Mark Stopa is a foreclosure attorney — his job is to help people keep their homes when all else has failed. Still, Mark didn't feel like he was doing enough to help others.
Then his 8-year-old son innocently said something that would change their lives.
Just before bed he told his dad, “Why don’t you give away a house, Daddy?” Mark thought about it and realized his son had a brilliant idea.
Mark decided to a hold a contest for families in need of a home. He'd give it to them for free, all they had to do was write a letter and tell him why. It sounds crazy, but it happened to Tracy — a complete stranger gifted her a house when it was foreclosed upon.
"Narrowing down the volume of letters that I received to the five finalists and, ultimately, the one winner was an extremely difficult process,” he said. The winner? Single mother Moriah Barnhart and her daughter.
Her little girl was diagnosed with brain cancer and in the process of paying medical bills, she lost everything.
“You end up basically losing everything to try to save your child’s life,” Barnhart said.
“I couldn’t say no to her,” Mark said but he didn't feel quite comfortable denying the four other finalists of anything. After all everyone needed it, no family was important than the other.
Mark gave each family $5,000. Then each family paid it forward by raising $5,000 for a charity, Mr. Strong Foundation, that helps special needs children.
“One person can make a difference in the community,” he says. “One person can create change.” We couldn't agree more.
See his amazing story of giving below and please SHARE his positive message with everyone you know!
