Rebuilding After the Fire

Paradigm has a chance to work with people who are in our line of work, but are sometimes employed by other organizations.  We get to know a wide variety of people as we serve customers and work with employees of other companies.  One individual in great need who I heard about was a mother named Deonne.  Deonne’s home was destroyed during a recent weekend by a fire that resulted from an electrical problem.  She and her two children escaped with literally the clothes on their backs.  She was out of the office off and on for the next couple of weeks as she worked to sort out the logistics of replacing her identification, working with the insurance company, and ensuring that her family is clothed and has a place to live.

I thought there was something I could do and Pay-It-Forward could play a role. The task of rebuilding Deonne’s entire household would be a daunting. I personalized some of the information Paradigm provided about Pay-It-Forward and provided her a card with money that she could use to buy whatever she needed most.  Deonne was then out for a time as she and her family became a little more settled and Deonne attended to difficult insurance matters.

When Deonne returned, I talked with her about the Pay-It-Forward program.  She liked the idea and was even more impressed to know that my company was promoting this philosophy.  Her best friend had been present when Deonne received the card with the Pay-It-Forward write-up attached and was no stranger to the initiative.  Apparently, her friend has been researching the concept for a while and plans to put it into practice. By Deonne’s positive response and strong faith, I believe she will carry on the mission once she and her family are financially and emotionally stable again.