Hunter Shamatt flew from Omaha to Las Vegas for his sister’s wedding. He soon realized that he had lost his wallet which contained his ID, a debit card, $60 in cash, and a signed paycheck that he ran out of time to deposit. Even though he checked, no one had found or turned in his wallet. A few days after he returned home, Hunter received a package in the mail which included his wallet and a letter. The letter explained that the wallet had been found wedged between the seat and wall on row 12 seat F and he thought Hunter might like it back. The note was signed “Todd.” The P.S. stated, “I rounded your cash up to $100 so you could celebrate getting your wallet back. Have fun!!!” With the help of the return address on the package, the first name, and a news station, Hunter’s mother, Jeannie Shamatt, was able to track down the generous man who found the wallet. Jeannie posted, “I personally want to thank Todd Brown and his wife for restoring faith that there are amazing people out there. The world is not as grim as it’s being made out to be.” Todd responded, “I saw he was just a kid, 20 years old, he had a paycheck in there, so figured, ‘Well, he’s doing his best to make ends meet.’ I was 20 once, and that’s a lot of money for a kid. I imagined what it would be like to get your wallet back, so I added a little bit so he could celebrate.”
This year, Imagination Library celebrates its 30th anniversary. Dolly Parton created the project because her father could not read or write. To honor her dad, Dolly started this program in the county where she lived in Tennessee. The purpose is to inspire children to love reading. Children, from birth to 5 years old, can be registered to have a free book mailed to them each month. The program was so successful that the governor met with Dolly to see if she would be willing to expand it to include all of Tennessee. Because of the positive results, other states soon asked to be included in Imagination Library. The program now extends to all 50 states, Australia, Canada, Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Dolly states, “When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” To date, 3,197,250 children have been registered for Imagination Library and 277,411,464 books have been gifted. Others are also coming alongside Dolly to give money to help support her worthwhile program.
Whether on a small scale or grand scale, may we each make choices that help make life better for others.
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
Hebrews 13:16
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