From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower
Enterprises
Subject: Holiday Joy
Dear Ms. Thompson,
Happy Valentine’s Day to you! I’m following up our January
newsletter with a special greeting as this is, of course, the month for love.
Love for our sweethearts, our family and friends, and for those in need. As you
could see from the newsletter, we put the money our loyal supporters donated to
us to good use. So many families benefited from your generous donation to
Christmas from the Heart last year and I just wanted to remind you that, even
though the holidays seem far away they will be here before we know it. I hope
we can count on Hightower Enterprises again this year. We have such a history
together. Let’s keep up the good work!
Warmly,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Subject: Holiday Joy
Dear Ms. Berg,
Thanks for reaching out. Our fiscal year is just ending
and I haven’t yet received word as to how our charitable donations will be
dispersed this year. I will keep you apprised.
Best, Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Holiday Joy
Thank you so much. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-1-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower
Enterprises
Subject: Happy May Day!
Dear Ms. Thompson, just wanted to wish you a happy May
Day. The flowers here in Pine River are now in full bloom, and our organization
has been busy helping people make their dreams bloom, as well. As you know,
while our focus is primarily the holidays, Christmas from the Heart tries to
help people all year round when needs arise. Of course, Christmas is our big
thrust, and as there is no other organization working in this area, we are much
needed. As are your kind contributions. I still haven’t heard and I do hope we
can count on you.
Warmly,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
Reaching out again in case my last email went astray. I’m
wondering if you have any news for me regarding Hightower’s involvement with
our cause for this coming year.
Thanks!
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
Ms. Berg, sorry I haven’t been able to get back to you
sooner. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. It appears that the company is
going to be scaling back on their charitable giving this year and funds have
already been budgeted for other causes. I’m aware of the fact that in the past
we’ve donated to your organization and I’m sorry I don’t have better news for
you. I do wish you all the best in your search for other funding.
Best,
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
There must be some sort of misunderstanding! Hightower
has always donated to Christmas from the Heart. The company’s founder, Elias
Hightower, was my great-grandmother’s first contributor, and he promised her
that Hightower would always be there for this organization. This is a company
tradition! Please speak to your director.
Hopefully,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
I’m sorry. The decision is out of my hands.
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
Then please tell me who I need to talk to. Who’s your
CFO?
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Guy Hightower, CFO, Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Please reconsider
Dear Mr. Hightower, I understand from your corporate
social resources director that Hightower isn’t planning on making any donation
to Christmas from the Heart this year. There must be some mistake! Surely
you’re aware of the long-standing relationship between your company and our
organization. I’m sure I can count on you for some small amount.
Best, Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the difference
Guy Hightower frowned when he saw the email from Olivia
Berg in his in-box. Marla Thompson had been forwarding her emails to him,
keeping him abreast of Olivia Berg’s varied begging tactics, and had finally
even come into his office, trying to dump the load of guilt the woman had laid
on her from her shoulders to his.
“Don’t open it,” he told
himself. He opened it anyway. Then he read it and swore. Actually, he’d been swearing
ever since meeting with his brothers to discuss the budget back in December. If
either of them had listened to him three years ago, they wouldn’t be having to
pull the company belt so tight now. This was the problem with being the
youngest. It didn’t matter how many degrees you had, how smart you were or what
your job title was. Big brothers never listened.
Hard to listen when you were
going through your third divorce. That was Mike’s excuse. What was
Bryan’s? Oh yeah. He was a wuss. He always agreed with Mike, no matter what. And
Mike hadn’t wanted to change directions. Never mind that the company was
struggling, keep on doing the same thing. The definition of insanity.
Sorry, Little Miss Christmas.
Times were tough all over. Hightower had kept its commitment to the more
visible causes and turned the little fish loose. And that was how it worked in
the corporate world. He typed his reply.
Dear Ms. Berg, I regret that Hightower can’t help you
this year. We’ve had to reassess our commitments to various causes. I’m sure
you’ll understand.
Then
he signed off with the time-honored adios: Respectfully, Guy Hightower. And
if she didn’t understand, well, not his problem. He had his hands full trying
to keep the family company afloat. Maybe now Mike would be ready to take his advice
and diversify.
Olivia
Berg—Livi to her family and friends—read the email from Guy Hightower a second
time. Yes, the message was the same. Really? Really? Who was this man, Ebenezer
Scrooge the Second? She plowed her fingers through
her hair, the birthstone ring Morris had given her for her birthday catching in
the curls. She was so angry she barely noticed. With a snarl, she began to type.
You should be ashamed. Your great-grandfather is probably
turning in his grave right now. What’s the matter with you, anyway, you selfish
bastard?
She
pulled her fingers off the keyboard with a gasp. What was she thinking? Was
this any way to get someone to contribute to her cause? And what kind of
language was this? Her great-grandmother would be turning in her grave right
now, along with Elias. Adelaide Brimwell had been a lady through and through.
So had Livi’s grandmother, Olivia, as well as Livi’s mom.
The
thought of her mother made her tear up. How she wished Mom was still around to
advise her. They’d always planned that Livi would take over running the
organization one day, but neither had dreamed that day would come so soon. Her
mother’s heart attack had struck like lightning. Livi’s brother had left town,
moving to Seattle, which was just far enough south to keep the memories at bay.
Livi had stayed put, holding on to every single one, weaving them together into
a lifeline to cling to as she kept Christmas from the Heart afloat. Oh, Mom. What should I do? Try again came the answer.
Yes, her mother never gave up.
She’d chased one potential donor for two years before he finally came through.
Livi still remembered the day her mom left the house, clad in a Mrs. Santa
costume she’d created—requisite white wig along with a frilly white blouse and
a red skirt topped with a red-striped apron. She’d taken with her a batch of
home-baked cookies nestled in a red basket and returned home with a check for
five hundred dollars. The man had been a loyal contributor ever since. Livi
still took him cookies every year.
“Persistence pays,” she told
herself as she deleted what she’d typed. She started over.
I’m asking you to reconsider. Your company is our major
donor, and without you so many people will have little joy this Christmas. Any
amount you can give will be greatly appreciated.
There.
He’d have to be a heartless monster not to respond to that. Guy
trashed the guilt-inflicting email. What was he, Santa Claus? He had his hands
full keeping his company solvent. But
then, people like Olivia Berg never considered the fact that a company might
have needs of its own. What made them feel so entitled to sit at the edge of
the salt mine while a man slaved away and then greet him with their hands out
when he emerged broken and bruised? Maybe some of those people always begging
for money should get out there and actually earn
a living. Let them work their tails off, putting in seventy-hour weeks. Sheesh.
Anyway, the company had
already met their good deed quota for the year. The only cause Guy was
interested in now was Hightower Enterprises. By
the end of the workday, Guy Hightower still hadn’t responded to Livi’s last
email. “You are a heartless monster,” she grumbled, glaring at her empty email
in-box. “No
word yet?” her part-time assistant, Bettina Thomas, asked as she shut down her
computer.
Livi sighed and shook her head.“That is so wrong,” Bettina said
in disgust. It sure was. “They’ve been our
major donor ever since my great-grandmother founded Christmas from the Heart.
Without their contribution how will we put on the Christmas dinner at the
community center? How many families won’t have presents under the tree or
Christmas stockings or a Christmas turkey?” There was no Salvation Army in Pine
River, no Toys for Tots— none of the usual organizations serviced this area.
There had been no need. Christmas from the Heart had it under control.
Until now. “We’ve had to reassess our
commitments,” Livi quoted. The words left a bad taste in her mouth and she
frowned. “It sounds like something your boyfriend says when he’s dumping you.” “They are dumping us,” Bettina
pointed out. “But don’t worry. We have time. We’ll find someone else to come
through.”
“Not like Hightower. There must
be something I can do,” Livi mused. “There is. Go home and eat
chocolate.” And try not to think bad
thoughts about Guy Hightower.
In all fairness, he probably
didn’t grasp the situation. She’d call him the next day and invite him to come
to Pine River for a visit so she could let him see the need, show him a little
of what Christmas from the Heart did for the community. She could take him to
lunch, introduce him to some of the people in town, put a face—or better yet,
several—to Christmas from the Heart. She’d top it all off by following in her
mother’s footsteps and baking him cookies. Then how could he help but catch the
vision his great-grandfather and her great-grandmother had shared? Yes, that would do it. Sometimes
you had to be a little patient, give people a second chance.
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