We've exceeded our goal of 1,500 kits by the end of 2008!

One of the philosophies behind The Present Moment is the idea that we can make our world a better place. I've always been drawn to the idea that we are empowered to spread a sense of fulfillment and joy. With the Pay It Forward Program for Girls, we're working to pass that philosophy on to the next generation. I was inspired to create the program by a young girl in the store who told me about how she had been bullied at school. As much as her story saddened me, I knew it was not uncommon.

That's when I decided to create this program loosely based on ideas drawn from Catherine Ryan Hyde's best-selling book, Pay It Forward. In our program, girls receive three charms and a card for recording their experiences. I ask them to look for opportunities to perform three acts of kindness to other girls. Each time they do, they give one of the charms to the recipient of their action, and ask that person to perform their own act of kindness and pass along the charm. Participants who submit a pre-printed card describing their kind acts received a special Blessing Ring™ necklace.