Story Contributed – Men hate fundraisers. The idea of sitting outside an area store holding a bake sale makes most men long for the golf course, the fishing hole or even cleaning out the garage to keep the wife happy.
Men, however, do have a heart for giving and they can have a tremendous influence in their families, churches and community when it comes to helping out with a specific cause.
As a man, Volunteer Coordinator Stacy Walker hopes to challenge area men to move beyond the fundraiser mindset to accept the challenge: 100 men committed to give $100 each to purchase food items for the Christmas boxes that will be distributed in December.
“I believe I can find 100 men willing to give $100 to a specific project, in this case purchasing the items necessary for the Christmas boxes,” Walker said.
Every client who comes to Good Samaritan in December gets a Christmas box filled with the items necessary to make a “traditional” Christmas dinner. The majority of the items come in through the Tackle Hunger Food Drive in October. GSM purchases baking hens, flour, sugar and eggs for the boxes, and the funds raised through this challenge will be used for these items.
Walker said that the idea for this challenge began to grow in his heart about a year ago because of his desire to give back as a way to honor God for the many blessings in his life.
“The idea of giving back is important to me,” Walker said. “We as men often overlook the opportunity to give back. It’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that giving back is often not foremost in our thinking.”
As the idea of the challenge began to develop, Walker said he was searching the right name to call it.
“I was reading a devotional about living life abundantly,” he said. “I started asking myself ’What would inspire men to begin living abundantly? Then it hit me – simple giving.”
Walker believes that many men will recognize $100 as a simple gift because it is the equivalent of a few rounds of golf or a couple of dinners out or a night at the movies with popcorn.
Good Samaritan wants to give back to the men who accept this challenge by feeding them a hearty breakfast on Wednesday, July 11 at 7 a.m. in the Food Warehouse. The breakfast is open to all men who feel the call to give simply to this Christmas in July project. Men are encouraged to invite their neighbors and co-workers and to bring sons or grandsons as a way to teach them about abundant living and simple giving.
Men who want to accept the challenge but cannot attend the breakfast are encouraged to mail their gift to PO Box 1136 Brownwood, TX 76804. Mark your check 100 Men-100 Dollars. Donations can also be made through the website at www.goodsambwd.org
“There will be 100 chairs available for those who want to participate,” Walker said. “I’m praying for standing room only.”
