245: Profiles in joyful giving

At Christmastime, the spirit of generosity shines brightest. But we know giving isn’t just about what we give. It’s about how we give. And that’s why we’re calling this series: Give With Joy.

Alright, let’s cut right to it today: the people behind the gifts—the donors, kids, families and partners who show us what it means to give with joy.

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

And when we hear “cheerful giver,” it’s easy to picture the act itself—dropping money in a kettle, buying a toy for a child, or writing a check. But what’s so powerful is how giving transforms both the receiver and the giver.

In this episode, you’ll hear stories of people who’ve made generosity part of their tradition. Joy multiplies. Families are knit closer together. Communities are strengthened. And those who receive don’t just get a meal, a gift or a place to stay—they experience hope, dignity and love.

So as you listen, I invite you to consider: what’s one joyful giving tradition you could start in your own life, or with your family? Because as you’ll hear in these stories, cheerful giving doesn’t just change Christmas—it changes us.

Listen and subscribe to The Do Gooders Podcast now. Below is a transcript of the episode, edited for readability. For more information on the people and ideas in the episode, see the links at the bottom of this post.

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As we’re talking about what it means to Give With Joy, I know that sometimes, kids say it best. So we asked a few children to share what they think it means. Here’s what they had to say.

“To give stuff and be happy that you give someone that thing.”

“To be happy with whatever you give.” 

“If we give something to someone, they’ll open it at home, and if it has a letter or a picture, they’ll like it.”

“I think it means to always give kindness to people, because you don’t know what’s going on in their life.”

It’s like what Mike said, to be thankful for what you have in life.”

“Spreading kindness.”

Simple, honest and straight from the heart. Joyful giving really is about sharing what we have, spreading kindness, and being thankful. Sometimes the smallest voices remind us of the biggest truths.

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Of course, when we talk about joyful giving, some of the most powerful stories come from those who once received a gift when they least expected it. For Deborah, a Salvation Army donor in Southern California, that moment came as a little girl, when The Salvation Army arrived at her home with gifts and food for her family. That memory stayed with her and inspired a lifetime of generosity. Here’s her story.

“…When I was five years old, I remember not having any money… and I remember The Salvation Army coming in with their big red letters. They brought these small wrapped gifts. That made our Christmas… it really changed the mood. You go from not thinking you’re going to have a toy, and then, surprise—these people show up with toys. It was a really happy moment.

My husband is much more of a giver than I am, and he’s really taught me a lot about giving. For me, not having what I needed as a child made it harder to open my hand and let go. But over time, it’s become easier. And it really is true—it’s a blessing, more to give than to receive.

We sent extra so the girl we sponsored could get medical treatment. Later, we got a letter and a picture of her, smiling and holding clothes. They wrote that she had gone to the doctor, and her family even bought animals and built something for their home. That was really, really deep for me—to be able to help change a life like that.”

Deborah’s story is a reminder that joy in giving often begins with the joy of receiving. A doll wrapped in Christmas paper, a meal when times were tough—those gifts planted seeds that grew into a life of cheerful generosity.

For this donor, giving became more than a one-time gift. It became a rhythm, a tradition, a way of life. And when we embrace that spirit together, the joy only multiplies.

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Joyful giving isn’t just about individuals or families—it’s also about companies that choose to put generosity at the heart of their culture. In Phoenix, one construction firm has done just that. The Nox Group, led by President Greg Ayres and Chief of Staff Krystle Bryan, stepped in to ensure that no Angel Tree child was forgotten—and in the process, inspired their entire workforce and industry peers to join in.

Krystle Bryan: So Greg Ayers, our COO and president, him and his family always go to different malls to pick angel tree tags for his family. And so when he went to Desert Ridge, he went a little bit later in the evening, and he noticed that there was a Salvation Army volunteer that was taking tags off. And so he asked if those children had already received gifts. And the volunteer let us know that these children were not selected within the due date that they needed to be to receive gifts. So they’re actually considered forgotten angels. So obviously that broke his heart, and he called me and said, “Hey, there are about 430 children that were not selected at Desert Ridge, but they need the gifts by 4:00 PM tomorrow. Do you think we can do it?” And so, of course, I jumped right in, and our amazing team and staff came in, and we had a group of about 35 people here ready to take tags and go to all of the stores we can and shop for them.

Christin Thieme: The rally the troops moment.

Krystle Bryan: Yes.

Christin Thieme: So you took those 400-plus tags and ended up meeting that deadline. How did you actually make that happen? Did you split up and shop? I mean, you had not a lot of time.

Krystle Bryan: Yes. So we did. We split into a couple different groups. So we had a shopping group, and then we would come and just unload all of our cars, and then we had a group in our wellness center that was organizing them and bagging and tagging them. So it was a joint effort that flowed really, really well, and we made it there five minutes before we were supposed to have it dropped off when the evening warehouse volunteers come in to start sorting the toys for delivery the next day.

Christin Thieme: And since then, you’ve taken on even more last year. I understand the Nox Group covered 3000 children’s wishes on the very first day of distribution. What inspired you guys to make such a bold commitment in doing that?

Krystle Bryan: Yeah, so Tom Bilstein came and spoke with Gray and I just about the impact from the first day and a little bit more about the Forgotten Angels that happen each year. And so when we were talking about timelines, that first day is a really tight turnaround from the time that malls and stores put their trees out until tags need to be returned, and that has the largest amount of Forgotten Angels. So we decided that we were going to make sure that this program was started off right every year and that we were going to adopt all of the first day angel trees, so that way every single child got a gift.

Christin Thieme: That’s amazing. What has it been like for you to see your basketball court at work filled with scooters and skateboards and every kind of toy you can imagine, all ready to go?

Krystle Bryan: It’s so cool. It’s really amazing to see just the smallest things that these children want like blankets and their first toy car or clothing, and just some necessities that I know that my family or other families can take advantage of, and that these are the gifts that kids are asking Santa for. So it’s amazing. It gets filled each end of the courts are completely filled, stacked up as high as we can get them to make sure that we have enough room, and we have lanes that people can go down and shop. I try to set it up very similar to a Target or…

Christin Thieme: It’s so fun. I imagine you have a great vantage point from your position at the Nox Group and talking with people and being connected to people across the company. How do you think the effort has impacted the employees? What’s the atmosphere like when everybody’s united around this effort?

Krystle Bryan: Yeah, so community involvement has been a long part of what Nox Group takes pride in. We instituted the Be About It program, which also gives each employee VTO, so volunteer time off that they can go and reach out to the community and put their efforts where they’re passionate about. So this project really kicks off our giving season for our employees and teammates in various ways. So it’s being a full circle moment that we give these opportunities for our teammates to come together to rally as a team and to just bring joy to somebody else.

Christin Thieme: I know the Nox Group wants to be an example for the industry, really. It’s more than just about building structures, I’ve heard you say, but it’s about building community. Can you expand a little bit on that?

Krystle Bryan: Yes. So we absolutely want to be a major impact on the next generation of builders. So whether that’s through our employees and being able to support their own families or participating in community activities like the Angel Tree program, our teams are passionate about helping others grow. And so the corporate responsibility can take shape in so many ways. And I’m grateful that we’re able to give these opportunities to our teammates and their families to really reach out and make a huge impact on some children’s lives.

Christin Thieme: How has being part of this effort, in particular at Christmas time, influenced what it means for you to give with joy?

Krystle Bryan: I have always been passionate about community outreach and helping others, and giving everything that we can to make even the smallest amount of time easier for families. And so I’m very grateful that I came to Nox Group, and our leadership team just leads with open hearts. And it’s exciting for me. I do have two younger children who now can help out. They come each year and help us sort toys and bag them, and they get to see a different perspective as well. But not every family is as fortunate as us, and we should always do what we can to help where we can. So it’s a really exciting, teachable moment for children, for our teams, for our partners outside, that just that little bit of effort can go a long way.

Christin Thieme: Yeah. What’s the plan for this year as we look toward this holiday season?

Krystle Bryan: Yes. Yes. So we adopted all first day Angel Trees again, and I will get the list of all of the requested items, and I have a really amazing team who will go in and inventory and sort them, and we’ll start setting up our store again and invite partners and friends, and family out to join us for event. We call it the bag and tag. So that’s when you can actually walk around, pick a tag shop for that child, and then we’ll load it onto our trucks for delivery. So it’s a very big initiative that I absolutely could not do without our team. They’re out there building awesome projects, and then we’re also building amazing communities around us.

Christin Thieme: I love it. Well, thank you, Krystle, and thank you for all the Nox Group and you and your team are doing to make these Christmas wishes come true.

Krystle Bryan: Thank you.

From individuals to families, and even entire companies, joyful giving becomes contagious. And sometimes, it starts with a simple question: “How can we help?”

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I hope, in listening today, you’ve seen the many faces of joyful giving: children who remind us what it looks like, donors who make it a personal tradition, and companies who rally entire teams to bring joy at Christmas.

Each story shows us the same truth: giving transforms both the giver and the receiver.

So here’s my invitation for you: this Christmas, consider what joyful giving tradition you can begin. Whether it’s adopting an Angel and making a child’s wish come true, volunteering your time, or simply sharing kindness with a neighbor, know that your gift can spark joy that multiplies far beyond what you see.

Thanks for joining me for this episode of Give With Joy.

To learn more ways to give with joy this season, visit caringmagazine.org/give.

Until next time, may you experience the deep joy that comes from giving.

Additional resources:

• Join us in giving joy to families who are experiencing poverty, hunger, job loss and more. Your generosity offers joyful reassurance that even during our most challenging times, we are not alone. 
• What if five minutes a day could re-center your family on the reason we celebrate? Meet the free Caring Advent Paper Chain—25 days to Read, Reflect and Pray. Refreshed for 2025!
• If you are enjoying this show and want to support it, leave a rating and review wherever you listen to help new listeners hit play for the first time with more confidence.  

Listen and subscribe to The Do Gooders Podcast now.