This great kid makes a difference to Chicago's homeless

When Jahkil Jackson was 8 years old, he helped his aunt distribute food to homeless people in Chicago. He was touched by the experience and wanted to keep helping these folks. He made what he called  “Blessing Bags,” and filled them with wipes, socks, soap, deodorant, hand sanitizer, granola bars, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. He brought a few of these to a local homeless shelter, and the recipients were incredibly grateful.


That was two years ago. Since then, Jahkil's idea has blossomed into Project I Am. Partnering with local agencies and schools, Project I Am has filled and distributed over 5000 Blessing Bags to Chicago's homeless. They have also filled bags for hurricane victims in Florida and for orphans in Swaziland. Now 10-years-old, Jahkil's hope is to fill and distribute 6000 bags in 2018. 

Amazing, how one kid's good heart can touch so many people in need. 

Gas station clerk returns dropped $1 million lottery winner's ticket

Talk about honesty. A Salina Kansas gas station clerk noticed a lottery ticket on the floor of his store. He scanned it and realized it was a winner - not just any winner but the Mega Millions jackpot winner. Plus, the ticket worth $1 million was unsigned. Anyone could sign it and claim it.

This as yet unnamed clerk chose to call the store's owner and see how to handle it. The owner's son came in and together the two figured out who had dropped the ticket. Call it serendipity or coincidence or whatever you like, but the customer in question drove by the station a short time later. The station owner's son came outside and waved him down. The ticket was returned to its rightful owner who also has not yet been identified. 

So this week, Salina Kansas has three very happy people. One is a million dollars richer. Two can close their eyes knowing they did what was right. 

Bus driver stops to feed a stray dog every day for 2 years

A couple years ago, a Canadian bus driver spotted an emaciated stray digging through the trash. A volunteer with Feed the FurBabies Canada, the anonymous woman was touched. She returned to the site with a bag of dog food and offered it to the stray dog. He devoured it. The next day, she spotted the same dog waiting along her route, wagging his tail. She stopped her bus and tossed him another helping of dog food. The pattern was set.

Every day since then, the dog has waited for her bus. In all kinds of weather, tail wagging, he stays beside the road while she pulls up and stops the bus. When she opens the door and tosses the bag of food, he grabs it in his teeth and hurries off.

The local animal shelter does not have enough room to house all the area's strays. There aren't enough foster homes for them either. Even so, this woman saw something she could do to help this dog. And she's done it every day for the last 2 years.

Scottish surgeon walks 8 miles through snow to perform cancer surgery

Dr. Lindsay Chisholm is well accustomed to winters in Scotland. An avid winter hiker, she has walking poles, snow goggles, and appropriate clothing so she can get out and enjoy the brisk air near her home west of Glasgow. So she "didn't even think about it" when her region was under a red alert for a coming storm. With snow falling and hospital staff reporting off for their shift because of bad travel conditions, Dr. Chisholm donned her gear and set off.


Meanwhile at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, Iain McAndrew watched the accumulating snow, fully expecting cancellation of his surgery for colon cancer. When Dr. Chisholm arrived at his door still in her gear, he was shocked. He instantly proclaimed her 'a real-life superwoman' for trekking 3 hours through the snow to perform his surgery on schedule. 




Dr. Chisholm shrugs it off as "no big deal." Mr. McAndrew begs to differ. He sings the praises of this doctor's commitment to her patients and proclaims himself "a very happy chappy." 

Couple adopts four siblings, judge in tears

In Johnson County District Court, Judge Kathleen L. Sloan asked for something unusual. "I order this packed courtroom to give the Watsons a standing ovation," she said. The judge had just finalized the Watsons' adoption of four siblings ages 11-17. 

Childless, the Kansas City area Watsons applied to become foster parents in 2015. The very next day, they got a call from the local social service agency. Four siblings were in need of a home, and they wanted to stay together. A bit overwhelmed at the idea of going from zero to four, the Watsons took a couple days to think it over. But they decided, 'bring 'em on.' 

Since then, the Watsons have bonded with the kids. To hold everyone, they built a larger house and bought a Honda Pilot. Even the children's biological grandmother gives her stamp of approval on the adoption. It was, in Judge Sloan's words, "the best hearing that any judge gets to have." 

Small kindness of Waffle House waitress goes viral, lands her a scholarship

Laura Wolf was eating at a Waffle House in La Marque, Texas earlier this month. She overheard an elderly customer on oxygen ask a passing waitress for help. He said his hands weren't working well and needed help cutting his ham. Eighteen-year-old Evoni Williams was that passing waitress, and she did what she always does - stopped and helped. Laura captured the small kindness on her phone and shared it on Facebook. The post went viral.

As word spread locally, Evoni was thrown into the spotlight. The public learned she works at Waffle House to save for her college education where she plans to major in business. Last week, various officials met her at the Waffle House including media to record the event. The mayor issued a proclamation, declaring Thursday Evoni Williams Day. She was given a huge vase of flowers and got to meet Laura, the woman who captured the kindness to begin with. Then, a representative from Texas Southern University came forward. He presented Evoni with a $16,000 scholarship to be used toward four semesters' tuition.

Evoni is understandably delighted with the accolades, but doesn't quite see what all the fuss is about. She says, "I was just doing what I do every day."

High school junior creates win-win program giving jobs to San Diego's homeless

A TED Talk about a program in Albuquerque called A Better Way left San Diego's Kevin Barber inspired. The 16-year-old saw how readily A Better Way served two needs - cleaner city streets and paying jobs for the homeless. Through his mother's work as an ER physician, Kevin was aware of San Diego's own homelessness problem and the downward spiral that so often haunts the people affected. He and his mom talked about it and came to a decision. With her emotional and financial support, Kevin launched Wheels of Change.

The program's van picks workers up at one of the city's homeless shelters and takes them to a location in need of clean up. They may pick up trash, clear weeds or brush, whatever needs to be done. At the end of the work day, they are brought back to the shelter and paid $11.50 for each hour worked. 

For many of the program's participants, this is the first paid work they've done in years. They report feelings of empowerment and restored dignity, as well as the hope they can eventually care for themselves.  

This win-win program has received support from San Diego's mayor and city council. A GoFundMe page takes donations to expand the program with more vans to transport more workers around the city. 

Kevin hopes the program's success in Albuquerque and now in San Diego will serve as a model for similar programs around the country. 

93-year-old Italian nonna travels to Kenya to volunteer at an orphanage

Italian grandmothers have a reputation for, shall we stay, sturdiness. Norma Irma is no exception. The 93-year-old has given financial support to an Italian-founded orphanage in Kenya for many years. Last week, she left her home in Noventa Vicentina, Italy with her daughter. The pair flew to Kenya for a three week volunteer stint at that orphanage. Norma's proud granddaughter, Elisa Coltro, shared the story and photos on social media and with the Italian press. 

Elisa wants others to know her grandmother chose to go, "...not to some tourist resort to be waited on hand and foot, but to go to a village of children, in an orphanage. I'm showing her to you because I believe that all of us should always keep a dash of recklessness in order to live and not just survive. Look at her... Who's stopping her? I love her."

She adds, "Perhaps my grandma will decide to stay. It's entirely possible, knowing her big heart and her energy."

Quick-thinking woman lies to save a child from kidnapper

Last week, Amy Martinez was walking to her middle school in Santa Ana, California. Without warning, a woman passing her on the street grabbed her in a bear hug (as Amy demonstrates in the photo) and started to drag her down the street. Terrified, Amy struggled and hollered but was unable to break free. 

That's when a car driving past stopped. A woman who prefers to remain anonymous got out and confronted the potential abductor. Claiming to be Amy's mother, she yelled repeatedly to let Amy go. The woman did. The anonymous hero then escorted Amy safely to school where family and authorities were notified. 

The potential kidnapper was arrested a short time later. 

To the anonymous woman, Amy says, "Thank you for saving my life. You're my hero."