Core to our mission is building a more compassionate and generous world and so we reached out to some of the most generous folks we know to ask them to share where they think their generosity comes from.

Robert Sayegh

I’d say that my generosity and giving nature comes from my mother. I remember at Christmas, she would sit there and watch us all open our gifts. She would always open hers last. She said she wanted to see our expressions. She always taught us to be polite and to treat others like we wanted to be treated. There’s something inherent in me that makes me feel good to give to others; working with my staff at Judy Z’s, helping them pay for their families lives, to serve customers in my Sports Tavern in Greenwich Village, to sponsor teams in NYC or to tell a story in my writings (books and films) and see audiences reaction. I would rather buy things for my nephews and niece and others before myself. I think my generosity and that of my GM & Producer, Candy Potts, who has helped me build the Judy Z’s brand (named after my mother), is what has been the core value that has allowed the businesses to flourish. Read more>>

Geraldine Convento

My generosity comes in the form of sharing and teaching. It’s how I hold space for people. I share insights that they hadn’t considered before or walk them through things they don’t know how to do. This all stemmed from observing people around me not taking action because they didn’t know where to start. Read more>>

Gil Mallari

I would say my generosity came from the teachings of my parents. Growing up my parents had always instilled in me that by being kind and generous it would always come back to you some way or the other. Regardless of the outcome if taken or not it showed your character as a person. Read more>>

Latonya Duncan

“My generosity comes from a place of deep understanding and lived experience. Raised by a single father, married and divorced before I even graduated high school, and navigating life on my own ever since, I have faced struggles that could have hardened me—but instead, they fueled my desire to give. I know what it feels like to be without support, to push through pain alone, and to fight for a better life. Because of that, I choose to be the person I once needed. My hardships didn’t break me; they built within me a heart for others. Giving back is more than just kindness—it’s my way of ensuring that no one else feels as alone as I once did. It’s a reflection of my strength, my survival, and my purpose.” Read more>>

Felix Velez

My giving nature stems from my dad. When I think of him, I think of his unwavering kindness. He passed away when I was only 6 years old. One of the few things I remember was that he owned a fruit stand at a local farmers market. Even though we were struggling, he would always find a way to help others who were less fortunate. Everything was done with the shake of a hand and never any written contracts. He always held the idea that people were inherently good, and that has stuck with me and holds a major influence on how I run my business. Read more>>

Richard Fleek

My generosity comes from my mom—she was the most giving person I’ve ever met. I remember one time she won a lottery ticket and asked if I wanted to go with her to work at Meijer, where she worked in the shoe department. She wanted to give the ticket to a coworker, a single mother who was struggling. When we got there, my mom explained why she was giving it to her. When the woman looked at how much was on the ticket, she started crying. My mom never told me how much it was worth, but that moment showed me the true meaning of generosity—giving without expecting anything in return, simply to help someone in need. Read more>>

Crosby Dove

My generosity came from being a sensitive and scared kid. I lost my parents at 1 and 5. My safety nets were gone. I found that if you are kind and offer a helping hand to others, the joy from it keeps you going. Read more>>

Gretchen Hargrove

My Mother. My mother once said “if you have something, you have something to share”. She was a very selfless woman. She did a lot of volunteer and chaperone work. She is definitely my biggest inspiration. Read more>>

Jennifer Venegas

Homeskillet Provisions was founded by Eric Venegas in 2022. As we have grown we always made a point to try to give back to our community. Eric believed that our path to success lay in lifting up our community around us. He was always the first person to leave packs of our seasonings in the food pantry at the Slow Pour Sunday Market, or leave extra seasonings at the Wimberly Center for the kids to use in there cooking classes. He also looked for ways to replace purchases we made regularly with products produced by other local vendors. Since his passing I have strived to live up to his legacy. I hope that as we grow we are able to give back even more to the community that has supported us and gave us so many great memories. Read more>>

Alexandra Martinez

I grew up as a single child for 8 years. Although I didn’t have siblings, I had a lot of family. I grew up with the love and warmth of not just cousins but my grandparents. I feel very privileged to have grown up with them as I watched and learned what it means to be generous and kind everyday. Both of my grandmothers always put others before themselves. They showed me what’s it like to love without expecting anything in return. My little self always watched how they made sure everyone was fed before them. Weather it’s a stranger or a close family member, they always showed respect, love, and generosity. Read more>>

Christian Telmosse

I’m in debt, as is everyone in this world. I owe my generosity to the people who came before me that produced such a beautiful place to live. My parents, family, friends, coworkers, and even competitive challengers have helped shape this life. I owe to them to give back and do my part for this world. It’s not just the people, but the animals and nature too. I am in debt to those who have given me such a blessed life, that I need to do my part to help others. Read more>>

Ameerah Jihad

My generosity comes from me wishing I had someone like myself in my corner. I believe in treating people how you want to be treated. You never know what people go through behind closed doors. I also believe that you reap what you sow. If i have it and I know that it is someone who is in need I dont mind giving what I have because I know one day it will come right back to me. Read more>>

Arlando Usher

My generosity came from my Granddad. I saw him be nothing but generous to people regardless of how he felt at times. He dealt with certain things but he didn’t let them hinder him from being generous. I saw he did numerous acts of kindness and people would just hug him and cry tears of joy. I had seen things like this on television as a child but when I saw my Granddad do this it instilled in me to be as generous as I could be as I got older. I would love to help the whole world one day in my own way and with God leading me I am going to do just that. Read more>>

Bryan King

My generosity stems from my granny and she was my heart. If it was not for her I wouldn’t be here and she put up 1.5 million to save my life. Read more>>