Entry 1

I recently returned from a vacation in beautiful Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. While on vacation, I had the chance to take a guided tour through the city of Punta Cana. We stopped to take a picture on a side road. A girl around the age of six ducked under a barbed wire fence to greet us. She stood by our four wheelers smiling politely and said “Hola.” We stopped to say hello to her and my husband pulled out a dollar and handed it to her. With that, five more children gathered around us all smiling. We gave them each a dollar. They waved their dollars excitedly and said “Thank you!” I couldn’t believe how appreciative these children were of $1. As we drove through the city it was apparent how poor these families were. Many didn’t have adequate housing and were in need of basic items. Our tour guide shared with us that the local school is always seeking donations of basic supplies. He shared with us that he too had grown up in that area and was very much into giving back to the community.

I am an elementary counselor at Renaissance Academy here in Phoenixville. I have created three “Be the Change” groups with some fifth-grade students. These groups focus on being positive and doing kind things for others. If I won the [contest], I would work with the fifth-graders to run a school supply drive for the children of the Dominican Republic. I would use some of the money to purchase items for a lemonade stand. I would like to hold the lemonade stand during our Spanish festival which occurs in early June. I would allow the children to sell the lemonade and then we would use the profits to buy school supplies. This would give the students the opportunity to raise the money themselves.

I would also use some of the money to buy supplies to create cards for the children of the Dominican Republic. I would have the students work with the Spanish teachers here at school to create cards in Spanish for the children. I believe that this would benefit many individuals and communities! It would help the students of Renaissance Academy understand the importance of “paying it forward” and making a difference. It would also greatly help the underprivileged children of the Dominican Republic [to] have the chance to learn just as our students do here in America.


Entry 2

Deterioration comes fast and keeps getting worst on painted surfaces of our property. With rising costs all around us often going to the dentist, stretching the food budget are more important than buying paint.

The Pay It Forward $1000 would give a maximum of $100 for paint brushes to paint facades (front) of properties. Work will be done by the owner, family member or friend. The money will stretch to cover as many properties possible.

This is a small but important step in keeping up property value and keeps the town spruced up. If we need more than the $1,000 we will try and get merchants to help with additional paint and supplies.

A few regulations and guidelines will need to be worked out to put this proposal in place.

Thank You!



Entry 3

A diversified intergenerational group, led by Phoenixville Area School District Students working on their senior project, and beautifying the Phoenixville landscape by painting a historical map mural on the wall of the Master Granite and Tile Building next to Petrucci’s Water Ice and Ice Cream Store.

First, the students researched the project by visiting the Phoenixville Historical Society and other mural designs in the local area. Then they plastered and painted a base coat on the wall that was to receive the mural. All this was done and funded by private donations.

Second, a senior student is currently designing the mural by locating current buildings of interest. In addition, a component of the mural will contain buildings of historical interest to the community. The ceremonial “Phoenix” bird will also be located on the mural.

The group is now looking for community funds and donations to purchase additional paint and supplies to complete the mural. The Phoenix’s contest “Pay It Forward” would be valuable source of funds to enable the project to continue.

This mural demonstrates the creative interest of both individuals and the community-at-large to preserve, beautify, and enhance the Community of Phoenixville.



Entry 4

I would kindly donate the money to the spayed club — they do “wonderful things.” It would help to spay/neuter many cats and dogs, so unwanted kittens or puppies are not born. Phoenixville definitely would benefit from this problem; many people cannot afford to have their pets spayed and neutered therefore, resulting in unwanted litters of kittens or puppies.

The spayed club sets-up clinics, educates the public and has a mobile unit for spayed and neutered cats.

The $1,000 would surely go to perform a good deed, if the spayed club were selected.



Entry 5

I would love to suggest giving this pay it forward help to the Phoenixville Clinic on Church Street in Phoenixville, PA.

I know they collect funds in many ways, but, compared to the many people that are helped, there is no comparison.

There was a time in my life that my husband and I needed help. This was the first time in our lives that our health was bad and we were without medical insurance.

I was surprisingly happy to find such a caring wonderful doctor as Dr. Stuart and all the great staff and volunteers. We were treated with great respect and comfort. Money or lack there of, never dictated the type of service we received. During my visits I received care for many areas of ailment including my eyes, acupuncture, blood tests, mammogram, gynecologist, massage, medicine, financial counseling for additional medicine and many other health issues and areas.

Words cannot express the gratitude of thankfulness I would like to impart to The Clinic. Not only were we helped, but it was great to see so many people in many different walks of life being taken care of with such dignity from those that were helping them.

I think it would be great if that $1,000.00 would be given to The Clinic to treat all the doctors and staff to a party or cash in their pockets, or even help with the annual expenses that are needed to keep The Clinic up and running.

No matter how the money is used I would just like to present a check to Dr. Stuart as a way to say “Thank You All” for your unselfish acts of kindness. I truly am blessed to sing the praises of our Phoenixville Clinic.



Entry 6

It costs $180 to provide care for a child at the Phoenixville Children’s Learning Center. No child has ever been turned away because of an inability to pay. I think this is incredible. Every child, no matter what their economic situation, needs a safe and loving environment to flourish. I know the Learning Center provides that. Their teachers go beyond teaching. They inspire. They protect. They guide. They play. They love.

I would give my $1,000 to the Learning Center so that 6 children can benefit from one more week of this experience. Talk about Paying It Forward! Those 6 kids could some day find the cure for cancer, teach other children, invent alternative power sources, gift the world music or art, reverse global warming or lead our country. It’s an investment as close to guaranteed as one can make. And I’m ready to make it.

John F. Kennedy said, “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” It’s our responsibility to teach, nurture and set a good example for our children. Giving, be it time, money or talent, is a great way to teach, nurture and set that example.



Entry 7

I think the key to this great contest is maximizing impact — how many people you can touch, and how happy you can make someone.

There are many great non-profits in our area that would love a $1,000 donation — PACS, the Clinic, the Senior Center, Good Samaritan Shelter, so many more... but then the donation just gets lost in their budget, and you can’t measure specific impact that $1,000 made. My idea: Create the Flower Fund. Use the $1,000 to buy fresh flowers for residents at the Manor — let them know someone cares enough about their happiness to send flowers for no reason. Or for a birthday, anniversary, whatever. Here’s an example of how it could work: Every week, buy 5 arrangements for $25.00 each. The staff at the Manor could choose the week’s recipients, based on a variety of factors: Who needs a smile? Who is having a birthday? Who has no family visiting? Who is Irish and wants to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? You get the idea...

I would be happy to take care of the logisitics, meaning that I could drop off the arrangements every Monday morning. (Or perhaps a local florist would like to sponsor the idea, and create the weekly arrangements for a discount, handle the delivery, etc.) All the staff would need to do is pass out the happiness.

I love flowers myself and know how they can brighten a day. The average arrangement might last a week, plus there are usually 2-3 occupants per room at the Manor, so it can touch a lot of people. People who may have a pretty bleak existence otherwise.



Entry 8

My idea in your Pay It Forward contest is to give it to The Senior Adult Activity Center on Church St. in Phoenixville. State and local funds are less this year and the $1,000 could be used to give them lunch every day (an average of 54 are served). Or possibly to use on transporting them to the center via The Rover. It would be a big benefit for the people who use the center as their only social experience during the day.

Thank you for the opportunity to help the seniors of the surrounding areas.



Entry 9

I’d like to nominate the baseball fields at PECO, as a recipient for $1,000.00. The parking lot desperately needs to be paved. It is currently gravel and every time it rains, it washes some away and creates deep ruts. I don’t know what the cost would be, but if this were not enough, it would be a start.



Entry 10

What I would do if I was the winner of the $1,000 Pay It Forward is to purchase an industrial stove/oven for St Peter and Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic church in Phoenixville. They currently do not have one and they need one by law to be able to cook their ethnic foods and to be able to sell them. They would then be able to cook food and also make food and package it up for the Aids for Friends that is an organization that takes food donations from other churches and feeds the elderly with it. This would be a win-win situation for the church as well as the elderly in Phoenixville that depend on the food from Aids for Friends.



Entry 11

When in need of medical care, when we did not have coverage, my husband went to the Clinic, on Church Street. As being a nurse we would give it “back” to Dr. L. Stuart & The Clinic. They are awesome and give medical care of the needed people of Phoenixville…my home town!




Entry 12

To buy gifts for children in the hospital at Christmas. Bryn Mawr has a program like this in the children’s ward.




Entry 13

Clear the sidewalks of bumps, cracks, and loose gravel. Choose the worst part of Morris Cemetery... [Part of the] walk is smooth — the other part is corrugated! People fall.



Entry 14

There is a young physician named Dan Kelly who has a noble purpose for his skills. Instead of establishing a safe and lucrative practice here at home, he is working with amputee victims in the poorest part of Africa. I can’t think of anything more noble than that and he desperately needs help. His ... family resides [in] Phoenixville... A performer of such good deeds deserves one himself. My prize would go to him.



Entry 15

It would be with pride and pleasure that my wife and I would take up the challenge of The Phoenix’s Pay It Forward campaign. My wife, Barbara, and I are by today’s standards not rich, but certainly we are not poor. Our intent is to receive $1,000 and to increase the number to $1,500. The additional money would be from our won pocket. We have taken projects in the past, situations that we felt would make our community a better place to live (see attached). We are now able to extend ourselves some what further. We have some resources but we need the sources out. Our preference would be the Holiday Season in December. There are kids (young adults), adults (older kids) that are up against it dollar wise around the holidays. We also are flexible to do acts of kindness at another time in the calender year. If you would, please note our saying at the bottom of this page.

We would like to take the $1,500 and divide it by five and distribute it through five individuals to make five individual stories. We have chosen these individuals who are “pillars of the community.” They have worked well together and worked individually. We will call on them not to work by themselves, but each one working together with five separate situations. FIVE GOOD DEEDS, not one. We will call upon these people to work with other community people to draw on their resources to further, “feather the DEED.” The folks we have chosen are people who have “been taught by experience and polished by time.” Five individuals with five different backgrounds working in complete harmony. No one will outdo another; they will have five different challenges to work on. They will and must work to the best of their ability. We suggest you take the knowledge, the commitment, the many years of loving-caring-sharing and the passion of Donald Coppedge, Robb Frees, Patricia Tindell, Louis Beccaria and Santa himself, Tom Mitchell. WE would accept anyone’s challenge to take the Phoenixville area phone book and find five different people that will work as well as the ones, that we have chosen. These people, whom we have contacted, thanked us for our thinking of them. Their participation is thank you enough.

$1000.00 + $500.00 = $1500.00 divided by 5 = $300.00 = 5 good deeds, for five situations, by five real good people.

We have taken up the challenge of The Phoenix. We have raised the mythical bar by 50%. We hope and pray you and your committee will allow all of us to proceed.



Entry 16

I would give $2000 to Renaissance Academy, for text books and gym supplies. $200 to cancer research, $200 to help save the Rain Forest, $200 to the Phoenixville Public Library, $100 to ASPCA, $100 for the Kitty College.

Editor’s Note: Some entries have been edited for spelling or grammar or to preserve anonymity. Although the original Pay It Forward contest had a $1,000 prize, donations totaled $3,500, so that total will be divided between the winners of the individual and school categories.

You can summit your vote to payitforward@phoenixvillenews.com