SAN ANTONIO — San Antonians became the beneficiaries of random acts of money because of an exercise in giving.
"It's not like we want a pat on the back for being charitable," Michael Perkins said.
Perkins is the Managing partner and CEO of San Antonio accounting firm Slattery Perkins Ramirez. He said their mantra is "growing family legacies."
Recently, the company expanded its charitable giving in a unique way. Perkins saw a produced video from Red Wagon properties on social media challenging its employees to give away $500 in a month.
The creative donation opportunity caught his eye and heart. So, he assembled his employees in a conference room. In a produced video, Perkins walks into the room with a money bag. Nothing too suspicious at an accounting business, right?
"Rather than SPR donating money to charities that we believe in," he said. "We want each of you to donate to causes you believe in."
Looks of controlled disbelief were apparent on faces as the group listened to their marching orders.
"I'm going to put $1,000 in each of your hands to go make the deepest, widest, most influential impact in our community," he said.
His employees had a week to complete the task. Their donation had to be documented with a picture or video.
"Was a little nerve-wracking after he told us what we needed to do," Lenore Oreta said.
Oreta is a bookkeeping manager at the firm. She and her co-workers started brainstorming about how to give the money away.
"To really get them engaged in the giving process and give them the opportunity to go engage in the physical act of generosity and serving others," he said.
Perkins said he received 182 files that brought tears to his eyes. $26,000 was allotted for donation. The boss got multiple files from employees who gave away their money in increments.
Kelly Clark found herself at the intersection of emotion and empathy. The accountant gave $1,000 to her best friend's father who is battling kidney cancer.
"He was very grateful. They thought that they were on a game show," she said.
She lost her mother to cancer. Her mother's journey started in 2015. Surgery, chemo and radiation could not fend off the brain cancer. Clark said a trial surgery was supposed to bring them hope. Instead, it put her mother in a state of vegetation.
Clark's mother died the day after her daughter got engaged.
"When I see my friend I like, see myself and what I was going through," she said.
The giving reached the Northeast Independent School District as two SPR employees used a $1,000 to wipe out the lunch debt of 340 students.
Other workers gave large tips to waitresses at their favorite restaurant. Increments went to teachers. Donations went to scholarships too.
Oreta decided to donate gift cards to enhance the weekend recreation of the kids at the Children's Shelter.
"My family went out and bought a ton of gift cards to the Main Event, to the movies, Chick-Fil-A, McDonald's," Oreta said.
Perkins was especially touched by an employee who helped a family fresh out of a homeless shelter. She went to IKEA to furnish their new home.
"We blessed kids. We blessed families. We blessed churches," he said. "We blessed the needy. We blessed the sick."
"The Giving Legacy," as the company calls it will likely return next year, Perkins said.