“For it is in giving that we receive.” ~Saint Francis of Assisi
An annual Healy Group tradition since 2013, has been to give each Healy Group employee a $100 bill with the charge to go help someone or some group with it. There are no questions asked and there is no accountability.
If an employee felt their family needed it, they could certainly keep it. Fortunately, we do hear some amazing stories of how employees creatively care for people around them. It is a wonderful moment in our culture.
This year, Healy Group continued our annual tradition of the Healy $100.
I am grateful to once again share heartwarming stories from colleagues about their giving experience with the Healy $100 in 2022. These stories are representative of Healy Group’s values and remind us how to give unto others as Christ has given to us.
The Healy Spirit
Inspiration for the Healy $100 came from a client who shared that he gave his employees $100 to support causes of their choice. When I shared with other owners that I was thinking about doing something similar at Healy Group, they all supported the idea. This allows the Healy Spirit to move beyond our office into our local and global communities.
It warms my heart to hear these stories and the love that our employees put into choosing how to share their money. They embody the true spirit of Christmas.
Here are a few of the stories:
A colleague’s son’s Cub Scout pack participates each year in shopping for families at a local church through the Angel Tree program. This year, my colleague was able to use her Healy $100 to purchase gifts for two additional families who had not been chosen. Both families had a child with autism. “With the extra funds from the Healy $100, I was able to purchase sensory-friendly clothing and toys geared toward the comfort of their children.”
Supporting Organizations that Help Others
Over the years, my colleagues have been able to support many local organizations that help those in need.
One of my colleagues gave their Healy $100 to St. Margaret’s House, an organization that has assisted women and children in need for many years. “I’m very passionate about family well-being and community support. I was thrilled knowing I was able to pitch in and potentially help someone in need right here in the Michiana community.”
Another colleague gave their Healy $100 to the Pet Refuge, a not-for-profit animal shelter, and the Humane Society of St. Joseph County. Healy Group loves animals. In fact, many of our employees have adopted their pets from local animal shelters.
Each year, Healy Group participates in the Salvation Army Kroc Center Angel Tree program, which provides $50 Old Navy or Kohl’s gift cards to children in need in our community to purchase clothing. Employees are under no obligation to support the Angel Tree program. However, at our employees’ requests, Healy Group asked for 25 more angel tags than it had last year. Each tag represents a child in the community. Several of my colleagues used their Healy $100 to purchase gift cards for the Angel Tree program. “It felt very good to be able to provide additional support to these organizations that support the welfare of the children in our community,” my colleague shared.
Wonderful Little Sparks of Light
A colleague who has a handicapped daughter shared their Healy $100 with the people who serve her. “She is served by some wonderful people, and we use the Healy $100 to do a little extra Christmas for these folks.”
Another colleague used their Healy $100 to help a former Grand Rapids police officer. “This year, I donated my Healy $100, matched it with $100 from myself, and $100 from my husband to former Grand Rapids police officer Chris Schurr. He was fired from the Grand Rapids Police Department and charged with 2nd-degree murder for doing his job to protect and serve while in fear for his own life.”
This year, my colleague decided to use her Healy $100 to help some of her aunt’s students in need. “I reached out to my aunt, who is a teacher, and asked if she had any students that were in need of winter items or clothing. She has a couple of students in this position. I was able to buy them new winter boots and uniform shirts with my Healy $100. The parents of the kiddos were very touched by this, and the little girls loved their fancy sparkly boots.”
Inspired by the Healy $100 tradition at Healy Group, two colleagues decided to pass this tradition to their adult children and their significant others. “They were given envelopes at Thanksgiving with money to help those in need. The accompanying letter explained the Healy tradition and that there were no strings attached. It was simply acknowledging that I’ve been blessed financially, and I want my children to know the same joy of helping others that I’ve felt,” said one colleague. The other shared, “I told my children to exercise your giving muscle and help those around them in need. They love it as well!”
So the “Healy $100” is expanding exponentially.
A colleague reflected, “The Healy $100 creates wonderful little sparks of light from giving. It gives us an opportunity to think about how we can make someone else’s world better.”
Or, in my own words, just as God was lavishly generous with us when he sent his only son into a broken world to restore it, any generous act of ours is participating in that same generosity. These are opportunities for others to see Christ shine in a very challenging time in the modern world.
When we choose gratitude and thankfulness and then try to make things better for those around us, we all, in our small ways, are making the world a little bit better place.
This holiday season, Healy Group wishes you and your families a Christmas filled with many blessings.
About the Author:
Rich Preuss
Rich, the President and an Owner of Healy Group, has been a financial advisor for over 40 years. His overarching goal in his work with his clients is to help them connect their money to their values. He believes that his work with his clients isn’t just about rates of return, asset allocation, and maximizing wealth; it is about helping them create a better life for those they love and creating a better world.
Recent Comments