While driving home from a high school graduation with his mom and his sister, 8-year-old Maurice Adams Jr. of Milledgeville, Georgia spotted an elderly woman with a walker crossing a busy intersection. She was alone, and faced a set of on the far side of the intersection. Maurice asked his mom if he could help this stranger. Of course his mother said yes. So Maurice got out and walked beside the woman as she finished crossing the intersection. He stayed beside her as she climbed the stairs with her walker - an awkward feat for anyone! When they reached the top, the woman turned to Maurice, hugged him, and said, "You're special." Unknown to Maurice or the woman, a man named Riley Duncan had watched the pair. He captured some of Maurice's kindness on cell phone video. Duncan posted the video on Facebook, and through that learned the name of the kindhearted boy. He gave Maurice $100 as a reward, adding, "Thank God for our youth." Then Duncan sent the video to a local news outlet. The video went viral. Maurice’s mom, Contricia Hill, is rightfully proud of her son. Thousands of others who watched the video are proud of Maurice, too. Here's my question for administrators in that town: why isn't there a ramp so elderly and others with special needs can get around independently?
U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Malone served four years of active duty and fifteen years in the reserves. When his mother died, he inherited her house, his own childhood home and he was happy to think he'd live there again. There was only one problem - the home needed major repairs and Malone didn't have the money. He moved into a shelter for homeless veterans. Enter Team Depot and Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation. These two organizations teamed up, determined to get Malone the needed repairs. Matt Rice, manager of an Indianapolis Home Depot, said, “We are helping him get back and are getting this house in shape where he can move back in and get going again.” About 60 volunteers remodeled the bathroom and installed flooring, they painted and repaired. When all was said and done, the home was move-in ready. “I’m excited for a new leaf in life, a new fresh start," Malone said. "I’m touched by the generosity of people."
While driving with his family through Vancouver, BC on a rainy September day in 2016, six-year-old Ryder Moore noticed something - people wearing ragged clothes and no protective footwear. Ryder asked his parents about this, and a conversation about poverty and homelessness followed. Touched by what he saw and learned, Ryder suggested he give away his own boots. His parents guided him toward a way to make a greater impact. Now in its third year, Ryder's Rainboots raises funds to buy Rainy Day Kits containing new rain boots, a poncho or rain suit, gloves, socks, and a hat for men, women, and children. Eight-year-old Ryder adds a personal note to each kit, saying “Hope these boots keep your feet dry. From Ryder’s Rainboots xoxo.” He delivers them himself to the Vancouver area homeless shelters. All totaled, Ryder's project has raised over $10,000 since its start in 2016, allowing him to deliver over 200 Rainy Day Kits! His goal for 2018 is to raise $5000 by mid-October to prepare the homeless for the fall rainy season in Vancouver. He says, "I want people to have fun and jump in the puddles, and most of all, feel like someone cares for them."
She went to work. She gathered a few friends and they sent out some extra packages from LeAnn's home for those soldiers. Then they did it again, and again, reaching new soldiers each time. As they expanded their reach, they realized the true size of the need. LeAnn's effort had to grow outside her own small group of helpers. So she founded Support the Troops, WI, a 501(c)3 non-profit. Staffed by volunteers, many of whom are ex-military themselves, care packages contain donated candy, nonperishable food, activity books, DVDs, personal care items, and clothing. The 10,000th care package was mailed to a US military soldier serving overseas this month.
This week, millions of people were delighted to learn of Prince Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle.
Folks who know me will tell you - I don't keep up with pop culture. I didn't know much about this young woman, but I wanted to learn. I came across this video of a speech she gave at the 2015 UN Women's Conference.
The story she shares here reminds me of something I did at about eight- or nine-years-old. I spent part of my allowance on a cherry Tootsie Roll lollipop (my favorite.) When I got to the lollipop's center >gasp< there was NO Tootsie Roll center! It was all lollipop.
I told my mom about my disappointment. She encouraged me to write a letter to the company, which I did. Together, we found the company's address, included the chewed-up stick and the colored wrapper as evidence with the letter, and mailed it off. Lo and behold, a couple weeks later, a package arrived addressed to me. Inside was a large box of Tootsie Roll lollipops with a letter of apology.
Now, I didn't keep the company's letter. The size of the box was probably smaller than I remember. But one thing remains with me decades later - the lesson. I learned that complaining to people around me will do no good. I learned the power of speaking out against a wrong, be it small or large. I learned that the only way things will ever change is if I am part of the solution.
Based on her speech, that is a belief Meghan Markle also holds close.
Last week, Spring Herbison Bowlin was on the checkout line at the Clarkson, Mississippi WalMart. The customer ahead of her was an elderly man. When the clerk rang up his order, he looked back at Bowlin and apologized, then dug in his pockets for change. Holding the handfuls of change, he counted and recounted, then got flustered. He looked back at Bowlin and apologized again. His hands shook. The cashier took hold of his hands and reassured him. Dumping all the change on the counter, she told him, "This is not a problem, honey. We will do this together." And they did. Bowlin snapped a photo of this small kindness.
When it was her turn to checkout, she thanked the clerk for helping the elderly gentleman and being so patient with him. The clerk brushed away her praise. "'You shouldn't have to thank me, baby. What's wrong with our world is we've forgotten how to love one another." Back home, Bowlin posted this small interaction on Facebook. The post went viral. Apparently, tens of thousands of us crave this sort of decency.
Roberta Hoskie of New Haven, Connecticut was surprised to get the call. A $10,000 check made out to her had been found on the street. and the finder was calling her to return it. She hadn't even realized it was missing! The CEO of a realty company, Hoskie was deeply appreciative and agreed to meet the caller to retrieve the check. That's when she met Elmer Alvarez. Currently homeless. Alvarez had indeed found the check lying on the street and called Hoskie to return it. The two spoke and learned a bit more about one another. It seems Hoskie too had once been homeless, living in a nearby shelter, so she understood what Alvarez was going through. Hoskie gave Alvarez a reward for returning the check, and posted about the event on Facebook Live. Support and offers of help for Alvarez poured in, both locally and from other parts of the country. She plans to keep in touch with Alvarez and 'teach him to fish.' As for Alvarez, he says he returned the check because it was the right thing to do. A man of faith, he believes "once you do right, right always comes back to you. Because God don’t like ugly.”
When high school teacher Rickee Stewart set up her bridal registry last spring, she hit on a unique idea. Instead of showering herself and her fiance Kasey with gifts, she wanted to spread the love, specifically to the over 100 students in her West Jordan, Utah school who are currently homeless. Kasey was on board.
The couple set up a DonorChoose.org account for donations of tents, shoes, and food for the homeless teens and their families. At first, donations came from folks on their wedding guest list. But word spread. Within weeks, gifts flowed in from all around the state, then around the country, some even from Canada.
Rickee and her school administration have set up distribution so it remains anonymous, preserving the dignity of those in need. The students and families receiving these items are beyond grateful.
Eighteen-year-old Tyler Opdyke was on foot, delivering flyers to advertise his uncle's pest control business near his California home. He spotted a wallet on the sidewalk outside a home and approached the home to return it. Inside the home, Melissa Vang heard the doorbell, but didn't recognize the young man. Afraid to answer the door to a stranger, she chose to ignore the bell.
Not getting an answer, Opdyke lifted the wallet to the porch surveillance camera and then tucked it beneath the front doormat. Still concerned about the wallet, Opdyke returned to the home later. That time, Vang and her two children opened the door to him. “It’s sad that I didn’t trust him to open my door when he was just doing a good deed,” she later told reporters. “We all need to be reminded that there are still good people out there.” Vang gave the teen a $150 reward, and her overwhelming gratitude. Opdyke took the reward of course, but shrugs off the idea that he did something special. "I just felt - this isn't mine. I need to give it back," he said.
About six years ago, Meg Yunn was working as the director of volunteer services at a small college near Pittsburgh. She sat with 12-year-old Beverly at a local youth program to help the girl with her vocabulary homework. One of the words was 'accustomed' and Meg used the word in a sentence, something on the order of "When people are at a birthday party, they are accustomed to eating cake." Beverly looked confused and told Meg she'd never had a birthday party or a slice of birthday cake.
Meg was shocked. The mother of three burst into tears on her way home from work and told her husband she had to do something about it.
Within a year, Meg left her job and started "Beverly's Birthdays," a non-profit, using $2500 seed money from contest winnings. Beverly's Birthdays' mission is to partner with local agencies to offer free birthday parties (including cake, favors, and gifts) for children who are poor, homeless, or for other reasons would not celebrate their birthday. The 43 Pittsburgh-area agencies who have partnered with Meg on this project include homeless shelters, schools, and social-service agencies, and donations come in from both individuals and corporations.
Now including over 200 volunteers, Beverly's Birthdays hosts 120 group birthday parties a year in the Pittsburgh area. This spreads the fun over 2,000 children and guests, each and every year. Meg still gets into the thick of things, donning her Cat in the Hat costume and handing out donated gifts to the birthday boys and girls.
Meg and Beverly's Birthdays didn't stop at group birthday parties. Working with local food banks, they also offer birthdays-in-a-bag for families to take home, complete with balloons, cake mix, and candles. Birthday boxes are available for schools too, for those occasions where families don't have the means to send in something to celebrate in the classroom. And recently, Beverly’s Birthdays began to host baby showers for new mothers who might not otherwise have one.
All because one woman listened to the pain behind a child's words.
Like other engaged couples, Millie and Matt wanted their wedding day to be special. Millie, an avid and accomplished baker, decided to personalize their day by making the wedding cake herself. She created a three-level beauty of a cake, fully decorated and anchored with dowels and rigid bases between the layers.
But a hot day and heavy traffic on the way to the hotel reception site wreaked havoc on the buttercream and fondant, causing the entire middle layer to collapse when Matt lifted it from the car. Millie was prepared to accept the damage and enjoy the day anyway, but Matt felt horrible. He repeatedly apologized. Nothing Millie could say calmed his sense of guilt.
It so happened that Clare Vaz was in the same hotel at that time, delivering a batch of cupcakes. The owner of a bakery, Clare was approached by a hotel manager. He told her of the damaged wedding cake and asked if she might be able to help. She said she would do her best to restore the cake to its former beauty.
And she did, even though it meant she needed to drop everything and devote hours to the task. To date, she still hasn't met the delighted bride and groom and hasn't asked to be paid for her time. She was just happy to restore a lovely cake to celebrate Millie and Matt's wedding day.
Pam Brekke of Sanford Florida did what many Floridians did before Hurricane Irma - she prepared. A generator was tops on Pam's list to maintain her elderly father's oxygen supply in the event of a power failure. She waited in line at the nearest Lowe's, about 30 miles from her home, to buy one of their 200+ generators. The customer in front of her got the last one. Brekke burst into tears.
Ramon Santiago of Orlando had a generator already in his cart. He was walking through the store picking up other items he needed when he saw Brekke break down and cry. Because English isn't his first language, he did not understand the details, just that Brekke needed a generator and didn't have one. He had planned to buy the generator to help his mother take care of his two aged grandmothers, but he offered the generator in his cart to Brekke. She accepted it with hugs and thanks.
Unbeknownst to Santiago and Brekke, Nancy Alvarez, a WFTV morning newscaster who happened to be in line behind Brekke, saw the whole transaction and filmed it with her smartphone. She shared the story on the station's social media within hours. It went viral.
Santiago wasn't aware of it until he walked into a doctor's office several hours later and the nurses stood and applauded him. And it got better. Lowe's management learned Santiago's identity and tracked him down when a new shipment of generators came in. They gave him one for free, their thanks for his kindness to a stranger in need.
Stacy Hurt was anxious to get home. The 46-year-old flew on a Southwest flight direct from Nashville to Pittsburgh, but her luggage remained in Nashville on a previously booked connecting flight. Hurt was scheduled for her monthly chemotherapy session the following morning, and really needed her luggage. Packed inside were medications which helped with the chemo's side effects, as well as a rosary and a favorite T-shirt, both of which brought comfort to the mother of two in her fight against stage 4 colon cancer. Hurt called Southwest's Pittsburgh office and spoke with Sarah Rowan in Customer Service. Hurt told her story to Rowan, who listened and understood the importance of the luggage contents. Rowan promised to contact Hurt when the luggage arrived in Pittsburgh, and that a courier would deliver it directly to Hurt's home.
Sorry for the delay getting your bag to you. Myself and my Southwest family are thinking of you and wishing all the best. Kick that cancer's butt!
With luv, Sarah from Pit
Overwhelmed by Rowan's kindness, Hurt contacted Southwest and tracked her down to thank her. She also sang Rowan's praises to her bosses at Southwest so they would know their employee had literally gone the extra mile to care for one of their passengers.
Several months ago, a customer came into Knibbe Automotive Repair in Calgary with a problem. Her van needed some expensive brake work, and since her husband had recently left her and their three children, she was unsure how she'd pay for it. Compassion for the young mother's situation tugged at the hearts of several of the shop's mechanics. They volunteered their own money for parts and their own time after hours to implement the repairs.
Since then, the shop has launched a unique give-back-to-the-community program. When a customer sells them a car cheaply, the mechanics work their magic. They donate their time and energy to do body work, tune-ups, and whatever repairs are needed to ensure the car is in good working condition. Then they post pictures of the car on their company Facebook page, and take nominations for folks who really need wheels but can't afford to buy a car. Once chosen, the lucky recipient gets a fully serviced car, free of charge, no strings attached. The shop even throws in a free year of routine maintenance and repairs! What do the mechanics and the shop get out of it? "It really just has to do with helping people out that just don't have the means to do it themselves either through money or time," managing partner Joe Kirk says. "If you can do that kind of thing, it's what you have to do as a decent human being."
Amanda Bowler and some friends were hiking to Alaska's Reeds Lake last weekend. Accompanying them was a friend's 100-pound Bull Mastiff named Bocephus. All was going fine until, about 2/3 of the way through the hike, Bocephus had 'a colossal meltdown.' Frightened, he hunkered down and refused to move. To make matters worse, a couple of passing hikers told of an aggressive grizzly which had terrorized hikers and their dogs near the lakes earlier that day.
The three young women knew they had to move on so they urged the dog forward. Bocephus wouldn't budge. They tried to carry him, even pass him between them hot potato style as they walked. They didn't make it far before the struggle became too great.
A second small group of hikers noticed their problem and approached. One of them, later identified as Ryan Pepp with the US Army in Anchorage, took off his own pack and slung Bocephus around his shoulders. Pepp then carried the dog across the boulder field until they reached a spot where the dog could continue safely on his own.
So she set about raising funds. Brennan wrote letters to 40+ dermatologist, health professionals, city administrators, and pool patrons. A total of $1600 rolled in, allowing her to purchase and install sunscreen dispensers at all the public pools in her home county. With the free sunscreen so readily available, Brennan hopes people will be more likely to use it and reduce their cancer risk.
Brennan identified a need, figured out how to fill that need, and then made it happen. Kudos.
They have provided funding for youth programs and scholarships, with an eye on long-term benefits for the community. They are committed to helping those in poverty, not through temporary fixes of food and shelter, but through job training so those affected can eventually care for themselves. The foundation hopes to partner with city organizations which share its vision - nothing less than the transformation of Trenton's image from a violent gang-run city into a city full of opportunity and hope.
With the divisive atmosphere in our country and our media's focus on bad news and sensationalism, human decency seems in short supply. In fact, bad behavior seems more common than ever. As headlines and 24-hour news channels broadcast more and more stories of worthy of a dystopian novel, I ask myself - is the escalation in bad behavior a matter of garbage in, garbage out?
Call me callous, but I limit my intake of news. I can't spend my life's energy fretting about other people's bad behavior. I'm on the lookout for good news, hoping to fill my mind with examples of goodness and decency so my heart will absorb the message and my actions will reflect that. Goodness in/ goodness out.
That's the purpose of this blog. It's my way of calling attention to kindness, a chance to spread some decency, share some small reminders that people who behave with respect for themselves and others still exist. I believe their stories should be broadcast far and wide. Their behaviors are the ones which can and should be emulated.
Take this story for example. At a busy Massachusetts shopping mall, an 83-year-old man hesitated at the top of an escalator. A few people walked around him and still the man stood in place. Several paces back, a woman named Paula witnessed a young man later identified as 23-year-old Alonzo Johnson approach the elderly man. "Do you need help, sir?" he asked. The man explained that he'd once been caught by an escalator and still had a phobia about them. Johnson offered an outstretched arm and said he'd ride with him to the bottom. The man accepted the offer and did just fine.
Paula captured the kindness on her cell phone and posted the act of decency to Facebook. The shot has gone viral, which surprised both Paula and Mr. Johnson.
Apparently I'm one of over 400,000 people who like hearing good news. Here's hoping each of those 400,000 people spread some kindness of their own.
When Holocaust survivor, 89-year-old Henry Oster spoke at Viewpoint High School in Calabasas, California, 17-year-old Drew Principe was fascinated. He spoke with the elderly Jewish man after the assembly and presented him with a gift - a bracelet inscribed with a Jewish prayer he himself had bought on a trip to Israel several years earlier. Oster was overwhelmed with the gift, and admitted that he had never been to Israel.
The two kept in touch. Principe learned that Oster was detained by the Nazis just a few weeks before his bar mitzvah and spent time in Auschwitz. After the camp was liberated in 1945, he tracked down one of his few remaining relatives, an uncle in California. At 17, he was adopted by that uncle and began a new life in America. He never did get his bar mitzvah.
The man's story bothered Principe, and he decided to act. He wrote a letter explaining his dream of sending Oster to Israel and sent it to family and friends. They in turn spread the word. Over $15,000 was raised to cover Oster's travel expenses.
Principe didn't stop there. He learned that Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial in Israel, had listed Oster as a victim of the Holocaust, not as a survivor. He contacted them and set the record straight.
When Oster travels to Israel this summer, Yad Vashem will conduct an official ceremony to change his status to that of a survivor. Plus, he will finally celebrate his bar mitzvah, attended by his last living relative in Israel.
