Votaw Electric is providing 60 $2 bills to each employee to stimulate the local economy. Employees are asked to donate 20% to their favorite charity and the balance to be used in the local community to stimulate the Northeast Indiana economy. The $2 bills are given to the employees to distinguish this money as stimulus money and a conversation piece to encourage other businesses to "pay it forward".
This was all started by Danny Cottrell, a small town pharmacist, in Brewton, Alabama. This has been talked about and has inspired other businesses coast to coast. Votaw is asking other businesses in Northern Indiana to do the same, and to let us know how they "paid it forward" by filling out our
contact request form with their comments.
UPDATE - January 5, 2010
We have received feedback from employees on where the $2 bills have been spent. Some employees donated $2 bills to the Salvation Army, another employee donated the entire amount to Leo-Grabill Food Bank. One of our electricians gave a couple $2 bills to his daughter at Walmart and she passed them to two other children and told them, "Merry Christmas". One Votaw family went to dinner at a local restaurant on Christmas Eve, and the kids saw an older gentlemen (which looked a bit like Santa Claus) sitting alone for dinner and they bought his dinner for him. The generosity of Votaw Electric was passed on to employees, which then has been passed on to the local community. Other donations were given to:
DSANI
Fort Wayne Rescue Mission
St. Mary's Soup Kitchen