The term altruism¹ was originally coined by philosopher Auguste Comte. It means selfless concern for the welfare of others. On December 15 2009, 36-year-old Reed² Sandridge did something that people who just lost their jobs usually never do. He started Year of Giving,a project dedicated³ to his mother, the most altruistic⁴ person he knew. Sandridge's plan was to give away US$10 to a stranger every day and then document it on his blog. He said his mother taught him that in difficult economic times, it's even more important to share with others.Sandridge knows that US$10 is not really going to change a person's life. However, he feels good in his heart, which is worth way more than US$10. Also, his stories have inspired others to do more to help those in need.

Some days, giving away money in Washington, DC is easy, like when Sandridge helps out a homeless person or someone down on their luck. Other days, it's difficult because strangers think that Sandridge is crazy. In their opinion, no one in their right mind would be giving out money to strangers.

On his blog, Sandridge documents each monetary⁵ exchange and what happened that day. He keeps in contact with many of the people that have accepted his money and asks them to let him know how they spent it. Some bought cigarettes, alcohol, or groceries, while others paid it forward and gave the US$10 away themselves. Sandridge even has a section0 on the blog called Lend a Hand, where he lists the needs of the people he has met. From this, his readers can send him the needed items, which he will deliver accordingly. At the end of the year, Sandridge plans to have a party and invite all those who have been featured. His mother would surely be very proud of him.

利他主义”一词最初是由行学家奥古斯特·孔德所创.代表对他人福利的无私关怀。2009年12月15号，36岁的里德·桑德里奇做了一件失业者通常不会做的事。他开始“付出年，这项计划,而该计划是献给他母亲，她是他认识的人中最无私的一位。桑德里奇的计划是每天给一名陌生人10美元，并记录在他的博客上。他说他的母亲教导他经济情况越是艰难，与人分享就越为重要。桑德里奇明白10美元并不能真正改变一个人的生活。不过，此举让他感觉良好，这种价值远超过10美元。此外，他的故事也启发了其他人帮助需要帮忙的人。

在华盛顿特区，有些日子蹭送金钱相当容易，例如在桑德里奇帮助无家可归的人或是时运不济的人的时候。不过有些日子则很困难，因为陌生人认为桑德里奇疯了。他们觉得梢神正常的人不会把钱分发给陌生人。

在他的博客上，桑德里奇记录每一笔金钱交易以及当天发生的事。他和许多接受他金钱的人保持联络，并请他们让他知道，他们如何运用这笔钱。有些人拿去买香烟、酒或是食物杂货，而有些人则是传承这项善意，把这10美元转送给他人。桑德里奇甚至在他的博客中开设一个叫“带助’的专区.列出与他相遇的人的需求。通过这个列表，他的读者可以把所需物品寄给他，然后他再依照需求送出。年底时，桑德里奇打算开个派对，邀请所有参与其中的人参加。他的母亲亲绝对会以他这个儿子为荣。