Hero Story

One day in 2009, Bob Hoffman was driving home after work when an angry driver cut him off. As Bob started to get angry himself, he had an epiphany: what if this person has had a really bad day or needs to get somewhere for a really important, personal reason? He chose to forgive and send positive vibes outward instead, and immediately felt better -- lighter, happier, less stressed. Bob realized more people need kindness in their lives for no particular reason, other than to share the spirit of humanity.

ePIFanyNow ("PIF" = Passing it Forward) started a few months later. A handful of Bob's friends gathered at an East Lansing restaurant, listened to him share his story of why they were all gathered, then went out and spent two hours doing random acts of kindness. They returned and shared what they did. People said they felt warmed, uplifted, blessed and a whole range of emotions they didn't expect. The group grew from about 12 to more than 200, and before Bob knew it, he needed a bigger space, money for event promotion and supplies, and help! He built a volunteer board of directors and formed the nonprofit ePIFanyNow, and it's been evolving ever since.

A few years later, Bob wanted to recognize youth who were doing things to make their communities a better place. So he created the Youth Passing it Forward -- or Y-PIF -- Award. People could nominate kids from first through 12th grade. They were recognized at the annual ePIFanyNow Parties (the new name for people coming together to be inspired by doing random acts of kindness). People could cast votes online or at the event for $1/vote for the individuals or groups whose projects they thought stood out. ePIFanyNow kept none of this money. Bob wanted it all to go back to the kids so they could further their work of passing it forward. One winner was chosen through a variety of criteria (not just most dollars raised). Eventually, the board voted to also give money to the winner's school for a PIF project. In the four years or so that it was done before the pandemic, more than 40 youth or student organizations were nominated and received funds, some in the hundreds of dollars. The ripple effect of their projects is hard to measure, but I think it's safe to say significant. Bob and his board are currently discussing how to bring back the Y-PIF Award.

During this time Bob also wanted to create the ePIFanyNow Chris Rosati Hero Award in honor/memory of a man who spent his life giving back to others while living with Muscular Dystrophy. He passed away within a year after Bob met him. ePIFanyNow brought Chris' family to East Lansing for the inaugural award and it was incredibly moving. The award was given to two other people before ePIFanyNow paused during COVID. But that didn't stop Bob from living his mission of recognizing and sharing kindness.

During the pandemic, Bob started a nightly Facebook live broadcast on the ePIFanyNow page to recognize people doing good things during a very challenging time. From young children to older adults, individuals to groups, churches to for-profits, Bob sought out the unexpected; the unique; the most heartfelt and impactful stories he could find locally, regionally and statewide, even though to some those peoples' actions might not have seemed like a big deal. He talked with authors whose writings were motivational and inspiring, hoping to help people trying to find their way through the shutdown, losses of loved ones or jobs, or just struggling with fear. His following grew very quickly. Bob's efforts led to boosts in giving to many causes people wouldn't have otherwise known about.

This winter, Bob again called together his "people" and said, "We need to get back on track. The MSU mass shooting has motivated me to do something big for those who are still struggling in the aftermath. Let's make this happen!" Planning is in the works for a fall 2023 event to restart ePIFanyNow with a keynote speaker, random acts of kindness in the community and coming back together afterward to share and celebrate. The Y-PIF and Hero awards will be given out again too.

Aside from ePIFanyNow, Bob shares people's goodwill stories through his weekly series Good Neighbor with Bob Hoffman on Fox 47 news. If he doesn't already know of a good-neighbor story, he asks his viewers and friends to recommend people. This also started during the pandemic. His heart is so full of love for life and the people living it alongside him. He loves nothing better than to share the good that's out there, especially in such a divisive time in our country.

I've been a colleague and friend of Bob's for almost 25 years. He's an inspiration. So many times he's shared a little piece of his personal philosophy about how he stays positive, and that "bit" causes me to look at things through a different lens. He has his bad days too. He's as human as they come.

So why is he worthy of this award? What makes him a hero? I think it's because he truly and passionately cares about people and making life just a little better for every person he meets. And he invites others to do that too through ePIFanyNow, his Good Neighbor segment or whenever he speaks to one of the many groups he addresses every year. He's changed people's perspectives. Little by little, with authenticity and intentionality, maybe we can all do that too.