The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

NYPD officer photographed giving boots to barefoot homeless man melts icy hearts online

A photo of a New York City police officer kneeling down to give a barefoot homeless man in Times Square a pair of boots on a cold November night is melting even the iciest New Yorkers' hearts online.

On Nov. 14, NYPD officer Lawrence DePrimo, who was on counterterrorism duty in Times Square, saw the older homeless man without shoes sitting on 42nd Street. DePrimo, 25, left and then returned with a pair of $100 boots he bought at a nearby Skechers store.

"It was freezing out, and you could see the blisters on the man's feet," DePrimo, a three-year veteran of the department who lives with his parents on Long Island, told the New York Times. "I had two pairs of socks, and I was still cold."

The random act of kindness was captured by Jennifer Foster, a tourist from Florence, Ariz., who was visiting the city. Foster, communications director for the Pinal County Sheriff's Office in Arizona, emailed the photo to the NYPD with a note commending DePrimo.

"The officer said, 'I have these size 12 boots for you, they are all-weather. Let's put them on and take care of you,'" Foster wrote. "The officer squatted down on the ground and proceeded to put socks and the new boots on this man.

"I have been in law enforcement for 17 years," she continued. "I was never so impressed in my life. ... It is important, I think, for all of us to remember the real reason we are in this line of work. The reminder this officer gave to our profession in his presentation of human kindness has not been lost."
Foster's photo was posted on the NYPD's Facebook page on Tuesday, where it received more than 320,000 "likes," 77,000 "shares" and 20,000 comments—most of them praising DePrimo, who seems to have restored Facebook's faith in humanity.

"This is one hell of a police officer," Desiree Wright-Borden wrote.

"Wow," Jack Horton wrote. "It's nice to know there are still good people out there."

"Angels truly do walk on earth!!!" Charlene Hoffman-Pestell wrote.

Some commenters, though, were skeptical, saying the photo could have been staged.

"Clever stunt!" Louis Zehmke wrote. "The hobo is 'parked' at the entrance of a shoe shop."

But Foster claims DePrimo had no idea he was being photographed: "The officer expected NOTHING in return and did not know I was watching."

...
http://news.yahoo.com/video/nypd-off...155857510.html

[kuhio98]

Stephanie Klinzing, the mayor of Elk River, Minnesota, challenged the people in her town to perform 1,000 acts of kindness in a month. Elk River's 24,000 residents answered the call, with good deeds like giving out cookies, paying for other people's groceries, and babysitting for free. After a month the people of Elk River had surpassed their goal with 1,400 good deeds -- and they don't plan to stop anytime soon.

[momcat]

There's a great story going around here about one of New York's Finest. It got pretty cold here over the last few days. While on foot patrol, a police officer saw a homeless man barefoot without socks or shoes. The officer asked the man about where his foot wear was but he replied he didn't have any. The officer went into the shoe store at the site and with his own money bought the homeless man some warm socks and a pair of waterproof boots. As he was helping the man to put them on, a tourist from Arizona saw the officer giving the man the boots and socks then took a picture. The tourist and police officer were interviewed on this morning's news. Both said when the man was given the items, his face lit up like a Christmas tree and looked as if he was just given $1 million. The police officer only wanted to do the right thing by helping someone in need, not the publicity that came as a result of it.

Thank you for your extraordinary act of kindness, Officer! You have shown the NYPD at its best and we can all learn from your random act of kindness.

[cassiesmom]

A plane crashed in Chicago this morning on 29th and King Drive ... oh, wait -- it's only a television shoot ... but it looked pretty realistic! (Why, oh, why would they decide to shoot it during a Friday morning rush hour? King Drive is a busy north-south route.


http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/wgn...ng-news_b71495

[kuhio98]

Miles of Smiles
I was at my job as a massage therapist in Knoxville when my best friend called from Denver to tell me that her husband had been killed in a car accident. She begged me to fly out immediately to be with her. My next client, a salesperson who flies constantly on business, overheard me comforting my friend and saying I'd try to get a flight to Denver the next day. While I went off to wash my hands, she called the VIP number at American Airlines, arranged a flight for me, and paid for it with frequent-flier miles. I protested, but she said she'd never be able to use all her miles and that my friend needed me. I still marvel at her amazing generosity.
-- Sue Painter, Knoxville, Tennessee

[kuhio98]

Cooking for free for the kids

Bruno Serato moved from Italy to USA in 1980 as a poor immigrant who didn't speak a word of English. He began his career working as a dishwasher. Working hard, he dreamed of owning his own restaurant. He achieved his dream with hard work and dedication. He now serves Italian food in his own restaurant called the White House in Anaheim. Celebrities and politicians have eaten at his restaurant. But his favorite customers are the ones that he feeds for free - the so-called "motel children" of Orange County. They are the children whose parents are too poor to afford them decent, regular meals.

The story began on April 18th, 2005. Bruno's mother came to visit him from Italy. As part of her tour of California, they visited the Boys & Girls Club charity in Anaheim. There, they saw a little boy eating potato chips. The director told them that those chips were all he had for dinner - his family was too poor to afford him a full meal. His mother then came up with the idea that started it all - to give the children who need it food from Bruno's restaurant. Bruno, inspired by her idea, then decided to start his own charity that offers free meals to children in need. He called it Caterina's Club, after his mother.

Every night, the White House makes a meal of fresh pasta and sauce and sends it to the kids at the Boys & Girls Club in a van. Bruno has given away hundreds of thousands of meals so far. Some nights his restaurant struggled, having more children to feed than paying customers. But Bruno kept going and says he will never stop giving to the children, as it is his passion in life.

[kuhio98]

Clearing Snow for Neighbours
Whether they are young or old, able or not, just do it if it is needed please. The benefits are many to both parties involved but most important of all, they appreciate it. (Plus, upon reflection, you'll like yourself that little bit more for doing so.) By all means, prioritize what gets cleared first according to each individual's needs. But don't wait to be asked as their paths are full of snow and they cannot get to your door to do so. Just go grab some shovels and get to work!