giving a helping hand

I heard about Robin Hood 702 on a radio show last week. He's an anonymous high-stakes gambler living in Las Vegas who last year decided to find a family that he could help with money that would get them out of debt. He's doing the same thing this year, and he's being joined with contributions from a second person.

I think this is a terrific idea, though I can understand the difficulty in trying to decide who to pick. There are so many stories out there, and you can't possibly help them all. And you also have to learn to weed out the "deserving" (in the eyes of whomever is making the decision, of course) and those who are not so much. Some stories sound pretty bad on the surface, but sometimes, knowing the story behind the situation can change how you feel about the situation itself. At least that has happened to me a number of times.

I like that he's not interested in making someone a ton of money, but rather, a more modest amount that can be insurmountable if you're in that situation but isn't a back-breaker for someone who has some amount of money.

This is the kind of thing that I would so love to be in a position to do. No, money can't fix everything, but I hear about so many situations where some significant amount of money would make a huge difference, would help alleviate some particular concerns so that the people can get on their feet and balanced and deal with other parts of their situation that don't involve money.

There are many people who might be having a more modest holiday season and maybe don't have a lot of presents, but there are others who are dealing with even bigger issues. Here's hoping that local Robin Hoods can come to their aid as well.

Here's a news story with more information about Robin Hood 702 and the first recipients of his generosity as well as the current situation.