Oglethorpe’s First Lady a Guest on the Martha Stewart Show

It’s not unusual to hear about people giving their time and fortune around December. For Betty Londergan (also known around OU as President Schall’s wife), giving has literally been an everyday thing for almost a year in 2010.

An author and active community member, Betty made local and national headlines with her “What Gives? 365” blog project, a year-long effort in which she donates $100 a day to a different organization or person doing good work in the community.  Each day she hits her blog to express why she thinks the cause is worthy of support and encouraging others to do the same.

Betty Londergan with Project Compassion founder Kaziah Hancock at an Oglethorpe University event. “What Gives? 365” gave $100 to Project Compassion in September.

Her blog garnered national attention in USA Today and Huffington Post and was featured in Whole Living magazine, and she appeared on the Martha Stewart Show in an episode that will spotlight charitable organizations, philanthropists, and giving.

By the end of 2010, Betty donated a grand total of $36,500—funded through a small inheritance she received from her father. On her blog, Betty reveals that her parents were incredible savers but also passionate givers and thinks that her mother would have approved. “Dorothy Mae would love that and say that it’s about time I stopped buying so many darn shoes and did something for others.”

After weathering some financial storms of her own, the old adage, ‘putting your money where your mouth is’ took on new meaning. “Giving away money is the absolute antidote to fear and insecurity about money,” Betty said in the Whole Living article. “Desire and clutching cause suffering—and when you let go, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Tune in to the Hallmark Channel on Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. to see Betty chat with Martha Stewart!

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