The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

From a random acts of kindness website:

Little Old Lady
I used to work at a grocery store and this little old lady would always come in to do her shopping. Many of my co-workers did not like helping this old lady out to her car because she would talk for a very long time about her life and my co-workers would lose their patience with her. So I decided to take her out to her car and unload her groceries and in the process of doing so I listened to her conversation. She was basically venting. From that conversation I learned that her two kids lived out of state and her husband was dead. This old lady had no one to talk to which is why she just wanted to talk to someone about her life. After that conversation she went back into the store and told my boss what a good employee I was. That made my day, but I also made her day because I took the time to understand why she always talked so much. Anytime an older person approaches you to talk, don't feel weird about it because they have no one else to talk to. Be kind and engage in a conversation with them; it will make their day.

[kuhio98]

Youth of America

This happened years ago but just found site. My uncle complained a lot about how young people were so disrespectful and often lamented about our Country's decline. One evening he and his wife got a flat tire and managed to get their truck stuck half-way in a ditch. This was in Phoenix and even though it was in the evening over 90 degrees. Dozens of cars passed by this elderly couple without a second look. They had sat there for over an hour when a car full of kids stopped. They changed the tire and helped get the truck back on the road. When finished my uncle tried to pay these kids. You guessed it, they wouldn't take a dime. These kids completely changed my uncle's opinion on a whole generation.

[kuhio98]

Inspiring Therapy Dog Dropout

Hi! I'm Chipper, a rescued shelter mutt. A few years ago I passed the test to become a certified therapy dog so I could bring happiness to people in nursing homes, children's hospitals, homeless youth shelters, disabled group homes, etc. Unfortunately I failed out of the program when I reached my rebellious adolescent stage and started barking at sweet little old ladies. I felt like a four legged "failure" until I realized that when one doggy door closes, another one opens. I published an autobiDOGraphy about my life as a therapy dog dropout, and it teaches that you don't have to be perfect to make a difference. I'm very excited because my story has inspired people all over the world to do nice things for others! A woman from Washington State read about the paw-printed valentines that I made for some lonely seniors, and decided to make handprinted cards with the help of her one-year-old daughter, Kayt. The mother-daughter team delivered the cards to friends and neighbors who needed cheering up. That fun day inspired Kayt and her mom to keep bringing smiles to others, so they started a tradition of visiting a nursing home twice a month. A retired seizure alert dog in Kentucky followed in my footsteps by cheerfully standing still while his family painted his paw with bright colors to make Thanksgiving turkey cards for some kids at an orphanage. It's nice to know that I can help make the world a better place even though I'm imperfect!

[kuhio98]

Watch Mama and Learn

[kuhio98]

Boy forgoes presents to save the pups

RIO RANCHO (KRQE) – A 3-year-old Rio Rancho boy didn’t ask for toys, clothes or candy for his birthday. Instead he asked for presents that went straight to an animal shelter.

Dalton Lower is your typical 3-year-old boy. His favorite cartoon show to watch features hero dogs saving the day. That’s what inspired him to become a hero too.

His mission: Turn his birthday party, in June, into a plan to save the pups.

At Dalton’s party there was cake and hats. But the presents weren’t for him. Instead he asked for lots and lots of dog food.

“I take it to the animal shelter in our new car,” Dalton said.

Dalton’s dog food was delivered to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter on Sunday. His mom, Lucia Lower, said they collected 15 bags and some canned dog food.

The shelter didn’t even know he was coming. But they would soon find out when he showed up that this little guy was ready to give.

“He actually couldn’t wait to bring in all the dog food, he wanted to carry it in all himself,” Lower said.

But, a hero needs a reward. So Dalton was given a tour to see all the dogs his donation would help.

“They were really impressed that a 3-year-old wanted to give up toys to feed hungry pups,” Lower said.

A lesson in generosity from such a little guy with a big heart.

Dalton’s family has donated to other charities before. But this was the first time he picked out who to help.

[kuhio98]

People Magazine - Heroes Among Us
Zack Francom Sells Lemonade to Buy Wheelchairs for Those Who Need Them

When life gives you lemons, you can do much more than make lemonade, says Zack Francom.

The 11-year-old Utah boy has turned several hundred quarts of the drink into Zack's Shack, a philanthropy that has changed the lives of more than 300 people in need of wheelchairs in developing countries.

Zack got the idea for a lemonade stand in the spring of 2010 when his school held a fundraiser to purchase a wheelchair for LDS Philanthropies, a Mormon church charity.

"I decided that I wanted to raise enough to buy one all by myself," says Zack.

"I thought, 'What if I couldn't walk or run or ride my bike? What would that be like?' " he says. "I wanted to help make life easier for somebody who couldn't walk or run and didn't have money for a wheelchair to help them get around."

Since then – selling lemonade at 50 cents a cup and two cookies for $1 – his Zack's Shack has become an annual event in his hometown of Provo, Utah. Hundreds of people line up in front of his house every April during spring break to help fund his charity.

"When people visit Zack's lemonade stand they see a great example of a little boy with a big heart," says Tanise Chung-Hoon, managing director for LDS Philanthropies.

"When you see the genuine fun he has in the work, you immediately realize that he feels just as happy and lucky as the wheelchair recipients," she says. "Zack is the perfect example of how philanthropy changes the giver as well as the receiver."

This past April, Zack sold 350 dozen cookies baked by his mom, Nancy Bird, and 80 quarts of lemonade, earning $5,300 – enough to buy another 37 wheelchairs (basic models now cost $143), which are shipped to Guatemala, Guam and 53 other countries, where a wheelchair can often cost more than a year's wages.

"There was one lady in Guatemala who crawled for 10 miles with her baby on her back to pick up her wheelchair," says Bird, 32, who spends several weeks helping her son bake cookies for the sale every year.

"What a dramatic change it has made in her life," she says. "Stories like this are what keep Zack going."

He also has bigger dreams. He says he'd love to see other kids start similar efforts in other states.

"Imagine if there were hundreds of Zack's Shacks," he says. "Nobody who needs a wheelchair should have to go without one just because they can't afford it."

And he'd love to take a more active role himself.

"My goal is to fly around the world someday and hand out the wheelchairs," he says.

[kuhio98]

From a Random Acts of Kindness website:

Cake topping
Today, as I drank coffee in a bakery, I noticed a young boy ordering a cake for his mom`s 40th birthday. He seemed to live on a small budget and by the end of his order, he wasn't able to afford the writing on top of the cake. I was so touched by this scene that I offered him to add the money for the icing writing. He first refused, but then got really happy. And I was just happy seeing his face and imaging his mom having a wonderful cake!