Paying Gratitude Forward

Tammy Marino of Unbound shares the far-reaching and enduring impact of extending gratitude. 

Many think of Thanksgiving as a day filled with eating delicious seasonal foods, football, prepping for bargain shopping and the unofficial kickoff to the Christmas season. And while all those Turkey Day traditions bring us joy, the true spirit of the holiday is to reflect on that for which we are grateful. 

Last Thanksgiving, while chatting with my youngest son about the many things we and our family are grateful for, we started thinking about how there are millions of children and families who don’t have safe shelter, who can’t afford food and who can’t attend school because of prohibitive costs. I watched my empathetic young teen consider his next words carefully. 

“We should sponsor a child, Mommy,” he said.  

And within moments, he took my phone and pulled up the Unbound website to learn more about the organization’s mission and work, that up until then had been just his mom’s day-to-day job. As he read through stories of challenges, strength and achievement, he became even more passionate about his newly hatched sponsorship plan. Soon, he found the page where he could scroll through the many children and elders waiting for someone to take that next step. 

He found a 7-year-old boy named Jason in Guatemala who loves singing and math, and whose favorite color is red — three things Jason and my son have in common. One year later, this little boy and his family have become part of our family. His picture is up on our refrigerator as a constant reminder to check in with him, see how he’s doing in school and let him know what is new in our lives. We look forward to each letter and photo as we have found so much more than a way to help a faraway family; we have enlarged our family! 

Long-Lasting Connections

While my family is fairly new to the Unbound community, there are sponsors who have been making connections and impacts for decades. People from coast to coast, and places in between, are supporting families and communities around the world on their paths out of poverty. 

Joe Schraufnagel is a longtime North Carolina resident and a 30-year Unbound sponsor. Currently supporting four youths and their families (in El Salvador, Kenya, Tanzania and Costa Rica) and one elder (in Costa Rica), Joe, a longtime teacher married to another longtime teacher, lights up when he talks about the joy, gratitude and connection he receives as a sponsor. He is so committed to Unbound’s work and mission that he has taken on an ambassador role, using his free time to gently encourage his friends and neighbors to join him in walking alongside families as they chart their paths out of poverty.  

A poetic and moving speaker, Joe tells people in his network to “spend less time on ‘Fleeting Avenue’ and park your car on ‘Joyful Lane.’” 

On the other side of the United States, Rico Micallef, a longtime Washington state resident, is a 21-year Unbound sponsor. Rico is currently supporting five children ages 1 through 17 and their families (in Peru, Bolivia El Salvador and the Philippines). In addition, Rico has committed to funding an Agents of Change initiative every quarter.  

The Agents of Change initiative allows donors to fund entire small-scale solutions/projects that have been identified by parent leaders which, when funded and complete, positively impact entire communities. Past grants have provided access to water, paved paths or roads, repaired playgrounds, put roofs on classrooms and much more.  

“It is a tremendously good feeling to know you are making a profound difference,” Rico said. “And having the opportunity to travel to Unbound communities, I was moved by the incredible generosity and gratitude people living through extreme poverty showed me.” 

Share Your Gratitude

This Thanksgiving, families searching for ways to bring more gratitude into their homes while also sharing it with others may want to consider sponsoring a friend. Unbound welcomes the entire family to get involved and make a lasting impact. More than 20,000 children and elders are waiting to connect with a sponsor. 

You are being enriched in every way for all generosity, which through us produces thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11)  

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Copyright 2025 Tammy Marino for Unbound
Images: copyright 2025 Unbound, all rights reserved.