Giving

Every year Group hosts a luncheon in which we award grants to Colorado non-profits. Last year I got to go to the lunch, but this year I helped on the committee. Which meant I got to read some of the applications.

It was so hard to choose. I wanted to pick all 16 in my category, but I could only pick 2. And that was one of 12 categories - all total we had 160 applications!

It's awesome to be a part of Group's charitable giving committee. It's awesome to know that I work for a company that generously gives to those doing good work in the community.

But even moreso, it's awesome to know that there are so many people doing good things in the community. 160 applications! We had people with halfway houses for at-risk women, or for those battling drug addictions. There were churches reaching out to their community in such amazing ways. Organizations fighting disease, or providing food for kids in need.

And the big winner of our $25,000 award was a suicide prevention organization for our county. It was shocking to hear that in Larimer County, someone commits suicide every 9 days. I was touched by the looks on the recipients faces. It's so different than someone winning a Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. There's excitement at this luncheon that's purely unselfish. You can see recipients' minds pondering all the good they can do with this money.

It's awesome to know that in spite of all the poverty, all the evil, all the disease, all the selfishness...there are hundreds and thousands of people in our community fighting it and doing good.