Unexpected Benefits

The Families in Need campaign continues to tug at my heart. All I can think about writing to you on is another aspect of the Families in Need campaign. In many ways this started out as a simple way to make a difference and join with a valued partner, KTVL. However, it turned out to be a truly rewarding experience that provided unexpected benefits.

As you know, the campaign created a considerable buzz with over 180 entries, 11 winners, over $3,300 in donations, and nearly a million page hits on the KTVL website. The results were summarized in this video featured on KTVL.com and one of the unexpected benefits of the campaign was how many of the winners were paying it forward. The recipients shared story after story of how they were going to use some of the funds to help others.

The biggest gift the campaign provided me was the unexpected benefit of helping someone very important to the Rogue family without even realizing we were doing it…

Shawna O’Connor entered the Families in Need contest for her cousin Adam. When I spoke with Shawna at the check presentation she said that the funds would go to Adam because he had been battling cancer for many years, but he had recently gone into remission. He was heading off to college and looking forward to freedom from cancer when he learned it was back. Shawna shared that Adam was just 20 years old and that he had been waging the fight against cancer for several years. She shared how his family and friends were working on a variety of fund raisers to help Adam cover the costs of his treatment and how much the $1,000 from Families in Need would help.

I thought it was an amazingly touching story. Each of the stories that I heard that day were touching and I just kind of logged Adam’s story away until I got an e-mail from his mother… at that point I knew that all things happen for a reason… and this reason was a completely unexpected benefit.

You see Adam’s mom was a former employee at the credit union. I worked with her for less than a year before she resigned to support her son’s battle with cancer. So, in my mind, I did not make the connection between the 13 year old Adam, at that time, and the 20 year Adam who was receiving the Families in Need funds. Adam’s mom, Robin, sent me a message after my last blog posting, thanking the credit union for helping her son. It was then that I realized the unexpected benefit of being able to help someone so deserving and that this benefit was magnified because they had been part of the Rogue family in the past.

This is a difficult time for Robin and Adam because they don’t know what the future holds. Even small acts of kindness like the Families in Need campaign can help to bolster a sagging spirit after such a long battle. If you pray, I encourage you to lift Adam and his family up. If you can spare some extra funds to help them offset their medical costs please let me know and we will make sure we connect you with their fundraising efforts.

I can only reiterate how humbled I am that our staff and members were able to raise over $3300 for this campaign in the midst of economic difficulty. I am amazed at how many of the winners will be using the funds to help others during this challenging time. Finally, I am honored that our credit union could play a small role in a powerful effort to make the holidays brighter for 11 Southern Oregon families.