Join the Secret Santa Movement: Transform Lives with Kindness

Quick Smiles:

• One small act of kindness can transform someone’s life forever.
• The spirit of giving can inspire a global movement of generosity.
• Anyone can be a Secret Santa with a simple gesture or kind word.

Larry Stewart’s journey from hardship to philanthropy began in a small Mississippi town, where he grew up unaware of his family’s poverty. It was only when he started school that he realized the material comforts he lacked compared to his peers.

As a young adult, Larry faced financial struggles once more, eventually becoming homeless after his employer went out of business without paying him. Desperate and hungry, he found himself at a diner, pretending to search for a lost wallet to cover his meal.

The cook at the diner, showing unexpected kindness, handed Larry a twenty-dollar bill, saying, “You must have dropped this.”

This moment of generosity sparked a vow in Larry to pay it forward once he was able. As he gained financial stability, he began to act on this promise, starting with a waitress at a drive-in restaurant who wore a worn-out coat.

“Keep the change,” Larry told her, witnessing the impact of his gesture as tears welled in her eyes.

Inspired, Larry started seeking out others in need, distributing small amounts of money to those he encountered. His acts of kindness grew as his success in cable and phone services flourished, allowing him to give away thousands of dollars as an anonymous “Secret Santa.”

Larry worked with local social workers, firefighters, and police officers to identify worthy recipients, often finding them in laundromats, social service agencies, and thrift stores. His gifts, ranging from $100 to $300, transformed Christmas for many, enabling them to buy presents and pay essential bills.

“I was giving in a way that allowed them to keep their dignity,” Larry explained, echoing the cook’s discreet generosity.

Over the years, Larry donated over $1.4 million, touching countless lives. In 2006, facing terminal cancer, he revealed his identity to encourage others to join the Secret Santa movement. His revelation led to a surge of new Secret Santas, eager to spread joy and kindness.

Thousands signed up through his website, and the impact was immediate and widespread. When Larry passed in 2007, his chosen successor continued the mission, leading the Society of Secret Santas globally. Stories of generosity abound, from helping fire victims to aiding veterans and military families.

A foundation was established in Larry’s memory, accepting donations to continue the work he started. Former beneficiaries, like Sam Williams, contributed, saying, “He gave me the biggest gift I ever got in my life.”

Larry’s legacy lives on, as the society’s website notes, “The compassion shared from one spontaneous random act of kindness is elevating, priceless and not easily explained.”

Anyone can join this wave of kindness, as one Secret Santa pointed out, “It’s not about the man, it’s not about the money—it’s about the message.”

Larry’s own words to the diner’s chef-owner encapsulate the impact of kindness: “You never know what one little act of kindness will do for somebody. It can change their whole life…It changed mine.”

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