By Cindy Adams

It was a frigid day, but the Bristol Minnick School crew had coats. They also enjoyed a warm meal for lunch. Outside the school, some people had neither, and the injustice gnawed at the educators.

"We were graciously gifted a meal from the congregation at Valley View Church. It fed both students and staff and could generously serve so many more," said Robin Dye, Bristol Minnick principal. "We wanted to do something about that. We wanted to pay it forward."

So, they did. The team carefully boxed several full meals and headed out to area parks and the Salvation Army. It was their intent to share, to bring kindness to others.

"So many of the people we met were clearly cold, but they offered the jackets off their back as a way of saying thanks," said Dalton Snider, Bristol Minnick teacher. "One lady offered me a cigarette and, while I declined, I knew how significant that was."

The winter wind was biting as the meals were delivered and the staff couldn't help but notice that, even in those uncomfortable weather conditions, the people they met had incredibly positive attitudes. They smiled and even joked together. It was simply special.

"One gentleman at the park didn't accept a meal because he wanted to make sure the others had an opportunity to eat. He was so humble," said Christine Johnson, another Bristol Minnick team member spreading joy that day.

The people they met left the team with a shared desire to do more. And for an area that tends to have a large population without stable housing, there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference. The hope is to deepen their community investment and further embody enCircle's Guiding Principles.

"We thought it might be valuable for our students to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for others and possibly conduct a coat drive within enCircle," said Robin. "What I know is that our staff came back all smiles that day. Something was clearly different about them."

The difference was likely the unexpected discovery that in giving, you often receive something far greater than what was shared.

"It's a real blessing to work at a place where we are encouraged to do this kind of thing for others," said Derrick Grooms, another Bristol Minnick team member who was deeply touched by the experience of paying it forward.

The Bristol Minnick educators would never have expected that the day's lesson would not take place in a classroom and that, this time, it was meant for them. It is meant for us all.