NASA contractors 'Pay It Forward' for holidays

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Kimberly
  • Infinity Technology Inc.
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Two companies that provide technical and administrative support services at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center here put a twist on their holiday gift giving for 2007. 

The support staffing organizations, Infinity Technology Inc. and Scientific and Commercial Systems Corp., usually hold a holiday party in December with a gift exchange among the employees, but this year they decided to buck the trend by giving to others instead. 

"I was watching a 'Pay It Forward' episode (of the Oprah Winfrey show) and the talk show host gave money to her audience with the instructions that they should use the money to help others," said Beverly Crooke, a support specialist for Infinity. "So, this Christmas, I decided to mail checks to my friends and family with a letter requesting that they use the money to help out someone other than themselves. I mentioned this to Jodi (Valdez) in the program office, and she had the idea to integrate the concept into the company holiday party." 

Mrs. Valdez organized the staff of Infinity and SCSC while planning the holiday party. With help from the Lancaster Community Shelter, Infinity and SCSC adopted a family - a mother and three daughters. 

Donations were brought in the form of clothes, toys, household items and cash totaling more than $800. The staff also donated their own household items and clothing to the family. There was so much, in fact, that the program office decided to give a monetary donation to the Lancaster Community Shelter as well. 

"None of this would be possible without the generosity of the employees of this contract," said Rebecca Lopez, Infinity's contract site manager. "The people who put in hours purchasing, wrapping and delivering gifts were invaluable." 

The contract office staff packed up their cars and delivered the gifts to their adopted family Dec. 11, during the week of the contractors' holiday party. The family was so overwhelmed by the volume of things they received, the mother asked if they could share their good fortune with others. 

"She wanted to make sure her family's needs - not wants - were met," Mrs. Lopez said. "She asked us if we wouldn't mind her sharing the gifts with four other families in need. That just blew me away." 

The idea of the mother paying it forward also impressed the woman who started the movement in her own family. 

"Seeing the mother sharing our gifts with others in need is something I will never forget," Mrs. Crooke said. "I was just overwhelmed by their gratitude."

Editor's Note: Jennifer Kimberly is a technical publications editor for Infinity Technology Inc., a NASA contractor.