Let's start summer off with some free money - time to share with some folks who need it

Well, summer officially arrives today in the Northern Hemisphere. So for me, that means summer has officially begun. Three months of sun and generally lovely weather. I'm looking forward to making it a great one.

It also seems like a good time to get back into the giving spirit. I've gotten A LOT of letters lately and have been a bit lazy in following up with personal responses. So to make up for it, I'd like to really help out a few great people today.

Free money recipient #1 goes by the initials "J.S." and is from the province of Ontario, Canada. I am sending J.S. $500.00 (US) for his/her family's use for groceries and possibly for a small family outing to the beach. I wasn't immediately aware they had beaches in Ontario. But I suppose one of the Great Lakes counts. Or perhaps they're heading to the Atlantic coast? I've been as far north as the state of Maine on the Atlantic seaboard and it's lovely this time of year, if a bit chilly for the swimmers.

Recipient #2 is Monica from California, USA. I happened to catch a Beach Boys concert live for the first time in my life recently and enjoyed it tremendously. A letter from the beautiful state of California made me a bit nostalgic for a different era when the Boys sang about sun, cars, girls and beaches. Nostalgia and memories are a nice thing. But I also know that even in California people face challenges in making ends meet. I've shared $150 with Monica to use as she pleases for general expenses.

Recipient #3 is from Spain (or, Reino de España). Can you believe it? My first recipient from outside of North America. I've not purposely neglected our brothers and sisters around the world. But since this site is presented in the English language, I think it's a little less noticeable to folks searching in different languages. So most of my requests tend to come from the U.S. and Canada (and a few from other English speaking locales). But now that the international door has been opened, I hope to occasionally spread good will far from home. My new friend in Spain will remain nameless here. But she will receive $100 USD to supplement her income. She is currently unemployed and I hope this will help make ends meet.

Recipient #4 is Tyler from Ohio, USA. Tyler is young and a recent college grad. The $50 I'm sending can be spent on whatever he chooses. But Tyler tells me it will mostly be used for gas for his car.

I appreciate everyone's letters and will continue to accommodate when I can. In the meantime, do something good for someone today. You'll be glad you did. Keep those messages coming and I'll be back soon.