The Joy of Giving

The Joy of Giving: I hear it a lot, especially during the holiday season. Last week, I mentioned Saint Nicholas and the tradition of leaving coins in the shoes of the poor. That tale embodies unselfishness.

The true essence of giving comes when pride is absent. The unselfish gift is powerful.

A true gift is given without expectation. It is given without a motive to receive something in return. Giving because there is a need lifts the spirits of the giver and the receiver.

There is a lot of talk in the business world about corporate social responsibility. When corporations donate money, people can view it cynically. The benevolence is often lost. The act of corporate giving takes on a selfish air when it’s promoted.

Successful corporations have a heart. It beats with a generous rhythm. They give from a place deeper than the line item on a budget or tax return.

At Custom Services, our social responsibility policy comes down to a simple philosophy: when it is the right thing to do, we do it.

Churches often contact Custom Services about congregation members who struggle with heating, air conditioning or plumbing challenges. No one wants to suffer in the extreme heat of Oklahoma summers or the frigid ice-storms in the winter. For those with health problems and financial difficulties, these extreme conditions can become life-threatening. Through churches and community organizations, we donate our services to help those in need, making their heating, cooling and plumbing systems safe.

Custom Services is here to serve our community.

Doing the right thing gives us the satisfaction of giving back to the community that has supports us for the last 33 years.

As we embrace another Christmas season, remember the giving spirit and help support your community. If you are looking for volunteer opportunities to help your neighbors in need, please contact these organizations:

Neighbor for Neighbor 

Tulsa Habitat for Humanity

Domestic Violence Intervention Services

I have found the secret to the gift of giving.

The secret: Giving without motive or expectation is a pure joy. A sense of true goodness and well-being overwhelms you. You want to replicate that feeling. The more you give, the more you are compelled to give.

Be compelled! Enjoy the gift.

–Bob

 

The Reason for the Season

When I was a child, I lived in Germany with my family for a few years. Each December 6th, we celebrated Saint Nicholas Day by placing our shoes outside our door. “Saint Nicholas” would come in the night to tuck candy and small gifts into the shoes.

This European tradition began as a way to honor Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Greek Bishop from the 4th-Century. Saint Nicholas was known for his generous and anonymous gift giving. He sold all his belongings and gave to the poor, often leaving coins in the shoes of the needy.

That’s a long way from the advertisements for Black Friday blow-outs and Cyber Monday savings that flood my senses before I put the Thanksgiving leftovers away.

BUY BUY BUY. SALE. SALE. SALE. SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. MORE. MORE. MORE.

The soulless, slick commercials make my head spin. The holiday spirit has become about getting yours first. People camp out for days to be first in line, then trample their neighbors in a gift-buying frenzy. It is disheartening.

Rather than celebrating the gift of Christ’s birth and the charity of the giving, Christmas has become an over-indulgence and over-abundance free-for-all. The simplicity and true meaning of the season is lost in a vast commercial vacuum.

As a business person, I spend a lot of time thinking about and implementing plans to market Custom Services. Print ads, television commercials, websites, and blogs are an important part of promoting our services.

In my heart, I know the best marketing comes from kindness, concern and compassion. It comes from a genuine desire to help others.

Commerce is an important part of our society. Buying and selling keeps our economy strong. It creates jobs. In the process of making a living and supporting our families, it’s easy to get caught up in the selfish machine of consumerism, the desire to have more, do more, buy more. Too often, we lose sight of true charity.

During this Christmas season, I challenge you to slow down and think about the spirit of giving. Take the time to enjoy the wonders and miracles of the holiday. Open a door for someone. Help a neighbor in need. Donate time to a community group.

As Christmas morning dawns, my hope is that you will discover, as Dr. Seuss’ Grinch did, the true meaning of the season:

“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!… Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

Happy Holidays!

–Bob

Start a Conversation

The success of Custom Services is a blessing in my life. Sharing this blessing with the community is a privilege and a responsibility I enjoy.

In September, I attended an annual retreat for board members of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma (BBBS). I had an chance to talk with Regina Robinson, Match Support Manager for the Oklahoma City Region. Regina is working with the Tulakes Elementary School in Bethany to find Big Brothers and Big Sisters for some of the students. When I mentioned I am a graduate of Southwestern Christian University (SWCU) in Bethany, the idea of a partnership between SWCU and Tulakes was born.

Many children who attend Tulakes Elementary School experience severe challenges. On a daily basis, they face a community of extreme poverty and an environment swarming with gang violence.

The school’s teachers, administration and staff work tirelessly inspiring their students to academic excellence. Yet, without people willing to mentor these children outside of school, much of the hard work can be lost. Teachers and administrators can only do so much. Their time, influence and budgets are under tight constraints. They need help.

I shared my Big Brother mentorship story with Dr. Ed Huckeby, President of SWCU. He became interested in this service project because it aligns SWCU’s motto of excellence in scholarship, spirit, and service.

I was honored this week to work with both Regina and SWCU as we finalized plans on this mentoring partnership. The project will match SWCU’s students and Tulake elementary children, allowing them to form lifelong bonds and opening up a lifetime of growth beyond the classroom.

Good fortune and blessed opportunities blossom into something greater when we give our gifts to others. Sharing our experience and strength connects people. The connections create lifelong benefits for the community and hope for the children.

A simple conversation between Regina and I became the catalyst for this collaboration, benefiting the children of Tulake Elementary and the students of SWCU. Our responsibility to our community is to engage in these conversations and open pathways to positive partnerships.

I encourage you to engage in conversations with others in your community. A conversation can lead to so many good things. I also challenge you to find organizations in your community who may be looking for collaborative service projects. If you know of a college or university interested in mentoring opportunities, please contact BBBS at 918.744.4400.

–Bob

A Little Brother Success Story

“Time spent with you was like Christmas for me,” Clayton said during a recent conversation. “You showed me that there are normal and decent people out there, that somebody cares.”

As I mentioned in last week’s blog, I met Clayton 28-years ago through the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. He was seven-years old and in need of a mentor. I was looking for a way to give back to my community.

Children face challenges when the adults in their lives go through a crisis caused by death, divorce, or incarceration. They become trapped within what Clayton likes to call “the bubble” and are often alienated from the family structure. All they know is life in their limited sphere.

“The simplest things were the best,” Clayton continued. “I remember you stopping by my house one day and saying ‘Hey, wanna grab a Coke.’ We went to the park, just hung out and talked, got to know each other.”

While money buys life’s necessities and luxuries, when it comes to a child, the gift of time is often more important and precious, especially when the child is from a home in crisis.

“Stuff didn’t always go through in my life,” Clayton said. “You lead by example, showing me how to always do the right thing. You’re the reason I decided to become a plumber.”

The key to success in both personal life and business development is the willingness to do the right thing, whether it be providing quality service, volunteering with community organizations or simply holding the door for the parent juggling grocery bags and toddler.

As I mentioned in previous weeks, a company is only as strong as the community it serves. Our community’s social and economic health depends on people and businesses willing to donate time, money and services to life-changing organizations like BBBS. Custom Services is committed to enriching the lives of those we serve by contributing to BBBS and other community groups.

Clayton put it well when he said, “The BBBS program provides a gratification that you get from seeing someone blossom, a feeling that you can’t get by jumping out of an airplane.”

“I would like to encourage single parents to check out Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Clayton concluded. “There are some awesome people out there willing to mentor.”

I encourage you to make a difference in your community and in the life of a child. Please consider volunteering or offering your financial support to this organization.

To donate or to volunteer, please click on these links: BBBS Donations or BBBS Volunteer.

BBBS of Oklahoma would like to reconnect with previous program participants. If you were either a mentor or a child in the program and would like to share your story, please fill out the Alumni Form or contact me directly at 918-359-7208 or btownsend@customservices.ac.

–Bob

A Big Brother Success Story

It was April when I first met Clayton. He was 7-years old with an energy, charisma and smile that radiated through him. I don’t remember what we did that day: maybe, some bowling, a little one-on-one basketball, or a few hours at the park. What I do remember, and treasure, is the life-long relationship we began on that spring day 28-years ago.

I met Clayton through the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program. A few months earlier, my wife and I were watching TV when I saw an ad for BBBS. I knew that was how I wanted to give back to my community.

After an extensive screening process, I was introduced to Clayton and his mom. I made my one-year commitment to being Clayton’s Big Brother.

Nearly three decades later, Clayton and I remain connected. Through both the good and the difficult times of his life, I maintained my commitment to the mentorship.

Early and consistent intervention, with strong role models and mentors like those in the BBBS program, give at-risk children a chance to experience a world full of opportunities and to form trusting relationships with adults–relationships that can last a lifetime.

According to a May 2009 Justice Policy Institute report, it costs about $240 per day to keep a youth incarcerated. That is over $87,000 a year.

An investment in a program like BBBS helps keep at-risk youth out of the over-burdened justice system. Early mentoring programs contribute to breaking the incarceration cycle, saving the community time and money. But, most importantly, these programs change and save lives.

Eight years ago, Clayton began working in Custom Services’ plumbing department. In 2011, he opened his own plumbing company and is happily married with two beautiful daughters.

Clayton is a success story.

Clayton, owner of SDR Plumbing, with Bob, his Big Brother.

It has been a sincere pleasure to watch Clayton grow from that bouncing 7-year old boy into a successful man.

As a board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, I challenge you to make a difference in the life of a child. Please consider volunteering or offering your financial support to this organization.

To donate or to volunteer, please click on these links: BBBS Donations or BBBS Volunteer.

If you have participated in the BBBS program, either as a mentor or a child, and would like to share your story, please fill out the Alumni Form or contact me directly at 918-359-7208 or btownsend@customservices.ac.

–Bob

Paying It Foward

A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream by backpacking through the Big Horn Mountains in northern Wyoming. For three days, seven of us hiked deep into the Bighorn National Forest, reaching elevations of over 13,000 feet. Guided by Willy, a 70-year old Navajo descendent, our group pushed through grueling alien terrain.

The journey was the most strenuous thing anyone in our hiking party had ever done.

Yet, we did it. We achieved our goal. With the encouragement and support of our group, along with Willy’s experience and knowledge of the wilderness, we reached Cloud Peak.

All great dreams begin with an investment and a willingness to take a chance. Those dreams become even greater realities with a little support.

In 1980, I took a chance and followed another great dream by becoming a small business owner. Many, including the first bank I asked for a loan, did not believe I was worth the risk. And, by all logic and statistics, they were right. I was young and inexperienced with no proven work record or management skills.

Thank goodness you can’t measure a person’s heart by statistics alone.

In my heart, I knew I was on the right path moving toward a great goal. With a $1500 loan from a small financial institution, I planted the seed for Custom Services, one of Oklahoma’s premiere heating and cooling companies.

That investment, along with community support, loyal customers and dedicated employees, has allowed Custom Services to expand exponentially, offering heating and cooling service in both Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Yet, our business is only as strong as the community it serves. To “pay it forward,” Custom invests in projects like Broken Arrow Public Schools’ Partners in Education . I have had the privilege to serve on the advisory committee for this organization for the last four years, inspiring the next generation of business owners, dedicated employees and community leaders by investing in the seeds of their great dreams.

As the new school year begins, it seems an appropriate time to remember the daily investments we can each make in the youth of our community by guiding and supporting them as they strive toward their dreams. With a little help, these students can achieve great things.

On the last day of our hike through the Big Horn Mountains, we crossed an almost waist-deep river. The bone-chilling water rushed rapidly against our legs, trying to push us down the mountain. As we reached the far bank, I watched two other hikers attempt the same crossing. One made it across; the other panicked. She stood frozen in the gushing water, crying out for help. Half-numb myself, I got back in the river and gave her a hand. With gentle support and encouraging words, the hiker fulfilled her goal, too.

And, that is what it is all about: a willingness to dream big and to encourage the great dreams of others.

With a little help, we can all climb our own mountains and cross our own rivers.

–Bob