Each month, the Rockstar Finance Giving Fund gives out 25 VISA cards loaded with $20 for people to go help make the world a better place. In February, I signed up for one of them. February’s assignment was to help a “loved one.”
A new family moved in to our neighborhood. I am generally an outgoing person, so I connected with the lady, named Rachel. They have children similar ages to mine. But for some reason, she just rubbed me the wrong way. She would ask for help and when I would offer a suggestion, she would shoot it down. She would ask me simple questions about things in town, and after I explained where to find the answers online, she still kept asking about them even though I said I didn’t know offhand.
In the midst of this, I got my giving card. “A loved one” – I kept thinking of something that would be mind-blowing or earth-shatteringly awesome for my children, my husband, my close friends… and I kept thinking of Rachel. Their family just closed on their house and were staying in an Extended Stay place. None of their stuff had arrived from the several-week journey the barges take to get stuff up to Alaska. They closed on the house last Monday and their stuff arrived Tuesday at noon. Rachel expressed concern about the shape of the house. It had been unoccupied for several months. She didn’t want to move all of her stuff into a house that hadn’t been cleaned for ages.
I knew immediately how to help! I rallied several friends of mine (also with kids similar ages) and set up a play group at her house Tuesday morning. Then, I headed to the store and purchased $20 worth of cleaning supplies. Last Tuesday, in the brief period between owning her house and moving her stuff in, we swooped in and helped make it feel like a home (while our kids enjoyed running and exploring an empty house!). Rachel seemed relieved we had a solution to the problem and so many people were willing to come help her.
The charge to give it to a loved one haunted me. It would have been easier to just get someone I know an awesome gift, but I wouldn’t have changed. I don’t know that Rachel and I will ever be besties (do the kids still say that?), but everyone needs a “loved one” in a new neighborhood… especially when it’s Alaska!
Kate
I think this was a great way to use the gift card and it really captures the spirit of the project. How great that you were able to round up other people to help out as well 🙂
MaggieBanks
Thanks, Kate. It ended up being pretty great.
TheRetirementManifesto
A perfect way to use the card, J$ will be proud! Great of you to “rise above it” and help a new neighbor out. She WILL be your neighbor, best to make every effort to find a way to make it work!
MaggieBanks
Awww thanks. And yes, I will see her at least every Sunday at Church… so it’s best to try to at least find common ground. She’s very nice.
Julie @ Millennial Boss
WOWZA – that is extremely, extremely nice and thoughtful! Especially when Rachel sounds like she has some social skills to work on =) That inspires me to go out and do something nice for someone – I’ll have to think about it. Thanks for sharing the story so honestly with us! And yes, the kids still say “bestie” but then again, I’ll be 28 this month and then I’ll be old.
MaggieBanks
Well, I didn’t say she doesn’t still annoy me a little. 🙂 But serving other people definitely helps us like them a lot more!
Mr. SSC
Nice use on the card! I’d say it fit what the purpose was, even if the semantics weren’t exact. Maybe Rachel will come around, but if not, you can’t say you didnt try. 🙂
MaggieBanks
Thanks Mr. SSC. It definitely felt like a good use. And we finished up just as the moving van arrived, so our timing was pretty good!
Marc
That gesture is definitely worth more than the $20 you spent on cleaning supplies!
MaggieBanks
Thanks Marc. When we compound our money with effort, it can go way farther!
Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life
Now that’s an awesome way to make the $20 go the distance – both thoughtful and effective. I hope she turns out to be less annoying over time or has really strong qualities to reduce the rub-the-wrong-way-ness. I wish everyone the gift of a good, or at least not bad, neighbor and especially hope that applies to her towards you.
MaggieBanks
She doesn’t live THAT close to me, so I think we’ll be okay. Again, she’s very nice. 🙂
Our Next Life
You are awesome. That is all. 🙂
MaggieBanks
Ha ha ha. Nope. An awesome person would be able to just like people. I’m all “she’s annoying” and then my guilt for thinking that makes me do something nice! 🙂
Our Next Life
I totally disagree! If you automatically like people, then it’s easy and not a choice to do the right thing. If your impulse is not to like someone and then you still do the right thing? That’s worth way more.
MaggieBanks
Apparently one of the downsides of my Myers-Briggs personality type (ENTP) is that I jump right in to know people, but when I realize someone is annoying or not worth my time, I jump right back out. 🙂