The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

[kuhio98]

North Carolina Women Roofers Fix Homes Free of Charge

When she heard about a member of her church congregation who couldn't afford to have her roof fixed, Nell Bovender had an idea. It was a Sunday in October 2002, she remembers, and "'Make a Difference' day [at the church] was coming up. I said, 'Why don't we redo a roof?' "

Inspired, the husbands and wives in her Sunday school class quickly agreed. But when it came time to do the project, only classmates Lori Herrick, 48, and Susie Kernodle, 64, showed up.

"We expected Billy Honeycutt (the parishioner in charge of the project) to say, 'Let's wait for the guys,' " recalls Herrick, of Rutherfordton, N.C. "What he said was, 'Pick up your hammers and get to work!' "

Ten years and 67 roofs later, the all-volunteer group of 80 moms, grandmothers and widows called the Women Roofers is still going strong, repairing and replacing roofs for the elderly and disabled in and around Forest City, N.C.

Founded by Herrick and Kernodle after that first project, the group pools their own resources to purchase supplies and fix roofs free of charge.
And they're having a ball doing it: A typical repair takes a day, which leaves a lot of time for girl talk.

"I've often said our grandmothers used to do quilting bees," says Bavender, 59, "and that's what we're doing up there on the roof."
It's especially satisfying to see the fruits of their labor after a hard day's work, adds Herrick.
"Besides being a mother, this is the most rewarding thing I've ever done," she says.

One grateful homeowner is Irenabell MacAdoo, 74, who says her Forest City, N.C., house was sprouting leaks everywhere before the ladies got to work.

Says MacAdoo: "I don't know what I would have done without them."

[kuhio98]

I was near the end of my parcel delivery run for the day, and I drove past an elderly gentleman who was obviously walking home from town. He was walking slowly and looked tired. I felt sorry for him, but kept on my way, driving to the next house on my run. After I had delivered this parcel, I turned up into the next street which runs up a long and quite steep hill. I noticed that this same gentleman was still walking, by now looking quite weary and puffed. I pulled over, wound my window down and asked if he would like a lift. I don’t normally do this sort of thing because I am a female. He looked most relieved and grateful. I made room for him to sit in the front seat, putting the remaining parcels in the back, and drove him to his house, right up to the front door!! I told him to have a great day, and he replied that he definitely would, now that I had made his day! But the best thing about it was that for the rest of my day, I had a great day!!!! Yes it was a little inconvenient having to rearrange the parcels twice, but seeing that look of absolute gratefulness and thanks in his face made my inconvenience seem trivial in comparison.

[kuhio98]

Bald 4 Bryan

PHOENIX – Two young girls brave the razor and shave off all their hair in tribute to their cousin.

On Jan. 24, 2012, Harley and Ariana's cousin Bryan, who was "like a brother to them”, died from a rare form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. He was only 13 years old.

Now, one year later, his two cousins have bravely stepped forward to go “Bald 4 Bryan”. The 11 and 12 year old girls shaved their heads live on Thursday’s Good Morning Arizona, to honor their cousin’s memory.

This is just the latest step in the girls' fund-raising campaign. Over the past year, the young ladies have already raised $1,400 by asking friends, family members and even strangers for donations.

100 percent of the money they raise will be donated to Phoenix Children’s Hospital Cancer Research Fund.

If you would like to help the girls with their cause, you can donate by sending a check to:

Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation
ATTN: Krisann Diaz - Bald 4 Bryan
2929 East Camelback Road, Suite 122
Phoenix, AZ 85016

You can also donate and find out more information on the website the girls have helped set up.

All donations will receive a tax receipt from Phoenix Children's Hospital Foundation.

Harley is a 7th grade Honor student at Greenway Middle School in the Paradise Valley School District. She came up with the idea to shave her head to honor the memory of her cousin, and had said she couldn’t wait to be "bald and beautiful"! Harley plays the flute and wants to be a professional singer and/or fashion designer when she grows up.

Ariana is a 5th grade Honor student at Arrowhead Elementary in the Paradise Valley School District. As soon as she heard Harley's idea she could not wait to be a part of it. Ariana wants to be a brain surgeon when she grows up. She plays the clarinet and bass clarinet.

The girls say their goal is to simply “make a difference.”

http://media.azfamily.com/images/600...d_4_Bryan5.jpg

[kuhio98]

Helping Mark Move
Mark lives in my apartment building. Unfortunately Mark suffered from a brain tumor at a young age and it had a big impact on his balance. It's difficult for him to walk, talk, and overall fend for himself. We are hallway buddies and I always say hi when I see him around. I heard he was moving out and he soon came over to ask me to help him with his packing. I walked into his apartment and his clothing and things were poorly packed. I took some time and refolded everything, putting things nicely into his suitcases. I helped bring his stuff down to the street and he wanted to hail a cab to his new apartment. I let him borrow money and rode with him in the cab to his new place and brought his suitcases up to the new apartment. I am glad that I could use my strength to help someone who isn't as fortunate. Hooray for random acts of kindness!

[kuhio98]

Friendly Flowers
While I was waiting at the bus stop, an elderly man walked past me, and then a minute or so later he came back, said, “Your outfit is too great not to have one,” and gave me a gorgeous pink flower, and walked away. It was the first time I’ve ever received a flower from anyone outside my family and it was wonderful, just wonderful. Such beautiful kindness that I cried in the middle of the street!

[kuhio98]

I was in Toronto a few weeks ago. As I was standing outside of a Starbucks, I noticed a white BMW stop at the side of the road. The driver stepped out, and at that moment noticed a homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk. It was extremely cold that day- I was freezing, and I had a sweater and a winter jacket on. The driver of the BMW walked up to the homeless man who was sleeping, took his jacket off, laid it on top of the man, and left. It definitely was unexpected and so encouraging to see such kindness in action. The driver didn't even know I was watching.