The giving spirit is in the air and people all over town are catching it.

Saturday night, the American Legion Post 3 came together for its Christmas party and to donate a check to The Salvation Army.

Last week, the Vicksburg Convalescent Home gave its television to Haven House when Mutual Credit Union donated a new one to the home.

This act started a chain of giving, and ever since, the residents at the VCH have been urging people everywhere to pay it forward for the Joyful Hearts Challenge.

“All of this is behind what they started,” Post Adjutant Usthana Hargrove said.

American Legion Post 3 chaplain and resident at the VCH Steve Assenheimer was pivotal in the challenge with both organizations.

He kick started the donation money himself by contributing a family heirloom creamer dish that had been appraised to be more than  200 years old and worth $200.

The rest of the donation money has come from different fundraisers Post 3 has had this year like the River City BBQ Challenge and from a cookout at the Outlets at Vicksburg.

“In this day and age, we know that $300 may not be a lot, but you know hopefully it can answer quite a few of the angels that’s left on the tree at our local Salvation Army,” Hargrove said. “They have been a great help to this community for many years, and we just want to be able to show our appreciation for everything they’ve done.”

Assenheimer said he wanted to slip the check in the Red Kettle. Members of Post 3 chose to give to The Salvation Army because of the organization’s history of giving to veterans and because the not for profit organization helps so many people who have experienced house fires to the homeless. They want the organization to be able to continue because they see it as a noble cause.

“They pay it forward 365 days a year,” Hargrove said.

Hargrove said Post 3 is considering taking the challenge one step further by putting together a donation for a different organization every month during 2016. They will vote on the measure soon.

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the awareness of people like Mr. Steve who wanted to make a change,” Captain Sritkant Bhatnagar, Corps Officer, said. “It means people really make a difference. It’s not about the amount. If you want the change and everybody comes united and make a difference in our community.”

People as far away as Tennessee have contacted Amie Brooks at the VCH to tell her they have taken note and decided to accept the challenge. She said the residents enjoy hearing about all the people who have given.

“Every moment of your life is an opportunity to do something for someone else,” Hargrove said adding this shouldn’t just happen during the holidays, but all year long. “We want to challenge other organizations and businesses, not to copy what we’re doing, but to do something just because it’s the right thing to do.”