ELKHART, Ind. (AP) – A northern Indiana charity paper clipped 200 $1 bills to two trees in Elkhart with notes attached asking people who took the money to pay it forward with an act of kindness toward someone else.  

Santa's Pantry Director Debbie Micola told WNDU-TV (http://bit.ly/1GPWlts ) the organization wanted to show people how kindness is all around if people take the time to see it. While organizers realize there's no way to be certain that the acts of kindness will be paid forward, they said the exercise in itself gave them hope. 

Santa's Pantry didn't stop there. The nonprofit surprised the Elkhart Community Schools with a check for $3,000 to pay off all outstanding student lunch accounts. 

Micola says she hopes the students pay it forward with acts of kindness.