The Go-Givers
Any society, to be a functioning society, needs altruism – the selfless concern for the wellbeing of others. This means taking an imaginative journey, placing yourself in another’s shoes, and responding with the same compassion you would hope to receive if you were in their shoes.
Yet in today’s culture, altruism often feels at odds with the competitive ethos that celebrates selfish gain. But in a world that celebrates go-getters, we often miss the fact that when we “go and get,” someone else inevitably loses.
This creates a constant tug-of-war. In a polarized society, we sense this, yet respond with intensified competition instead of intensified compassion.
Go-getters say, “I earned what I have through my abilities and cleverness. I am entitled to it.” Go-givers, in contrast, recognize that every gift came from God and is therefore part of a much larger story, saying, “This passed through my hands for a time. Now it’s yours.” Go-givers tap into abundance not scarcity because they know that when you learn to meet someone’s needs you, in turn, learn to meet your own needs.
Go-givers are promoting a way of living which is rooted in relationships rather than transactions, where giving and receiving blur into shared human connection.
In Celebration Of 2024
This year alone, we’ve supported 90 enduring relationships and made 17 (and counting) new one-to-one freely given matches. For example, Kim and Shanquette, were able to meet this past June through Do For One, and discovered that they are both really into fishing!
Kim (Advocate right) and Shanquette (Parter left)
They have already met up a dozen times, and Shanquette (in the wheelchair below), who has a 6-year-old son, reached out to us to say that, "Meeting Kim is the best thing that has happened to me besides the birth of my son." We've been witnessing her growing in joy and self-confidence, and the transformation honestly seems to be flowing both ways for both women.
Such experiences remind us of the beauty and strength in being connected in the life’s everyday moments. Jay and Jerry enjoying a summer baseball game together, and Jerry says, “Jay and I like to go out. I memorized his phone number just in case something happens to my phone. I can count on Jay.”
And then there’s Annette, who after years in a nursing home, is now back in her own home—thanks to Megan and a compassionate community that rallied around her. Annette says, "Since meeting Megan and getting outside again, I’ve been remembering who I am.” This is what happens when we choose to live as go-givers: relationships not only change circumstances but transform lives, bringing hope, dignity, and belonging.
Jack and Haley (pictured right) at their favorite diner, savoring both a simple lunch and conversation while planning their lobster cruise they went on later that summer.
In the words of Shannon, Partner, she says: “Me and Karen have been friends since I was introduced to Do For One, almost five years ago. We’ve grown really close. She’s been a big support to me, coming into the hospitals whenever I’m sick. So of course, when I heard she was running the marathon, I had to come support her too, because she’s always supported me—and that’s what friends do—support each other.”
Jack (Partner left) and Haley (Advocate right)
Through our leadership training, we’ve helped affiliates in Northwest Arkansas and Indianapolis. Lead For One is a four-part leadership course for individuals interested in building freely-given and enduring relationships for isolated and vulnerable people, rooted in the principles of Do For One. The course provides valuable insights for integrating DFO concepts into relationship-building initiatives—whether creating new programs or strengthening existing ones.
Lead For One 2024 Cohort
The Go-Givers
These stories remind us that giving and receiving are never one-sided. Whether it’s a birthday celebration, a shared game, or cheering a friend at the finish line, the bonds we create through selfless concern for others enrich everyone involved.
In a world that often celebrates go-getters and one-sided acts of charity, we are choosing a different path. We’re building a movement of go-givers—people who, through words and actions, create a “common unity for the common good,” to borrow the wise words of social activist and theologian Peter Maurin. Maurin’s vision challenges us to move beyond transactional relationships toward transformational ones.
As we look ahead, we aim to:
establish 17 new matches while supporting our 90 (and counting) enduring relationships
expand our training programs to new affiliates, and
cultivate a pipeline of emerging leaders who are passionate about this work.