It's uncomfortable asking people for money, and yet, when I can hand a $5 or even an occasional $20 to a person asking me on the street, for example, I feel a sense of wellbeing and generosity, picking the gratitude and perhaps surprise of the recipient.

That feeling is at the root of wellbeing and prosperity in the world: an infectious sense of generosity that’s part of the holiday spirit and calls us into a higher way of being. This campaign is about direct giving: your donation will support a local men’s circle with our Community Service project, in bringing holiday joy via attuned gifts (in consultation with the heads of each family) to disadvantaged and struggling folks in San Francisco. It may not seem like a lot, but the experience of being cared about that each family we give to feels, can ripple out in unexpected ways.

I hope to share the energy of my direct yet simple experience of giving holiday gifts to a disadvantaged family, and receiving some smiles and hugs in return, with others like yourself.