I need you to please read this, and maybe you’ll please share this too. I know it’s a sloppy bunch of words, it’s written from the heart more than the head. But for those of you who know me you know that’s pretty much how it goes. I hope you’ll understand. I didn’t know what to write today, but I wanted to write something. I didn’t know why, but there was a really strong calling. Maybe I could write about the homeless man we helped who almost froze to death last week because he gave his sleeping bag to a homeless woman with a Chihuahua, or I could tell you about my friends Sara and Monte and how they heal each other with love, or my friend Janet who makes beautiful art that in turn feeds the animals, or my friend Bev who pretty much spends every moment fighting for the animals, or my friend Kris who has spent her life helping others through both judicious and heartfelt words and actions, or I could tell you about my friend Howard who just won an award and almost left the table so fast he missed his own presentation because he wanted to go pet a dog a few feet away. But instead I’m going to tell you about $1.34.
It arrived as a donation this morning via Paypal. $1.34. Last night I found a homeless man with a dog that needed a lot more help than I had with me. It was icy and about 25 degrees, he was chattering so hard he didn’t even know it. He’d run out of dog food so there he was, colder than cold but his dog had a warm coat. I gave him my coat, gloves and Pongo hat, and some money and watched him leave the store with a bag of dog food and a sandwich for himself. I thought about him all night.
Then $1.34 arrived this morning. Not from him. But from a woman in Arkansas; she donated in celebration of her cats. But it was her note that hit me; she was the strong calling I had felt.
“This is all I have, and it may not make a difference, but maybe it will. I wish I had more to give. Thank you for everything you do for those that can’t for themselves yet. Much love.”
I called her; I needed to thank her in person. I got voice mail, I left a short message. She has no idea how much we can do with $1.34, but it means dinner for another week for a hungry dog or cat friend. But most of all, her $1.34 means more than she’ll ever know.
A girl I held hands with in grade school died a few days ago. And one of my high school friends just ended up in the hospital with heart problems. I know a cat tougher than The Rock who is fighting for his life, a dog who belongs to an 80-something year old grandmother who just had an abdominal mass removed that was so large she must relearn how to walk normally again, a surgery that this dear woman could not afford in a dozen lifetimes so a small group of us paid for it instead. And then early this morning a sweet little dog stuck her tongue in my eye telling me it was time to get up. Yes, there’s a dog.
There is so much more that The Pongo Fund does than you know, sometimes we do even more than I know. But right now, for some reason I’m just overwhelmed with this $1.34. Scooby had a Treat Fund, he often used his money to direct me in some of our quiet donations to help others. When The Scoobs crossed the Bridge earlier this year, the money in his treat fund remained. Lola has now taken responsibility for that fund. Yes, her name is Lola. And I read her the note from Jennifer in Arkansas, and asked her what we could do. And this is what we decided.
Lola and Larry are going to use Scooby’s Treat Fund to match that $1.34 by 1000%, and we will match any other contributions of $1.34 or $13.40 or $134 too, or any amount that you ask us too. And that means Jennifer’s $1.34 is going to become a lot more.
Remember what she said” “this is all I have and it may not make a difference, but maybe it will. I wish I had more to give…” Well Jennifer, guess what? Your $1.34 just became $1,340. How’s that for making a difference?
So if you know what it’s like to only have $1.34, please celebrate this moment. And if you have more and you can share, please give in celebration of Jennifer and her two cats, who used all they had to help others. And know that Larry and Lola will be matching what you give.
I’m going to stop now. I still don’t know why this one is hitting me so hard. What I really want to do is head to Arkansas to find Jennifer and give her a hug and some cat food. Maybe I will.
To join in the $1.34 Club, please click here: https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/ . But if you’re going to donate more than $10 before 12/31/16, please click here instead: https://giveguide.org/#thepongofund%20 . And if you’d like to mail a check to save on CC fees, please mail to The Pongo Fund, PO Box 9000, Portland, OR 97207.
And one more thing. I almost didn’t tell you about this, about this $1.34 that made me feel like a million. For some reason it was just too personal. I happily share so much with you, but for some reason this $1.34 was more than I knew how to share. And then someone told me I needed to tell you, that maybe it would brighten your day the way it did mine. So there you have it. Because this $1.34 has changed my life, I hope for you too.
Thank you for reading my sloppy and mismatched words from the heart. I am honored you would take the time to do so. I look forward to sharing Lola with you too. And here’s a few tidbits for your Lola playbook: she doesn’t like the rain but she loves the snow. She leaves one last bite of food on her plate and brings it to me to share. Sometimes she sits and stares at a large picture of Scooby. She loves sweaters so much that she takes them to bed with her even when she’s not wearing them. And she’s a kisser, oh boy, is she ever a kisser! I sure do love her.
When $1.34 feels like a million.
And this is why we Pongo.
Sit. Stay. Eat. Live. thepongofund.org
To join in the $1.34 Club, please click here:https://www.thepongofund.org/contact/donation-page/ . But if you’re going to donate more than $10 before 12/31/16, please click here instead:https://giveguide.org/#thepongofund%20 . And if you’d like to mail a check to save on CC fees, please mail to The Pongo Fund, PO Box 9000, Portland, OR 97207.