I want to make peoples lives better

All,
This is a sort of "secret ambition" I have had for some time, but I kinda would like some advice about it. To get right to the point, I wanna help people, specifically people who are working their butts off, but are barely making it. But I want to do it in secret. In other words, I don't want that person to ever know who was involved in helping them, but I still want to somehow know whether what I did to help them worked. Let me give a couple of examples:

I am a two degrees away from this couple, who's wife has a steady job, and the husband is some kind of struggling artist. They are both honest people, and have bugeted down to the penny (not exagerating there). One month they figured out that because of some extenuating circumstances, they would be something like $500 short. To be honest I don't remember the exact figure, but let's say $524. They are a proud couple, so they didn't say anything to anyone, but they prayed about the situation. One day an envelope arrived in the mail, and inside was a cashiers check for exactly that amount. There was no return address, and they never found out who it was, it just showed up.

I WISH I was a part of that, but I wasn't sadly. That is a somewhat good example of what I am referring to, let me give another (this time hypothetical) example that shows it from the other side. Lets say that I have help, in fact armies of people who are out there looking for people to help. Lets say that one of the people that are helping me know a family who's father is the bread-winner, and drives a truck for delivery. Now maybe a trying event has happened to them, maybe not, who knows, but the point is to do something that might be helpful to them. Many delivery vehicles have 800 numbers to call that say "how's my driving." Assuming we have an army of people dedicated to this cause, suppose for the next few months, each of us call in to that 800 number and say something positive about that person's driving . . .

Okay so we aren't transforming their life in one swoop, but maybe we can at least help. And who says we have to do just one thing for someone? The point is that I want to be working behind the scenes to somehow make their life better, and I don't want them to know it was me doing it.

I have read some suggestions out there from people to try stuff, like feeding expired parking meters where people are parked, or paying for the person behind you in a toll-road. Those things are cool, and fun, but you don't always get to find out if you made a difference. Also there isn't that reward of knowing that you really helped someone who desperately needed the help, versus someone who was doing just fine. Does that make sense?

I want to amass an army of "secret agents" that are a part of people's lives, and work out creative strategies to help those in need, then here back from these "secret agents" about it. Maybe it didn't help at all, or maybe it did help, but not immediately . . . Who knows.

Basically though, I need advice about how to get this started. Obviously I can't do this on my own. I need a significant group of people out there who are willing to help with the cause. I don't want money or anything like that, I just want people who want to help people, and be secret agents of change in their lives. I am not sure if BTS, or ATS is the correct place for this kind of thing either, so I was hoping to find a good home, some kind of discussion board or something.

Ideas?

-P

There are so many ways to help out the needy

From the more obvious...

Donating directly to food shelves, shelters etc (from donating a package of pasta to actually providing regular financial donations).

To the less obvious...

There was a local man here in ND, who operated a sort of "deserving charity" thing - people were encouraged to write to him, detailing their need, and if he was able to a) verify they were being honest, and b) the need was genuine, he published their letter in a local paper and donated the financial help that was requested.

Some people are (understandably) a little put-off by the anonymity of such benefactors; others are fine with the idea. How about organising a group who can donate time too? Volunteering somewhere?

There are many of us regular folk doing just that...donating as and when we can, knowing that it's going to a deserving cause

You're doing a great thing.

recently watched the movie "Pay It Forward" ? just wondering.

I think you have a good idea. I'm already doing this type of thing.

If I see someone in truck / delivery vechicle, following traffic laws, or kindly letting another vechicle into traffic, etc, I'll call up and the supervisors know.

Other things I do are:

Restaurants - If I've had a good meal and good service, besides a good tip, I'll ask my waitress / waiter to call the manager over and I will tell the manager about the good service I've received. You'd be surprised at the look on thier faces, when I don't complain about something.

In other stores, if I need assistance and receive it, I'll search out a manager and let them know the persons name who helped me and what an "asset" to the company they are.

In my own company - I send emails to managers of employees that I've had contact with and assistance from etc.

Good luck in your venture....

Elevatedone, you and I are definitely of the same mind-set when it comes to this kind of thing. I have done all of the above at certain times, and have even done so when I received poor service. Sounds counter-intuitive, but it works for me I guess. I did watch "Pay It Forward" and really liked it. It sorta helped me develop this idea a little further actually.

-P

Originally posted by elevatedone
recently watched the movie "Pay It Forward" ? just wondering.

I think you have a good idea. I'm already doing this type of thing.

If I see someone in truck / delivery vechicle, following traffic laws, or kindly letting another vechicle into traffic, etc, I'll call up and the supervisors know.

Other things I do are:

Restaurants - If I've had a good meal and good service, besides a good tip, I'll ask my waitress / waiter to call the manager over and I will tell the manager about the good service I've received. You'd be surprised at the look on thier faces, when I don't complain about something.

In other stores, if I need assistance and receive it, I'll search out a manager and let them know the persons name who helped me and what an "asset" to the company they are.

In my own company - I send emails to managers of employees that I've had contact with and assistance from etc.

Good luck in your venture....

Hi Tinkleflower,
Thanks for the positive thoughts. I have been thinking of getting into a charity or something like that, and that is definitely a great way to go to start with. I might be able to come into contact with people who help other people and also people who need help.

-P

Originally posted by Tinkleflower
There are so many ways to help out the needy

From the more obvious...

Donating directly to food shelves, shelters etc (from donating a package of pasta to actually providing regular financial donations).

To the less obvious...

There was a local man here in ND, who operated a sort of "deserving charity" thing - people were encouraged to write to him, detailing their need, and if he was able to a) verify they were being honest, and b) the need was genuine, he published their letter in a local paper and donated the financial help that was requested.

Some people are (understandably) a little put-off by the anonymity of such benefactors; others are fine with the idea. How about organising a group who can donate time too? Volunteering somewhere?

There are many of us regular folk doing just that...donating as and when we can, knowing that it's going to a deserving cause

You're doing a great thing.