# Generosity

- Link: https://www.timprobst.com/2009/08/30/generosity/
- Published: 2009-08-30T10:50:22-05:00
- Author: Tim Probst

I had one of those experiences this week that was just so good that I wanted to 
share it with everyone.

For those of you who follow me on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/probstisms) and [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/probstisms),
you already know that I am participating in the Walk Now for Autism Speaks event
here in Saint Louis on October 10th. The goal of the event is to raise funds for
Autism Speaks so they can continue to help fund research, educate parents, and raise
awareness of Autism among many other things that they do. If you would like more
information, please visit my [personal page](http://www.walknowforautism.org/stlouis/timprobst)
on the Walk Now for Autism Speaks website.

I work for a fairly large company so earlier this year, I started making calls to
see if the company would get involved in some way to help me support the cause. 
My request went all the way to the head of HR for the entire company! With his support,
my HR contact really got the ball rolling at the local level here in Saint Louis.

Now, let me give you a little background. I work from my home with a group in our
company that is located in San Diego so I had no previous contact with the offices
here in Saint Louis. I had never met or talked with anyone from the local offices.
That is what makes the rest of the story even more wonderful.

Getting back to the story . . .

With the help of my HR contact, I was able to get in touch with the manager of the
local office, and he jumped at the opportunity to help me in any way he could. He
put the office manager in charge, and she ran with it. She put together flyers, 
got local restaurants to donate food, and planned everything. So earlier this week,
I attended a luncheon at the office with people who I had never met. In addition
to the donated food, people made their favorite dishes to share with everyone. It
was quite the feast!

When it was all said and done, these generous, kind strangers had not only donated
their time and food, they had managed to raise over $200 in donations for Autism
Speaks! This really says a lot about the people that work for my company and the
people of Saint Louis. I will be forever grateful for what they did to help me and
my family support a cause that is very important to us. My hope is that this kind
of thing becomes a regular occurrence for my company in Saint Louis. It’s a lot 
of fun to help the community, and it’s nice to know I’m not a lone ranger for my
company in the area.