Texas dad confronts his son's bully, and his heart turns compassionate

Aubrey Fontenot's 8-year-old son Jordan was being bullied at school. Fontenot spoke with school officials about it several times, and from them, got the feeling that the bully himself was in need of help. When the bully stole Jordan's phone, Fontenot had enough.

He contacted the bully's mother and learned the truth: the bully was himself being bullied by other children because he didn't have clean clothes or shoes. The family was homeless and struggling. 

Moved by the family's troubles, Fontenot decided to spend a day with the boy. He took him shopping, and bought him some clothes and shoes. They talked about morals and self-respect, and what it takes to transition from a troubled childhood into a man of character. Fontenot even set up a GoFundMe page to help the homeless family get back on their feet. 

Jordan and his bully met face-to-face at Fontenot's tattoo shop. The boys have reached an understanding, and have even played video games and gone to a Houston Texans game together. Fontenot wants more people to reach out to those who are struggling. As he said, "We all come from different backgrounds but we all share the same goal of success." 

Small pizzeria has given away over 140,000 slices to local homeless

Shortly after Mike and Jenny Stevens opened their Little Caesar's franchise in Fargo, North Dakota, they saw a homeless man sitting at a nearby gas station. Mike thought he looked hungry, so he brought him a pizza. A few days later, Mike saw someone rummaging through the restaurant's dumpster. He posted this sign in the window, and his mission was born. 

Over the next two years, the pizza giveaway grew. Mike started to deliver pizzas to local homeless shelters, three of which have adopted 'pizza night' as a regular part of their routine. When Mike died of leukemia last year, Jenny and her daughters continued his generous practice. 

 Local patrons wanted to help. Since a single slice costs the Stevens' 50 cents to make, Jenny has set up a box to accept 50 cent donations from customers. She also set up a GoFundMe account to offset the cost of continuing the program. 

With the help of volunteers, the Stevens' franchise has given away over $70,000 worth of pizza, 142,000 slices to date!  About the program, Jenny said, “It’s a small thing that we can do to bring a big difference in their day and it’s just kept going. You have to come together to help each other out. We just do it because it seems like the right thing to do.”

This couple turned grief into a monthly birthday party for hundreds of homeless kids

Mary Davis and her husband Ari Kadin grieved. They'd suffered two painful miscarriages and were uncertain if they'd ever be able to have children of their own. 

They decided to turn their yearning for children into a celebration of other children.  The couple founded Worthy of Love, a 501c3 non-profit which throws a monthly birthday party for homeless children who live in Los Angeles' Skid Row. Almost six years ago, their first party drew about fifteen people. Things sure have changed.

Held on a rooftop so kids feel 'they're on top of the world,' parties now average about 200 people. Each Skid Row child who has a birthday that month is invited, and their family joins in the fun. They're treated to games, cake, party favors, and Skiddy Cat, the mascot known to high five and dance the night away.  

Since starting Worthy of Love, Davis and Kadin have celebrated birthdays with over 6,000 kids and the help of volunteers and donations. Now they have a child of their own, a daughter, who they say will celebrate her birthday with the other kids on the rooftop. Davis said, "I want her to grow up knowing there are kids that don't get everything that you have. You have to bless others and bring happiness and joy to those that need it most."

This second-grader raises funds to buy rain boots and ponchos for the homeless

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."

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. 

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. 

Man gives stranger the boots off his feet, literally

Jessica Bell was on the Chicago subway Friday night on her way home from work. The attorney and advocate witnessed a spontaneous act of kindness which brought tears to her eyes. She snapped a quick cell phone photo and shared it on Facebook. 

It seems two men sat across from each other in the same subway car as Jessica. One, apparently homeless, was older, and his worn sneakers were folded down in the back so they could slip on and off like a pair of bedroom slippers. Jessica noticed he wore several pairs of socks, limited help against the cold Chicago winter. 

The man sitting across from him, later identified as Maurice Anderson, was younger. Not only was he dressed for the weather, he carried a suitcase containing a weekend worth of clothing. Bell reported that, before she could really register what was happening, Anderson asked the older man what size shoes he wore. Twelve, came the answer. So Anderson unlaced his own heavy black boots, size 12-1/2, and gave them to the man. From his suitcase, he pulled out a spare pair of shoes and slipped them on his own feet. Before he left the train, he gave the older man an extra pair of socks, too. 

Bell documented the kindness, and tracked Anderson down to thank him for his generosity. She later told reporters, “The reason I posted about Maurice is because we’ve all given, or see people give food, or money to the homeless. But I have never seen someone give the clothes off their back so unselfishly and so humbly.” 

Homeless man returns $10,000 check before payee even knows it's missing

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.”

Barber who gives free haircuts gets own barber shop - for free!

About a year ago, 29-year-old Brennon Jones started giving free haircuts to Philadelphia's homeless people. 'Haircuts 4 the Homeless' is a mission from Jones' heart. Now over one thousand haircuts in, people have taken notice.

One of them, a fellow barber named Sean Johnson, was in the process of relocating his own shop. He was touched by Jones' kindness and decided to extend his own kindness in return. He invited Jones to come and see his old fully equipped barber shop, and then asked him, "How do you like it?" Jones answered that he liked it just fine, so Johnson tossed him the keys. "It's yours," Johnson told him. 

So now Brennon Jones has his own barber shop, given to him lock, stock, and barrel through the kindness of a stranger. Set to open in November, the new shop will have days set aside to serve the homeless. Jones is amazed at the timing of the gift, as he didn't know how he'd continue to give curb side haircuts through the winter. 

"I just continue to rely on my faith," Jones said. "God brought me this far I know he's not gonna leave me now." 

Homeless teen joins volunteer relief group, finds a purpose

Chris Davis and José Aguilar are military veterans from Arizona. After Hurricanes Harvey and Irma hit the US mainland, they helped out with local relief efforts. When Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, they were determined to help there too. They hopped the first flight they could and a month later, are still hard at work. They head up a group of volunteers nicknamed the "Añasco Expendables" in Añasco, Puerto Rico. 

A local teen, Christopher Rodriguez, has joined their group, and the two men have learned his remarkable story. Rodriguez is estranged from his family, and has been living on the streets for almost 3 years. As a homeless person, he felt misunderstood by his community. He rode out the hurricane alone in a taxi terminal. 

Now as a volunteer within the community, he is able to connect with people who find themselves just as homeless as he is. He loves to see people's positive reactions when he delivers supplies or helps with a manual task. In giving to others, Rodriguez feels he has found renewed energy and purpose. He hopes someone will in turn extend kindness to him so he can fulfill his dream of studying aviation mechanics.

Davis and Aguilar have assured him 'good things come to people who do good things.'  In the meanwhile, the Expendables took Rodriguez out to dinner to celebrate his 19th birthday. 

Bride forgoes registry, gets donations for her homeless students instead

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.

The couple also accepts donations of winter coats to help students through the upcoming winter. With over 2100 student in Rickee's Copper Hills school district homeless, the need in their community is huge.

Luckily, so are the hearts of this teacher and her new husband.

One woman's idea - fill purses with feminine hygiene products and give them to homeless women

Jana Girdauskas isn't quite sure what prompted the thought, but last Monday she wondered how homeless women manage when they get their periods. How would they get the costly products they need, the tampons and pads and such? The Toronto mother of two pictured herself in that situation and decided to give away some of her own products. She needed something to hold the items, so she posted a request for donated purses on a local parenting Facebook page. She was overwhelmed with the generous response. Not only were purses dropped off by the dozen, but also personal extras like scarves, deodorants, and coffee shop gift cards. Apparently, Toronto residents form a caring community.

Last week Jana and her husband delivered the first round of what they're calling 'period purses' to women living on the streets. The women are understandably grateful for the purse full of necessities. Jana and her husband, neither of whom have ever done something like this before, have enough filled purses to keep the project going for another 10 days. They are looking to local shelters and other charities to take the idea and run with it.

I love this idea - such a simple and straightforward way to promote personal dignity.

Random act of kindness leads a homeless man back to his family

A woman known only as Bev noticed a homeless man sleeping at a bus stop in Chadderton, England. She went into the nearby Baguettes of Broadway and handed the owner, Ciaran Egan, £15 for breakfast and hot drinks for the man for a week. When she left, Egan told his employees of this random kindness. All were touched.

Egan posted the story on his shop's Facebook page, and the post was shared over 12,000 times. People who read the story were motivated to kindness themselves. Donated tents, clothing, and food were offered to community aid agencies, and one person set up a crowd funding page to help get this particular homeless man back on his feet.

During a follow-up conversation with Bev, she realized she actually knew the homeless man - he was the brother of a former co-worker. She remembered the family had moved some distance away, and she tracked them down. Within a day, the man was reunited with his family. He now has a roof over his head and meals on the table, all thanks to Bev and her kind heart.

And the £15 she offered for his week's food? It has been donated to a local non-profit which aids the homeless.

Homeless man offers his coat and blanket and gets a chance at a new life

Charlotte Ellis and her boyfriend Taylor Waldon, both 22, were out for drinks one night last week in Covent Garden, London. They missed the last train home to Essex, and the next one wasn't due for four hours. They had to tough it out in the freezing night. 

Charlotte heard someone behind her say, "You can borrow my coat and my duvet if you like." The voice belonged to a homeless man known only as Joey. Charlotte accepted his offer and wrapped herself in the duvet. While sitting with Joey and talking with him, Charlotte was struck by both his sincerity and the horror of staying out in the cold overnight. She offered to bring Joey to the home she shares with her mother where he could get a shower and shave and a good hot meal. At first, he refused. Eventually, Taylor convinced him that Charlotte wasn't leaving without him. He went. 

Charlotte's mother was understandably taken aback by the late arrival of her daughter and a homeless man. But they talked and she agreed - Joey could stay with them. After providing him with the basics for hygiene, a warm place to sleep, and some good solid food, Charlotte's friends got into the act. They offered him a haircut, clothes, and a cell phone. He accepted. 

Five days later, Joey had a job offer. 

Joey's life has changed because of his generosity toward people who obviously had more than him. Chances are, the lives of Charlotte and her loved ones have changed too. 

This English pub fed the homeless on Christmas Day

I've often heard of churches, social service agencies, and non-profits hosting holiday meals for the homeless. But I've not heard of a business doing that, especially a business that depends on food and drink purchases for its livelihood.

That's exactly what happened yesterday in Manchester, England. A pub leased by Sean Brett opened its doors to over 300 homeless people on Christmas Day. They enjoyed food and drink, and received donated haircuts and gifts. Helped by two staff volunteers, Brett reports that donated items kept rolling in all day while his patrons socialized and chatted in the friendly pub setting.

Brett was inspired to act when he happened upon a homeless woman on the sidewalk on his way to work one morning. He's realistic; he knows he's only giving folks one meal on one day. He hopes that the publicity his dinner has received will inspire other people to reach out and do something to help this vulnerable population.

These coats for the homeless turn into sleeping bags ... and jobs

When Veronika Scott was a student at the College for Creative Studies in her hometown of Detroit, one of her classes presented a challenge: create a product to fill a community need. Veronika decided to help Detroit's homeless population. She designed a coat which converts to a sleeping bag for nighttime warmth. She brought her early designs to homeless shelters and tweaked the details based on feedback she got from those who used it.

One day, a homeless woman confronted her. She was angry, and told Veronika that she didn't need a coat - she needed a job. Veronika decided she was right. The coat and the sleeping bag were good ideas, but they were a band-aid. Secure employment was the real solution . 

So Veronika founded the non-profit The Empowerment Plan. Seamstresses are hired from Detroit's homeless shelters - 39 people who were once homeless have been given jobs. Over 15,000 coats which turn into sleeping bags have been produced and distributed, not just in Detroit but in 40 states and 7 Canadian provinces. Each coat take over an hour to sew and costs $100. Donations to sponsor a coat are taken on their website. Sponsors now include American Express and Madonna. 

You know the old adage: Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime. Veronika and her team have put their own twist on it. Give a man a coat and he'll be warm for a day. Give him a job and he'll create a new life. 

Her one wish was to give

Thirteen-year-old Emma Allred has seen her share of health problems. At age 10, she was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer. She's had three surgeries so far, with a fourth coming up soon. 

Other teens might feel sorry for themselves. Not Emma.

When she learned she'd been granted a wish by Make-A-Wish, she knew what she'd ask for - a chance to help others. Emma said her wish was to feed the homeless. And the collection of this massive amount of food should be fun. Her community came out to support her, and the result was a dream come true. 

A park near Emma's home in Twin Falls, Idaho was the chosen site. Make-A-Wish supplied face painting artists, popcorn, and cotton candy for the events' participants. They also donated individual bags for the homeless, each containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, blanket, and sleeping bag according to Inside Edition. A local grocery chain donated a truckload of food. Individuals and fire departments donated hundreds of boxes of non-perishables. In all, over 13,000 pounds of food was given in honor of Emma's selfless wish. All will be given to local food pantries. 

Brenda Vogt,director of program services for Idaho's Make-A-Wish told KMVT News, "It's incredibly unique and we are so thrilled that somebody is as kind and generous as Emma to want to give to others instead of have the wish granted for herself." 

Creative recycling - plastic bags to sleeping mats

You know all those plastic shopping bags that end up in your kitchen drawer? The ones you forget to drop off at the recycling bin at the grocery store? Well, these folks have found a way to recycle them creatively.

The bags can be cut into strips and tied together to make plastic yarn or "plarn." This plarn can then be used as yarn would be, crocheted into items that are strong and resistant to moisture. Pinterest is (of course!) chock-full of ways to use plarn to crochet laundry baskets, sandals, tablecloths, and any number of items. Full instructions, including videos, are available on various websites.

A number of groups have taken to using plarn to help others. This group of women from Second Baptist Church in Union City Tennessee crochets plarn into sleeping mats for the homeless in their community and for flood victims in Louisiana. Another group from the Pittsburgh area has sent them all over the world for use by soldiers. They also make a smaller size for use as sit-upons. This Iowa group has been making the mats at their church since 2013.

Each sleeping mat, about 3 ft. by 6 ft., is made of plarn from over 600 bags. The mats are resistant to moisture, don't attract bugs, and can be rinsed off with a hose or a quick swish in a river. Plus, they're practically indestructible.



Environmentally-friendly AND kind to our fellow man. Win-win!