Teacher Changes Lives With $20 Challenge
We love and appreciate a good Act of Kindness. We talk about them every day on The Andie Summers Show. We call each of them a “Cup O’Joy” because that is exactly what these stories do – fill you heart with joy and maybe even give you the incentive or initiative you need to go out and make a difference yourself.
Today, we focused our Cup O’Joy on a woman who turned tragedy into triumph … Let me introduce you to English teacher Mrs. Kristina Ulmer from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Kristina’s worst nightmare came true when her sister was tragically killed in a car accident. When the police brought Kate’s belongings back to her family, they found $100 in cash in her purse.
The $20 Challenge
Mrs. Ulmer explained to The Washington Post: “I put the purse in a cabinet in my living room, and for a long time, I wondered what I could do with that money in Kate’s memory.”
Then, it came to her. Kate’s $100 in death could pay it forward just like Kate did in life. Ulmer took her sister’s money, added some of her own, and challenged her students to use it for good. Her students were studying Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, a story about a dystopian society that is addicted to their screens. Kristina thought this was the perfect lesson for her students.
How the $20 Challenge Works
Ulmer gives each of her students $20. The students are required to use the money for the benefit of others and create a video showing what they have done. Students have gotten creative with the task: knitting caps for babies, baking pet treats for sheltered animals, offering doughnuts to strangers on the corner.
The $20 Challenge worked so well, Ulmer decided to keep it going. What surprised her most, however is how the community supports the challenge. Ulmer said she started finding $20 bills in her mailbox, but the funds have run dry. If you would like to help Mrs. Ulmer’s class continue their kindness, you can make a donation through PledgeCents.
Thank you, Mrs. Ulmer, for sharing your sister’s spirit and instilling joy in all of us.
Listen to the Full Interview with Kristina Ulmer
