To celebrate Pay-it-Forward Week, we’re going to spend this time recognizing the ways that people are paying it forward in their everyday lives. Times are tough right now, especially for those who were struggling before the COVID pandemic. What if in this time of struggle we all decided that we were going to do 2-3 things to help others out?
Here are eight easy things you can do to pay it forward:
- Check-in on an elderly relative or neighbor
- Sew a mask for someone else
- Decorate your doors or windows with hearts to support healthcare workers
- Put a bear or other fun thing in your window or on your lawn for little kids to see
- Grow some food to share with others
- Tell a healthcare, grocery store, mechanic, factory worker or other front-line person how much you appreciate them
- Do a grocery store run for someone in need
- Volunteer for something to support the community
If you have a Pay-it-Forward story you’d like to share, send it to Emily at emily@hub25.org.Also, we’re going to be fundraising for Groundswell Cafe’s Pay-it-Forward Fund all week. Before we closed the cafe due to COVID-19, our Pay-it-Forward Fund was steadily declining as the need for free meals was exceeding the donations received. We’d like to take this opportunity while we’re closed to pump the fund back up so that we can be ready to serve those in need when we re-open the cafe.
If you’d like to make a donation to our Pay-it-Forward Fund, you can do so online at this link, or you can mail a check to Matthew 25 with “Pay-it-Forward Fund” in the memo to 201 Third Ave SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.
Thank you for your support of Groundswell Cafe and our mission to feed everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. We couldn’t do it without caring, passionate people like you. ?
Here are some of the AMAZING things people in our community are doing to pay-it-forward:
- Barb and Jim Steggall have been very active helping others during this pandemic. They’ve purchased groceries for their next door neighbor who has cancer and sent pizzas to Amana Care Facility to express gratitude for staff. Additionally, Barb goes over every morning to dress and fix a church member’s hair who broke her arm, and Jim has purchased two giftcards from Groundswell Cafe to give to their church ministers. Thanks, Barb and Jim!