Let's say you were at Trader Joe's Menlo Park, Calif., and you saw a woman standing at the checkout counter who couldn't find her wallet. Would you pick up the tab? Well, that's what Carolee Hazard did last summer. When she saw that Jenni Ware wasn't able to pay the bill because her wallet was missing, a knee-jerk reaction inspired her to hand over $207, the exact amount Ware needed for her groceries. The next day, Hazard received a check for $300 in the mail and a thank you card from Ware suggesting that she use the extra $93 dollars to get a massage.
Uncomfortable with keeping the money, Hazard asked her Facebook friends what they'd do. Several suggested giving it to charity, which Carolee liked a lot, and she decided to match the money with $93 of her own. Again, she turned to her Facebook friends asking to whom should she donate the $186. Given the food connection, she decided to donate the money to her local Second Harvest Food Bank. To her great surprise, a friend added another $93. So did another and another and another! Soon the story was being posted and reposted on Facebook, inspiring others to donated as well. Thus was born the 93 Dollar Club.
"If I hadn't turned to Facebook, this never would have happened. I am just along for the ride as opposed to steering this. The 93 Dollar Club really has an energy all of its own," Hazard said. "No one has been asked to donate. People stepped forward asking to participate ... to make a difference. And whether it was in the amount of $9.30 from a single mother who works full-time with little extra cash to spare or a young child making a 93 cent donation from their allowance, everyone has been able to play a part." In just one year, the 93 Dollar Club has raised a whopping $100,000 for Second Harvest.
What's next? Her dream is to double the amount and raise $200,000. Hazard said, "I have great faith that people's desire for helping the hungry and passing on goodness will enable us to reach our goal. That amount will provide 400,000 meals or enough to feed 100 families of four for a year. I like folks to know that a little goes a long way at Second Harvest!"
Read more Random Acts of Kindness stories on Tonic:
Twelve-Year-Old Marches 2,500 Miles for Charity
If You're Constance McMillen Life Just Keeps Getting Better
Anonymous Practitioner of Random Acts of Kindness Reveals Herself
Photo via 93 Dollar Club Facebook page.
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