Woman Texts ‘Grateful’ Friends Asking For Money & Has $900 In Her Account 12 Hours Later
Christmas is hard for families in need.
fizkes / Shutterstock Not everyone gets to enjoy the pleasures of the holidays, like family get-togethers, feasts of delicious food and receiving gifts.
Some families will be happy if they can simply enjoy a dinner together.
One woman decided to text her 'grateful' friends for charitable donations and she collected $900 in 12 hours.
Annie Muscato, a mother to two kids, took to TikTok to share how she decided to give back to families in need.
Muscato explained that her kids go to a small, rural public school with fantastic teachers, but as a Title 1 school, 75% of the families are low-income and live below the federal poverty line. According to ASPE, as of 2023 an annual income of $30,000 to support a family of four is considered below the poverty line.
Muscato explained that their local school hosted a "sponsor-a-child" program during the holidays and collected gifts for kids who might otherwise not get anything for Christmas. Muscato, who’s a full-time graduate student, shared that she didn't have the largest income, but she had enough to get by and her family received plenty of support. So, she signed up to sponsor a child at the school while her boyfriend signed up to sponsor two children at his office.
Muscato went above and beyond for a little girl’s family.
Muscato received a seven-year-old second-grade girl to sponsor. In a form that provided the girl’s clothing size, favorite colors and what she wanted and needed, Muscato discovered the girl wanted a warm coat with a hood in blue, since that’s her favorite color. When asked what she needed, the little girl replied that she needed a toy for her baby brother.
Photo: KidStock / Canva Pro
“I have always been an emotional human, but I swear since having kids and becoming a mom, I just lose it at the drop of a hat, and I completely lost it,” Muscato said.
Muscato contacted one of the teachers organizing the program to ask if anyone was sponsoring her little brother, but since he was a toddler and not in school, he wasn't eligible for the program yet. Muscato then decided to purchase plenty of gifts for both the girl and her brother, but she wanted to do more.
Muscato searched for ways she could help the other families as well.
She realized she had many toys her kids didn’t use anymore sitting around her house, which she was initially planning to sell on Facebook Marketplace. She decided she could make Christmas even more special by offering the toys to less fortunate families.
The teachers organizing the program were more than willing to accept the donated toys.
Muscato also discovered that some of the older children in the program said all they wanted for Christmas was help for their families. “I cannot fathom a fourth or fifth grader being so aware of how hard things are that what they want for Christmas is help for their families to pay bills,” Muscato shared.
Muscato knew she wanted to do more, and she didn't do it alone.
Since Muscato and her boyfriend both signed up to purchase gifts for needy children for Christmas, she realized she needed to ask for help if she wanted to make a bigger impact in these families' lives.
“We didn't have a ton of extra cash, but I knew I could pitch in a little, and I knew that I could ask people to help,” Muscato explained.
So, Muscato decided to reach out to her closest friends. She explained the program she was involved with and asked if any of them were interested in pitching in to support these families, clarifying there was no pressure and it didn’t matter how much. Her plan was to purchase Visa gift cards to help the families with gas, groceries and bills.
She texted 10 friends who were grateful for the opportunity to help and just 12 hours later there was $900 in her bank account.
Muscato was thrilled by how many of her friends were so willing and grateful to help out. “There’s a sticky note on our refrigerator that says ‘build a longer table, not a taller fence,’ and my friends really showed me what that looks like in action,” Muscato shared.
It’s amazing to see the impact a community can create when everyone pitches in to support a greater cause.
Muscato paved the way for a blessed holiday season for so many families in her community and advised others that if they can help, do, and if they need help, ask.
“Everyone was not only incredibly generous the moment that I said there was a need, but they were thanking me for the opportunity to help, and I cannot imagine what a wonderful world we would live in if everybody approached things that way. If all of us were grateful for opportunities to help,” Muscato expressed.
Remember, charity is good for the community and good for the soul. Helping others doesn't just make the world a better place, it's good for your health and well-being. Check with local schools, churches, and even big box stores for toy drives, food collections, or adopt-a-family programs.
Francesca Duarte is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team based in Orlando, FL. She covers lifestyle, human-interest, and spirituality topics.