Businessman's generosity reflects past kindness from strangers

Published: 2007-01-02

OAK CREEK, Wis. (CNS) -- The humiliation of using green lunch tickets -- identifying the user as being on welfare -- still brings tears to Jim Best's eyes. Growing up in Milwaukee's central city in the 1960s, going without was a way of life for young Best and his four siblings, the 54-year-old businessman told the Catholic Herald, Milwaukee archdiocesan newspaper. A member of Lumen Christi Parish in Mequon, he was interviewed at the Oak Creek offices of his multimillion-dollar franchise, Pilot Air Freight. Best also remembers one Thanksgiving when strangers -- members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society -- brought a turkey and the fixings to the Best family's door for their holiday dinner. "I recall how amazed I was at the fact that total strangers would care about my family and our basic needs in life," he said. Now Best and his wife, Anne, try to repay the past generosity of other strangers by being "strangers" themselves, anonymously reaching out to others to provide a helping hand. The Bests recently sent two parish priests and a Milwaukee principal each 20 $50 gift cards for a local grocery chain. In a cover letter he explained his own background and asked them to distribute the cards as they saw fit.

Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .