Investors Group Challenge
Please email us and tell us about your $20 challenge experience. We will be sharing the information in the coming weeks. Thank you for being a part of the Day of Hope and Leadership!
$20 CHALLENGE
"October 1st, 2009 marked the second annual Day of Hope and Leadership. Canada's only philanthropic, professional and personal development day.
This year's theme was "ordinary actions - extraordinary impacts". At the end of this extraordinary day, each audience member was given an envelope with a brand new $20 bill inside. They were challenged to commit an act of unconditional giving with that $20 in 24 hours.
Here are just some of their inspiring stories."
Dan Carter
I realize that I am late reporting but I really wanted to do something meaningful with the $20 and sometimes that takes a little more time.
When I was given the money I thought who's life could I make better with this money? Instantly I thought of a girl that went to my daughter's school. She comes from a single parent family (father only) that appears to be struggling financially. Years ago I had met this man and his daughter in a park and he shared his story about his wife who had been addicted to drugs and left him when the child was only a baby. He had brought the little girl up alone since then. He also mentioned that he had a back injury that has kept him off work for years.
Whenever I would see this young girl walking to school my heart would go out to her. She often was wearing clothes that didn't fit, that were ripped or too short. When I questioned my daughter about how she was treated at school, she told me kids teased her.
At that age one of the most important things for a child is to fit in. Children often identify with other kids based on the clothes they wear. My daughter and I decided that not only would we buy her new clothes but we would make sure they were things that were in style and popular among the kids today. So that the next time she walked to school there just may be a little skip in her step.
Now $20 was not going to buy anything popular these days so I decided that I would match the $20 myself and then asked my friends to match and before you knew it I had $100 to purchase the items. I pride myself on being a thrifty shopper so I was able to buy her a pair of Roxy runner shoes (reg $89.99), a sweat shirt from Aeropostale (reg $40) and a new coat (reg $40) for less than $100.
We had one snag that was quickly fixed through the kind hearted staff at St. Bernadette's Catholic School. The young girl no longer attended this school however they knew where she had gone and agreed to deliver the package to her.
In the box was the three gifts wrapped in pretty paper and a small note that said " The world is a better place because of you - Thank you" and "Always remember how special you are". Now she has no idea where or from who the package was from but boy I would have loved to be a fly on the wall on the day she wore her new clothes to school.
God bless you all for inspiring all of us to create extraordinary events. This is something I have always believed in and will continue doing throughout my lifetime!
Sincerely,
Bonnie Harkness
October 1, 2009 was truly a day of inspiration for many of the people who attended that day. Your $20 challenge was brilliant!
I am pleased to report to you that within the first 24 hours of receiving your challenge that I did not go out and change someone's life as you had asked us all to do ... I waited until last night.
Your challenge and the $20 that was so graciously donated by The Investors Group inspired me on October 1st to make a plan that would allow me to complete an "ordinary action that would have an extra ordinary impact" on someone's life.
You will be pleased to know that last night I exercised that plan during an event at the Orono Town Hall.
My plan was to convert your $20 into something more substantial and donate all of those funds equally amongst the four Food Banks that operate within the Municipality of Clarington, one each in Newcastle, Courtice and 2 in Bowmanville.
Dan, you will be pleased to know that the good people attending that function last night listened to my story about your Day of Hope and Learning and your $20 challenge.
We then passed around a bread basket for donations and everyone gave generously ... that inspired others to take up the challenge by challenging others to sing songs in return for substantial further donations.
That inspired Micheal Hackenburger, the proprietor of the Bowmanville Zoo to donate an item for a live auction which spontaneously inspired others to donate additional items for auction.
By the time we were finished we had collected $4,004. Everyone's generosity far exceeded my expectations.
We were all amazed at how one ordinary action can have an extra ordinary impact and believe that our actions will help assist those organizations and all of the good work that they do for our community.
On behalf of those people, I want to thank you, your team and The Investors Group for inspiring me to inspire others. Last night as a very special night for all who attended. Thanks Dan.
Sincerely,
Mayor Jim Abernethy
Shane is a homeless man who lives on the street in downtown Oshawa. Rather than just give him $20 to spend as he sees fit, on the Monday following the Day of Hope and Leadership I bought him lunch consisting of hamburger, french fries, and coffee. The meal came to $7.90 and the waitress received a $2.10 tip. I met up again with Shane yesterday just before noon and repeated the gesture.
While Shane appears very rough by way of scruffy beard and poor dental hygiene, he is actually a very soft spoken man who never asks for much. Even the waitress at Mike's shares this opinion. I have asked Shane if he would ever like to get off the street and he admits that the winter is the only time he has regrets due to the harsh temperatures. All of his worldly possessions appear to be carried in his backpack.
John Gray
When I got back to my office on Thursday afternoon I was asked if I could see a young couple that said they needed to talk to a Pastor. They were in their early twenties, addicted to drugs, HIV positive, and living on the street. They were emotionally and physically exhausted, going 2 days without a place to sleep. He had been in and out of prison and had burned alot of bridges along the way, so the few options that may have been available to him at one point were no longer there. She had just come back to Oshawa the week before after spending months living on the street in Toronto. After spending some time with them, hearing their story, listening to the desperate plea for help, I decided to put them in a motel for a couple of days while we tried to figure out what we could do next.
I used the twenty dollars to buy them dinner that night. They were famished and were so appreciative of the act of kindness. I gave them $50 in gift cards for nearby restaurants to get them through the 2 nights. On Saturday morning, after two nights in the motel, I picked them up and took them to the train station where I bought them both a ticket to Newmarket where they were accepted into the program at The Leading Place, a home where they deal with drug and alcohol addiction, as well as physical and relational healing. They were excited that they were getting another chance to get clean and still be together.
...and it all started 15 minutes after I got back from the Day of Hope and Leadership!
Craig Canning, Pastor: Special Events/Outreach, The Embassy
"I turned my $20 into $460 by asking people to double the cash. We gave it to Simcoe Hall for education materials for the after school program to build kids assets and character."
April Cullen
"I provided my $20 to the local food bank this morning where they provide Sunday morning breakfasts to homeless people and children. I thought it was a great cause that will make a difference in the lives of residents within the Durham Region. As an aside, my team is now fundraising to see me shave my mustache so I will be a different person on Tuesday. They have already raised in excess of $500 ..."
Paul Thomas, RBC
And again from RBC ...
"Thank you for the great Day of Hope and Leadership yesterday! I met with my team this morning and shared the essence of the day along with the $20 Challenge.
As a result, we have decided to hold a draw to raise funds for Eastview Boys and Girls Club. I took the $20 to a local retailer, Brush Strokes, and explained what we wanted to do. The owner sold me a beautiful $50 autumn wreath for $20. We will have this wreath on display for the remainder of October at our RBC branch and will sell tickets for $2 (or 3 for $5).
I called the program director for Eastview Boys and Girls Club to explain what we were doing and why (Day of Hope and Leadership Challenge). I've asked her to let me know their greatest need at this time so that we could be very specific on how the proceeds of the draw would impact the children. I've also asked if she would like to make a presentation to our team to let us know other ways we can help (time/money). She was very pleased with the idea and the offer to promote the club in our branch throughout the month.
I'll let you know how everything turns out in November. Thank you again for being the catalyst for change."
Deborah Robitaille, Branch Manager - Oshawa Main
"I recently met a woman who for the past 20 years has devoted her live to helping Mik'Mak native communities, through their leadership - giving them hope, resources and inspiration in remote communities across Northern and Maritime Provinces. She travels for months and returns home over the winter months, earning a small income and needed working funds by teaching music to school children; she is a gifted singer.
Just 2 days ago she lost control of her donated SUV in a rainstorm, hydroplaned and smashed into a light pole on the highway median. She now recovers at home, with whiplash injuries and about $1,000 car damages.
I choose to purchase - anonymously, her domain name for a website that I will help manage to further her cause, including accept Paypal donations - while also buying an ad in the regional paper to help her find new music students. I will also design, print and distribute flyers for the same purpose. It seems to me that charity without sacrifice costs us nothing at all? I like the idea of helping children I might never meet go out and play, without reservation."
Graham Landgraff, President & CEO, Q-BING
"With the $20 provided, I have done an officer challenge and with the money raised will be providing pizza and a movie to the youth shelter in Ajax. The reason behind this thinking is every youth even the street youth(more so) deserve to do what many of us do on a weekend, indulge in some great pizza and relax watching a movie ... if only for a bit to forget about our problems and feel normal (feed and cared for). We will be not only providing the food we well be serving it to them. Protect and serve has many meanings. Today we will serve them and in the process hopefully be seen beyond our uniforms."
Corey Walsh # 3032, Durham Regional Police
"When we opened the envelope to find a $20 bill given as a seed to multiply I thought of how many times in my life I thought if I had a million dollars.... The secret wish of foundation/community builders who do amazing things on nothing.
Over the years of struggling to set up my own Garden project and encouraging and supporting others with theirs' I talked to many people in the position to set up a fund to support and encourage food gardens in Durham. Today I decided that was ME. No more waiting. I called Joan Kerr and she agreed to house the fund under her organization Foundation for Building Sustainable Communities.
I ran the idea pass a couple of other passionate and they agreed to give me $20 each so at the present time I have more than doubled my seed (total $60 )and though we have details to work out the "You Grow Durham" Fund is on its way.
I sent an email out across my networks and at this point in the day. As of 1pm the "You Grow Durham" Fund has received or will receive by mail $320.00. Emails are still coming in."
Mary Drummond, Whitby Ajax Community Garden & The Communal Garden Project
Durham Lives! Food Charter Working Group
For those of you who were not in attendance, we urge you to take up the challenge. Commit to give $20 unconditionally in order to impact someone's life. You will experience first hand, how an ordinary action can have an extraordinary impact!