Every year the Abel family does some charity. This time they decided to do something in memory of Ron Abel, who died recently, and who was a generous and giving man.
“It was my wife Jodi’s idea. My father passed away in July (2018). And usually, at Christmas time, we do something, you know, giving back to the community in some fashion. And we thought with my father passing we would put a couple of things together,” said Darren Abel.
Darren and Jodi Abel decided to make 45 gifts of giving as they bought 45 envelopes and offered their friends and family to “pay it forward”. The number wasn’t of a random choice.
“My dad was born in 1945. So we decided 45. There were 45 envelopes with $10 put into each of them that we’ve sent to around Saskatchewan, around the country and even down into the United States,” said Darren.
In this manner, Jodi and Darren were providing their friends and family with the opportunity to share and to do something nice for a community, organizations or their loved ones.
The idea picked up a lot of interest and response. And one family from the Torquay region, who also received their pay it forward envelope, liked the idea so much that they started the chain reaction and sent similar envelopes to their family and friends.
The receivers of pay it forward gifts had to decide on what to do with the gift on their own. A lot of people used the money to help pay for some items they purchased to donate to the Humane Society and the Salvation Army.
The turnout was really heartwarming for the Abel family.
“It’s been really nice; nice to see so many people using it for such good purposes. We had a lot of good feedback, saying it has been a really fine idea,” Darren said.
Before, every year the Abel family would choose one organization to receive their donations at Christmas time, but the “pay it forward” format allowed them to get more people involved. They sent most envelopes to children, this way inspiring them to give, be generous and think about others. The entire idea resonated with how Ron Abel was.
“Dad was a very generous guy himself in terms of always being there for people. It was a good way to honour him,” Darren said.
The Abel family now plans to make pay it forward Christmas gifts a family tradition and do it again this year.
Earlier, the Mercury wrote about three-year-old Isabella Billesberger and her little brother Leander, who were among the pay it forward gift recipients. Isabella used the money to buy teddy bears for the new babies in the maternity ward at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
