, our first-ever TGS event, and we all walked away better people who are more connected to the world around us. As a teacher and mother, it has been an incredible experience to not only watch my students work their tails off for a purpose bigger than themselves, but to see them touch and interact with those who will benefit as a result of their compassion and commitment. TGS is a hands-on community service opportunity for all students everywhere. My dream is to see TGS develop a chapter on every school campus across southern California. If you are a teacher, student, parent or administrator and would like information as to how we successfully developed TGS at our school, email me at tycam72@msn.com
Hi I'm Francine and I am a current student at Los Osos High School. I've always wanted to get out and go do something good for my community but I never knew how. The year, when my former spanish teacher, Mrs. Hartz, told me about The Giving Spirit I joined in a heartbeat. This is exactly how I wanted to give back to my community. I've grown up in an affluent community and I never thought about how serious the homeless situation was until I participated in the L.A. event in December. At first I was afraid and then I realized that the homeless are human beings, human beings just as much as you and me. It was depressing to realize that there were so many people with absolutely nothing and we weren't even seeing the majority of them. Our day was long and demanding but totally worth it. One woman was so grateful for the duffel bag and blanket we gave her that she began to cry. The TGS event in L.A. was a life changing experience, I can't even describe the feeling. I hope that more people join this cause. We are all so priviledged and I know we can all give something, even if its just a smile or a "hello".
My children and I were a part of The Giving Spirit Christmas event in Brentwood. What started out as an evening helping some friends turned into three days of making new friends from all walks of life. We were touched by Tom, his family and friends who started The Giving Spirit with an idea and made it into a reality. Strangers from every corner of Los Angeles came together and worked in harmony for three long days to accomplish the same thing. To go and reach out to the homeless population without judgement was an eye opener. Each person we met had a story to tell. And we realized that this could happen to anyone. The following is a poem a homeless gentleman in Santa Monica wrote for my daughter when she handed him his bag.
Believe it or Not by Royce Hummer
I don't have the season cheer this year-My soul has disappered. Wanted to write a Christmas poem, But all I'm getting is the same Renegade stuff-I truly believe there are superior Beings-I think we are in the final chapter. I won't write about a jolly man in a red suit-I wish you could see the Real Sociality-Not very civilized. Nobody with much joy in their hearts, People who proclaim to bellieve in God than act Like the Devil. Greed and Power are tools of satan weather Jesus was born on this date or not-it does not matter it's the thought behind the gift that counts-Nobody alive knows the true story of the world you must choose to believe or not.
Thank you Giving Spirit for sharing your visions with us. We look forward to next time.
This is my first year and it won't be my last. I came into this with skepticism and prejudments about the homeless. Whether some of these humans have done things that have caused them to be in this situation, they are still humans with regret, fear, and dispare.
One of the women that my boyfriend approached was very hostile and I figured it was because she did not know what he wanted. I told him to let me approach her. When she saw me and my son coming up with the bag, she realized that my boyfriend just wanted to show his kindness. I suspect men had approached her before with terrible suggestions. Her demeanor went from scared and mean to appreciation and the need to talk.
She had broken up with a boyfriend and her family was from the high desert, which she couldn't reach. She was cold and immediately covered herself with the blanket. Since it was my first experience with approaching someone, I told her I just wanted to give her a gift and wished her a Merry Christmas then left. My boyfriend talked to her only a little because he felt compelled to follow me. I regret not spending more time with her but now know what to do next time.
A very enlightening weekend and one I will never forget. I loved seeing my children be a part of this as well. I was so proud to see them work so hard but did not complain. Even at a young age, they realized they were a part of something bigger than them. This is what the season is all about. Thank you Tom, Tim, and Gregg for bringing me into a wonderful experience that will forever be a part of my Christmas experience.
Hi!
Thanks so much for helping this weekend.
AMAZING!
I was just driving west and saw nothing but gray skies and cold wet winds
heading this way.
There are 2,000 blankets and 2,000 ponchos on the streets of Los Angeles
tonight because of you.
There are 2,000 (and more - people share our gift with friends and family)
relatively full bellies tonight because of you.
There are children brushing their teeth with a new clean toothbrush,
There are women rubbing lotion on their cracked and dry skin,
There is a gauze and antibiotic ointment on a wound that has been difficult
to heal,
Because of you.
There are the thoughts of a homeless human being being written in a
notebook,
Because of you.
Do you have any thoughts - right now - about this experience?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - take a moment NOW - to type a paragraph, or a book
(or something in between) about what touched you, or moved you this weekend.
Or about what you needed to do your job better that was missing...
Or how we can do it better next time...
Thank you again.
PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE - IN WORDS AND PHOTOS IF YOU HAVE THEM
Best,
Mark Sleeper
sleepermark@gmail.com
Hi All, a belated follow up to an extraordinary day. My wife Kim and I participated December 14th by distributing 12 duffels and approximately
25 blankets to homeless friends that we found at the bluff park area above Santa Monica pier. I think a lot of the volunteers headed to 6th and Alameda that day but the homeless gentleman that was at the church assisting with loading the vehicles suggested we head down towards San Vincente and Ocean. We saw a few folks with duffels they had received the day before but had no problem finding others in need. The weather was due to turn crummy the next day so the blankets were well received and appreciated. One or two declined the offerings but most were excited and several enjoyed talking for a bit. Everyone has a unique name and story...Tom's right, it is something less than six degrees. We met a gentleman in just his third week on the streets. He was out of work from the construction industry and seemed to be in pretty good physical shape. His main concern, ironically, was finding a safe place to sleep at night. He said he was relieved whenever he's awaked during the night if it is a police officer. Another older gentleman that we had given a duffel to was smiling and chewing away when we passed by him a second time that day. To be sure it was a day that we will remember throughout the year. Thanks for the great present. We will stay in touch. Take care, Dave Ganoung and Kim Foster
On Christmas I do some thing that no one does. I go to Los Angeles and go to the giving spirit. The giving spirit is my favorite weekend of the year. My favorite part is that we get to pack the bags. The bags are for people who do not have homes. My mom, dad, and brother are with me. After we pack all the bags we hand out lots of awards. We drive all around the city just to give a bag to a person who does not have a home. At the end of the day I go home with my family we go inside and go see what Santa Claus has brought us for Christmas.
-Cameron Hartz (age 7)
Hello, my name is Victoria and I am in the 10th grade at Los Osos High School. My friend Amanda and I went to the December TGS event for the first time in December and after packing many bags, we did find some thankful men.
Amanda spotted a man sitting in a ball with a dirty, torn, worn-out sweater over his knees to protect himself from the cold December wind. We pulled over (in the red fire zone) and pulled out our gear. We approached him and we saw big, deep, endless blue eyes full of sadness turn into eyes of hope. He stayed sitting, but we gave him our bags and he was immediatly thankful. He sais his wife divorced him and took everything, even his kids. He moved out west coast (he lived on the east coast); working jobs mostly near the beach to keep warm. But he could never hold one long enough to find a place to live; "so I ended up here," he said. We wished him well, more grateful to have someone to talk to than to receive the bags and the blanket. But soon, our conversation grew thin and we left him to search through his new bad.
We gave out four more bags that day, and all were grateful for us and especailly the bags. Most we met traveling the street, but one was sitting on a bus bench watching passing people. To us, he looked more like a street preformer than a homeless man. People passing by on the street often shot smiles in our direction when we distributed our gifts and warm wishes to the homeless of their town.
We returned to teh church at about 5 pm, before dark. We loaded more bags into Amanda's truck so they could take back to teh satellite distribution center at our high school. The next day they were having 150 bags distributed throughout our city and surrinding cities. This was teh first time they would give out bags outside of the Los Angeles County, which shows how large The Giving Spirit has become in it's ten years of existence.
The long 12 hour day was long, tiring, and cold, but in the end, it was one of he best days of my life. I changed many lives that day, inculding ym own. I now know how forturnate I am and appreciate all teh hard work my parents do to keep our family safe and in a home. I can honestly say this trip was needed for me. I needed to expirence what life was like for those on the streets, to show me to be less greedy and snobbish. It changed my life drastically and can only hope to return to the event next year.
We were in Palisades Park in Santa Monica on Reach Out Saturday. I had just given a backpack to a gentleman on a bench. Another man watched intently as I conversed with this gentleman. I had one more pack slung over my shoulder. I walked up to the man who was watching me. He was well groomed, clothes clean. He was on a great looking bike. However, on closer inspection, I saw a bedroll on his handlebars. So, as I was taught, I asked, "Where are you sleeping tonight? Are you hungry?" He said he wasn't sure and yes he was hungry.
I immediately handed him the pack on my shoulder. As I was handing it to him, he began sobbing...deep sobs. It took all that I had to hold my composure...
"I hate this life, I hate it," he said. I told him that we knew that. We just wanted him to know that we had not forgotten him. The goods in the kit were all for him -so he could exist on the street. Survive.
”I always wanted one of these backpacks. Just couldn't afford it. Thank you, sooo much." I told him that we knew he was a good man and we cared about his life. He said, "I used to be a good man". I told him - "You are still a good man and don't you forget it. We believe in you."
Later he approached our van and asked the driver for a card. He told him that he was going to get on his feet again, by God, and that he would never forget us for what we did. As soon as he got off the street, he was going to send TGS money and come and volunteer.
He thanked us over and over...we should have thanked him for allowing us to help.
There was a kid sitting on a bench. He must have been all of 18.
He was alone and looking out to the sea. He had a few belongings next to him and had an open beer in his hand.
"Please don't judge me because of my beer. I am not proud of it. But it is the best I can do. I don't drink a lot...but you need to know, and please tell all of your friends who help you, how hard it is out here. It is hell. I need a beer just to make through some nights."
I handed him a pack.
"Thank you very much. I don't need to open it. I know that God sent you here, that everything in there is for me, and that I need it. I can just tell. I just know. Please tell everyone thank you and God bless you all. I know you care about us. About me. And I will never forget it. Yes, it is hard out here...but I am going to make it. I promise you. I will make it. I look for jobs all the time. I just can't find one. And then I end up here."
His eyes welled with tears.
"Because of what you did for me, I am going to try to help someone who is even worse off than me. If you can help me, I can help someone else. You have my word. Please tell everyone that they are doing a great thing for us out here."
He shook my hand and thanked me one more time.
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