Coats on Trees

I am fortunate to be part of an outstanding group of women. We call ourselves WILL, which is an acronym for Women in Legacy Leadership. I like to call us Strong WILL because this posse of 12 dynamic women is serving, leading and innovating across our community. One member, Judy Knotts, photo above, has been an advocate for the homeless in Austin for many years. Recently she published a wonderful book on the subject, You Are My Brother,  a collection of true stories about what she has learned from people on the streets. 

I first met Judy when she was Head of School at St. Gabriel’s in Austin. The school had a tradition where students took a pair of socks, put one inside the other, then added anything that a homeless person might find useful, like a protein bar, toothbrush and toothpaste, lotion, a bottle of water, a packet of tissues and a kind note. They kept these in their family cars, so they had something of value to give to the homeless people along our roads. We met at Judy’s office to talk about how we could organize more broadly to help children learn to be more generous, a conversation which led to a collaboration with other community leaders and the founding of a citywide youth philanthropy nonprofit, A Legacy of Giving. 

Last Christmas season Judy invited members of WILL to bring unused coats to our meeting at Juliet’s Italian Ristorante. She said we would hang the coats on the trees outside the restaurant on Barton Springs Road. Anyone who saw them and needed a coat could simply take one. We did the same again this year. The coats are gone by morning. The effort reminds me of the values my mother taught me. If I was no longer using a toy, a doll, or clothing she would take it from me and say, ‘There are a lot of children out there who do not have these things. You should not keep anything you no longer use but pass it on to someone who needs it and will use it.’

I am grateful to have the wisdom, kindness and support of my WILL women, as well as the lessons my mother left with me. My hope for you this holiday season is that you also have people in your life who lift you up, inspire you, offer wise advice and bring comfort during the hard times.