Truly secret Santas give to needy

Your office "Secret Santa" gift exchange may be the bane of your existence in December, but for many people, truly anonymous giving -- the kind not announced at the company party -- is one positive aspect of the holidays.

While most people drop a buck in the red kettle outside the grocery store or donate Toys for Tots, some are playing Santa in more creative and selfless ways, anonymously giving to individual strangers in need.

For instance, in West Michigan on Monday, a woman reportedly walked up to the layaway counter at a Kmart store and asked if she could pay a few customers' layaway contracts, according to WOOD News 8. Her only condition was that the orders include toys.

The woman, who appeared to be in her 30s, looked through the Kmart's 800 or so layaway contract tickets and randomly selected three, on which she ended up paying about $500 -- all but $10 on each ticket.

One of the recipients was Mary Chapin, the mother of a 12-year-old autistic boy. Chapin, who had put $200 of toys on layaway, said the act "restored her faith in people," according to WOOD News 8. Post continues below.

In Reading, Pa., on Nov. 29, one Secret Santa handed out $100 bills on the street, on a bus and at the bus terminal, according to WFMZ-TV. Accompanied by local police, the donor -- wearing a red shirt and a cap with "Elf" stitched on the back -- planned to give out $20,000 of his own money in $100 bills stamped with "Secret Santa" in red. Reading topped the poverty list of cities with at least 65,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The donor's only request was that each recipient commit a random act of kindness, too. "It can be anything. It can be a kind word, a good deed, a small helping hand," the Secret Santa told WFMZ.

The man, identified on the social network website Care2 as "a successful businessman," is part of a Secret Santa society inspired by the generosity of Larry Dean Stewart. Homeless for a time, Stewart was the beneficiary of such acts of random kindness before he eventually became successful with cable television and long-distance phone companies.

According to the Secret Santa World website:

The Society of Secret Santas is an anonymous group of individuals throughout the world, performing random acts of kindness to those less fortunate. Using their own financial resources, without a tax deduction and without soliciting funds from others, these leaders share their wealth with those in need. They give from their hearts remaining forever anonymous.

Stewart, who lived in the Kansas City, Mo., area and died in 2007, at one point estimated that he had given away as much as $1.3 million, beginning in 1979, according to USA Today. He revealed his identity in 2006, after a tabloid had threatened to disclose his secret, USA Today reported.

If you're like me, you are probably inundated at this time of year with requests by mail and phone from dozens of charitable organizations. It's difficult to walk into a store or down the street without someone asking for money or a donation.

At the same time, we're reading stories about bogus charities and questionable practices by nonprofit organizations. So giving directly to specific individuals in need sounds like an appealing alternative.

Have you committed any random acts in the spirit of Santa -- or have you been the beneficiary of any -- during this holiday season?

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