We would love to hear your story of how a small gesture changed a life. Maybe someone reached out to you during a time of need. Maybe you reached out to someone and there was a profound effect on your life or the one you touched. Regardless, we would love to hear the story.

Submit your story only if you give your permission for Small Gestures to reprint your story. We promise not to use your full name or the full names of anyone mentioned in your story. We may take some editorial license to make each story fit within the context of the message we're called to communicate., but will not change the spirit of your story.

I'll start by sharing my story - the story of how Small Gestures was founded. Technically, it isn't my story. This is actually my father's story. He would be the first to tell you that he was no different than any other man, but he rarely missed an opportunity to reach out to those in need. One of the many ways he did this was to give away his umbrella to anyone caught in an unexpected rain without one.

After his death in 2004, I realized that while I do hold doors open and help carry the occasional package, I could be doing so much more. I also came to understand that I'm not alone in my failures and that we all could use encouragement to make reaching out to others a part of our daily lives. My father was right. He was no different than any of us are called to be.

The idea of using the umbrella as a catalyst for the message of Christ's love was inspired by my father's actions. The Small Gestures web site was launched June 30, 2008 after a powerful Cursillo weekend. We ordered our first batch of umbrellas the same day and were distributing them less than a week later.

That's the story of Small Gestures. Please share yours! Send us an e-mail.