Generosity Rolls For Freed KC Man: "To Darryl Burton, who spent 24 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit, the car symbolizes much more. The used vehicle represents a lifeline and a tangible sign of the generosity people have bestowed on him. The car represents his second chance in life."

This is a good example of how gifts can be more than merely the stuff they embody; they can be goodwill, restitution, forgiveness, love, mercy, courtship, redemption, and more. In this way, no matter where the item stops, the gift itself moves on from one to another in different forms, enriching the community...as long as nobody hoards it or "buries it" along the way.

I'm sure by now you're all aware of the prize for the winner of the February Top Inviter challenge. Well, Twoshirts member Teresa (user name norret), has generously offered to sweeten the prize package for those who are competing.

In addition to the first place $50 dollar Starbucks gft card, norret has added an additional $50 worth of gift cards. Together we agreed it would be fun to add prizes beyond first place, so the prizes will now be as follows:

First place: $50 Starbucks Gift Card
Second Place: $25 Home Depot Card
Third Place: $20 Gift Certificate for Josiah's Restaurant in Grove City
Fourth Place: $15 Gas Card
Fifth Place: 3 $5 Gift Certificates for Grandstand Pizza in Grove City

In the event of a tie at any position, the person with the most successful giveaways will win. And in case anyone is wondering, Jason Coker is excluded from any of the winnings... : )

Thanks Teresa for your generosity! You're an inspiration for us all.

Generosity Of Strangers Brightening Lives Of Families In Motels: "I don't like to see anyone or anything go hungry. I don't go hungry, and neither should you."

Well said; I can't think of anything to add.

Just a quick important message: whatever you do when you're inviting friends and family to join Twoshirts.org, please don't spam people. I love that everyone here is enthusiastic about growing this unique community, but please be aware of the rules of e-mailing:

• Don't send e-mails to people you don't know personally
• Don't harvest or gather e-mails from other online communities you're part of
• Don't bombard other forums and blogs with solicitation for Twoshirts.org

It's perfectly acceptable to send e-mail invitations to people you know, and if you're part of another online community it's fine to tell people there about Twoshirts.org as long as you post it in an appropriate section. If the forum has a place for listing other websites, or if telling people about Twoshirts is directly pertinent to a specific thread on that forum, it acceptable to post about it.

Basically, it's all about relationships. If you have a relationship, it's okay to invite people. If you don't, then it's considered unsolicited spam and will end up damaging the reputation of Twoshirts.org in the online community.

Generosity Part Of American Heritage: "Brooks' research confirms that Americans are a nation of givers and that no developed country approaches us in giving. One comprehensive study from the '90s showed that per capita, Americans gave 3 ½ times as much to causes and charities as the French, seven times as much as the Germans, and 14 times as much as the Italians. Statistics from 1998 found that Americans were 15 percent more likely to volunteer their time than the Dutch, 21 percent more likely than the Swiss, and 32 percent more likely than the Germans."

Now there's something to feel patriotic about.

Today is March 1st, which means it's time to announce our winners for the February challenge of most successful invitations. We have several very cool prizes, nnot only for first place, but thanks to norret, for 2nd through 5th place as well.

I have to admit, I never expected this competition to turn out as fast and furious as it did. Brian and MilKatrena fought it out right up until late last night. But as you can see from the counter and the picture (taken this morning at 12:01), the results are as follows:

1. BrianStevenson: $50 dollar Starbucks card!
2. MilKatrena: $25 Home Depot Card
3. gregknake: $20 gift certificate for Josiah's restaurant in Grove City
4. DoctorBravo: $15 dollar gas card
5. m4ney: 3 $5 gift certificates for grandstand pizza in Grove City.

Congratulations to everyone, and thank you to everyone who participated. We've all had fun spreading the word about the Twoshirts community. I'll be writing each of the winners later today to arrange delivery of your gifts.

Now don't stop! Keep telling your friends, neighbors, and co-workers about this unique opportunity to live a life of generosity!

Frugal Nation: Even DC Lobbyists Are Tightening Their Belts! "The shift in attitude is palpable in the nation’s capital. The lavish holiday parties hosted by lobbyists and think tanks are fewer and more modest this year."

Anybody checked the temperature in hell lately?

Hey everyone, Bryan Borgman has put together an informal meet and greet for Twoshirts users in the Grove City area tomorrow night (3/12) at Nora's Cafe in Grove City, 7:30PM. It should be fun, we'll have some coffee, get to know each other a little, and maybe play some scrabble (oooh, exciting)!

For those who don't know where Nora's is, the address is 4057 Broadway GC, OH 43123, or you can click here to check out their website or to get a map. I'd love to see you all there!

We're excited to announce the Spring 2008 publication of our very first issue of The Gift: a quarterly journal of the Twoshirts.org community. Every quarter we'll feature articles, essays, interviews, book reviews, creative content, and practical suggestions meant to help you lead a life of generosity and justice.

This online publication will be our expression of thanks to those who lend their support the ongoing operation of Twoshirts.org. Some of the features of our Spring 2008 issue include:

• The Transforming Power of the Gift, by Jason Coker
  When practiced rightly, the ancient ethic of gift-giving transcends the trivial consumer rituals we normally engage in and becomes a powerful means of social change.
• Twoshirts Member Spotlight: Sandra Horine
  A Twoshirts member from Cincinnati, Sandra Horine talks to us about her job, her family, and her "consumer fast."
• Celebration of Simplicity, by Jason Dougherty
  

Britain Stiffens That Old Upper Lip In Downturn: "Discount grocery stores, which have seen a surge in shoppers, have abandoned efforts to sell "premium" products, instead touting frozen vegetables—less spoilage—and sandwich bags for workers who can no longer afford lunch out, according to a new survey by Asda, the British arm of Wal-Mart."

I'l bet you thought this article was about the U.S. at first glance.

We have opened up the nomination process for our Spring 2008 non-profit gift. To nominate your favorite charity, please post a forum topic in the new "Nominations" section of the Members Cafe Forum.

The amount of the gift will be 10% of the support revenues we receive from 4/16-5/31. Nominations will be accepted from 4/17 through 5/14. Voting on finalists will be conducted May 15-31. The winner and the amount of the gift will be announced on June 2.

To find out more about our program for awarding non-profit gifts, please click here.

When nominating you favorite charity, please follow these guidelines:

One: In order to nominate a non-profit as a candidate for our Spring 2008 gift, start a forum topic in "Spring Non-Profit Nominations" with the name of the non-profit in the Subject field.

I just wanted you all to know that we'll be putting the blog on a "Christmas break" while we spend time with family and celebrate the season. The blog will be back online Monday, December 29th.

Merry Christmas and Happy holidays from Twoshirts.org!
Jason Coker

This month, Twoshirts.org is spotlighting a non-profit organization called the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. They partner with United Way to do Operation Feed. For 27 years Operation Feed has provided food for needy families in central Ohio. Every year, local businesses, government agencies, school children, and civic groups team up to donate critically needed food items and dollars during this community-wide food drive.

To help support Operation Feed, Twoshirts.org is running a city-wide food drive during the month of June! Our goal is to collect 25,000 items and $2,500 dollars by June 25th!

We have several opportunities for you to help with this food drive:

We want to thank everyone for making it an incredible first year at Twoshirts.org. In 2008 we grew to 1450 members in 35 states who gave each other over 1300 free items, from baby supplies, to bicycles, to computers, to clothing.

Polls closed last night for our Spring Non-Profit Donation, and we have a winner! 71 of you voted and your choice was clear: the Mid-Ohio Food Bank will be receiving a check from Twoshirts.org for 10% of the total donations we received from March 1, 2008 through May 31, 2008.

Our total receipts during this time were $870.00, meaning we'll be sending a donation to Mid-Ohio Food bank in the amount of $87.00! We're very excited to be making this, our very first ever Twoshirts donation on your behalf, and we look forward to continuing this program every quarter from here on.

In addition to funding quarterly non-profit gifts, your donations enable us to keep Twoshirts.org running and make improvements to the site so practicing generosity in the Twoshirts community is easy and fun. If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to the cause.