Not too long ago I ran across an article written by a young woman in New York about her experience giving $1 to anyone who asked… her thoughts before her experiment, her experience of giving, and how it changed her.

I’ve been there…  Feeling uncomfortable as I say, “Sorry” to a request for spare change; giving excuses why I don’t give when my child asks me what that man’s sign says and why am I not giving him any money; trying to decide whether or not to make eye contact, whether or not to say a kind word with or without giving something.

I’ve thought or heard others express so many reasons why not to give:

“They’ll just use the money for drugs or alcohol.”

“They might be conning because it’s easier than getting a job.”

“My money will go farther & help more people if I donate to an organization that helps the homeless.”

“If I gave a buck to everyone who asked, I wouldn’t have enough for my own groceries & rent.”

“I work hard for my money, why should I give it away to someone who’s not.”

As I thought about these, I realized I am not judge & jury for anyone else – whether they need or deserve anything from me; the merits of how they might use the funds. I realized that I want to be a part of the solution, even if just by expressing a little kindness in the form of $1. I realized that I have so much and truly can spare $1, I just needed to be prepared to do so.

I was so moved by this young New Yorker’s story, I thought I would try her experiment too.

• I got $20 in $1 bills and put them in a specific spot in my wallet for easy access.
• I would give $1 to every person who asked, regardless of any thoughts or judgments I might have about them, their deserving, their need, their approach, or anything else.
• I would give with a smile and wish them well.

My 10-year old son noticed the dollar bills in my wallet and asked if he could have them for his allowance, and I said No, they were for another purpose. He asked why and I explained about the article & my experiment.  I told him, “I want to help, but sometimes I don’t know how, so I thought I’d try this and see what happens.”  He responded, “I feel that way too – I want to help people too.”

Each afternoon or evening, my son would ask me eagerly, “Did anyone ask for money today?” or “Did you give away any dollars today?”  As we drove around town, he was scanning for people asking so we could give.

Today is day 5 in my week and the first time I had the opportunity to give $1 to a man standing on the corner of the road with a hand-written cardboard sign. I saw him, eagerly pulled out a $1 bill, and waived to get his attention.  His entire face lit up, he smiled & gratefully accepted the bill and said, “Thank you so much. Thank you. God bless you. Thank you.”  I wished him well and drove on when the light turned green.

In looking back on the last 5 days, I noticed a few things

• I was surprised at how few opportunities I had to give. Perhaps other weeks will be more, but even 10 times the giving won’t come anywhere close to making me go broke or not be able to afford groceries. I learned that I can do so much more in my community.
• I was scanning to see people who are so often ignored or not seen. I remembered the gift it is to be seen & acknowledged. My discomfort about crossing paths with people in need disappeared.
• My child is watching and learning from my example. I am grateful to be raising a child with a generous heart who wants to help others.
• When I did have the opportunity to give, I didn’t even read his sign; I had no internal questions or thoughts about his situation, approach to asking, or worthiness. Approaching the opportunity to give as a decision already made removed any potential internal hesitancy. It was simple, clear, and easy.
• I decided I don’t care what anyone else does with a dollar. They can make a choice for themselves far better than I can – I have not walked in their shoes.
• I gave eagerly, with an open heart and I was rewarded with such an open smile and gracious receiver, it felt like a gift to me.
• I can’t think of anything better I could have done with that $1 – the recipient clearly needed that dollar so much more than I did today.

I realize that this is a small gesture of support for someone in hard times. It’s not going to solve our big problems of people experiencing homelessness, poverty, joblessness, and disconnection. There’s so much more to be done for us to take care of each other in our world.  But I found that just by scanning for the opportunity to give, I started becoming part of the solution – and that feels like a step in the right direction.

(PS You can read the original article here.)