[Betty]

So - last christmas google sent it's adword advertisers a gift card for donorschoose.org. It's a way to get people together who need stuff - teachers in partiular - with those interested in giving.

I had no idea how much the gift card was for - and I tried getting my son's teacher last year to get a project going so I could put the card towards a project we could perhaps benefit from. She didn't (and that's fine becuase she was nothign but problems) and so I was left with the card here on my desk.

After de-cluttering my office yesterday I decided to just use it for *someone* and found a teacher that was close to her goal of having a subcription of Time for Kids (Time Magazine). Not knowing how much was on the gift card, I figured the $33 left to meet her goal and get the magazine was probably within range.

It was and I was able to be the final person so they could meet their goal. Turns out the card for was $100 (you go Google!) and I was able to put the remainder towards a project with another teacher who needed it for a proejct on the US Constitution - something everyone should learn about as much as they can, IMO.

This morning I got a wonderful email from the teacher whose goal I was able to complete (through the website) telling me how great it was going to be to have her kids get the magazine... how they are going through tough times with the school budget and she knows the parents are as well so it's hard for her to ask them to give for "extras".

Just made me feel so good to be able to do something - and Google really made it possible. I still have previous christmas gifts from google - little computer gadget usb things, etc - but this last gift was the best ever. I had no idea that I would get some good, warm, fuzzy feelings like that.

Hope they do it again this year.