It seems that everywhere I turn, I hear talk of change.  People want a change in the way we govern, how we manage the market, or a change in how we worship.

In Seattle there is a non-profit organization that created a newspaper for the homeless.  This paper not only asks workers to write poems and articles themselves, it encourages them to participate in the production, marketing, and sales of the paper. The paper was called “Real Change” and was meant to be an alternative to dropping nickels and dimes in a container held by a sad soul. It provides an opportunity for mutuality. The “Real Change” goes beyond monetary transaction; it is a transformational change inspired by both the buyer and seller’s giving.

When thinking about the blue boxes that have become the Icon of UTO, I was reminded that we too are transformed in our giving of change. In fact, the UTO’s   gratitude is felt around the world.  Thankfulness has left a lasting a change in many, many lives. Recently, Terry Parsons coined a phrase “Changing the world through our thanks.”

This is "real change": gratefully giving of what we have, of who we are, and transforming our world in the process.