Eighty families from College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind., helped bless people in need by distributing $20,000 in December.

It all started when an anonymous donor gave $100,000 to the Crossroads United Way, with the request to split the funds among five random Elkhart County churches.

Each church received $20,000 to divide among 80 families who would distribute $250 each through acts of kindness to people who might have slipped through society’s safety net.

Since College Mennonite was ran­domly selected by the United Way, without any application process, Phil Waite, the pastoral team leader, initially thought the email notifying them about it was a scam.

Upon further inquiry, the Mennonite Church USA congregation decided to participate.

Many passed the money along to people they knew for gifts or necessities during the holiday season. Others gave the funds to community organizations such as the Center for Healing & Hope, which helps uninsured people receive health services, or The Window, a food and clothing pantry.

Some directed the money to neighbors for specific needs such as roof repair or monthly rent. Others split the money into smaller sums for strangers they presumed were in need.

One family helped pay for a woman’s groceries when they noticed she was struggling to cover the bill herself. Others gave holiday bonuses to people who serve the public, like restaurant wait staff, garbage collectors or grocery store employees.

A group pooled their money and asked a local nonprofit to use it for Christmas bonuses for their lowest-paid employees. One family added $50 to give a friend in need $300.

Several families spent their $250 on coats and other warm clothing for College Mennonite’s clothing supply, part of the church’s resettlement ministry for congregants. Another family worked with school administrators to provide $50 supermarket gift cards for five families who could use a little help. Someone discovered a grocery store had seen an influx of unhoused people asking for food, so she bought 25 $10 gift cards for the staff to help in these situations.

One woman bought nonperishable goods and hygiene products for Faith Mission, a local homeless shelter.

Despite feeling grateful for the gift and encouraged by the results, the ­process brought mixed feelings. Some found it difficult to give away someone else’s money. Others felt overwhelmed by the number of ways they could use the gift. Some had trouble coping with the power to choose whom to help. A few had difficulty balancing good stewardship with the ability to be free and extravagant. Some weren’t sure they could identify anyone in need and therefore were hesitant to volunteer to give out the money.

One person said it helped them realize how out of touch they were with needs in the community. Another was “overwhelmed with how many people are in need. The more we shared, the more we noticed more need.”

Some families developed new relationships because of the initiative. Others were inspired to make long-term changes. One woman said it “inspired my husband and me to make some changes in our family Christmas celebration this year. We bought our five grandchildren each just one modest gift and then got items for 10 [Mennonite Central Committee] relief kits for refugee families.”

One congregant summed up the experience: “Generosity is happening every day, and if you pay attention, you can find ways of supporting people, even with small amounts of money or small acts of kindness.”