So how do you start a party?

When I was young, funds were always scarce. We had a family motto that said "We're rich, we just don't have any money". Many times birthdays were put on hold because it wasn't on a pay day. My mom refused to take state welfare and so we had to make a dollar stretch more ways than one. One of our famous meals was to go down to the little restaurant on the corner and on Tuesdays and Fridays they had hamburgers 10 for a dollar. Gourmet eating was not our forte. Once we ate pancakes, for every meal, 30 days in a row.

We came to appreciate the little things. Another thing we did was always try to help others in need if we could. We learned how to work and how to help. When I was 11 and 12 I took in ironing. I ironed clothes for 10 cents a piece. It helped pay for my clothes. Many times the difference between eating and not, or paying a due bill or not was something as simple as $20.

$20 can still make a difference in someone's life now days. (you knew this was coming) There is a favorite charity I give to when I can. To preface the charity, let me tell you a quick story: Once when we were desperate for money during the holidays, I found a $20 bill on the ground. I picked it up and felt elated. Then a guy walking towards me asked if it was mine, I said yes. I always felt guilty about saying yes. I knew it wasn't and I am sure he knew too. But I needed the money so bad! I kept it and it helped feed our family. I had been thinking about this incident and even prayed about it. Had I committed a sin by keeping that money? It bothered me. Then, in an answer to that prayer, I received an answer. I was going to work early one morning when I stopped at the store to pick up supplies for the plant. As I left my car, there was a $20 bill on the ground. Crisp, clean, and not a soul around. I thought of the incident from the past. I picked up the bill and went inside the store. I went to the convenience desk and told them what I had found. Could they just hold it in an envelope until someone inquired? No one but the rightful owner would even know to ask. They explained that it was against their policy and that the money was now mine. Ugh! Here we go again! Then I remembered: Modest Needs.

Modest Needs. Keith Taylor is a professor at a college. A few years ago he decided he needed to do more for others. He had finished college, but remembered how, even $20 during school could make a huge difference to a struggling student. In fact he realized it could mean the difference in the life of just about anyone. He started Modest Needs with this thinking in mind:

"Most persons living paycheck to paycheck earn just barely too much to qualify for any type of conventional assistance. This means they can't receive the help they need to overcome a short-term crisis - until they've already lost everything.

Modest Needs exists because we think there's a better way to do things. As far as we're concerned, no hard-working person should ever have to choose between taking a child to the doctor and putting food on the table."

So I went to work, and with my newly found $20 and went online and donated it to Keith Taylor's Modest Needs organization. I didn't need it and someone else did. It was time to give back. Keith does a lot of good around the states with very little money. He evaluates the needs of individuals and gives where he can. He accepts donations and even quit smoking and gives that money to Modest Needs. We have all had a time when a little extra could make all the difference. So I am asking you to start your holiday parties the right way. Give the price of dinner, the movies, or a night out at an arcade to Modest Needs. If we all give a little, we won't miss it and we'll make a difference in the life of someone who really needs short term help. Isn't that the best way to have fun anyway?