The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Petal (Mississippi) man pays it forward

Harrell Griffin is the official winner of the "Great Grocery Grab," sponsored by the Rotary Club of Petal. Instead of taking three minutes to grab as much food as possible for himself, he decided to fill a shopping cart full of food for kids in need.

The grocery grab took place at the Petal Corner Market early Tuesday morning. Griffin raced up and down the aisles at Corner Market, filling one shopping cart with nearly seven hundred dollars in groceries. Lots of folks bought several raffle tickets to get in the running for the grocery grab, and Griffin only purchased one. He says he's donating all food collected at the grab to the Petal Children's Task Force.

"The supermarket has donated and said they will actually slice this for us into portions so they can distribute it to more people," Griffin said.

"It feels good because a lot of times we're given blessings in life and this is just one that we can turn around and give back to others."

The fundraiser benefits the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Project, and Griffin's contribution, in turn, will benefit kids in Petal.

[kuhio98]

Matthew Nalywaiko Helps Hundreds of Single Working Moms With Much-Needed Repairs

Sometimes a broken down car or leaky faucet are just added stressors in the lives of already struggling single working mothers. But Matthew Nalywaiko is doing something about that – times more than a hundred.

His organization, Serve A Little, has helped more than 200 women, including those whose husbands are away serving in the military, by matching volunteer handymen, mechanics and construction workers to complete "honey-do" projects like minor home and car repairs.

"The name, Serve A Little, comes from the idea that you don't have to do much to make a major impact in someone's life," Nalywaiko says. "It might only take a few hours for a mechanic to fix the car or for someone to fix the door in a house, but for that person it can mean the world."

For Nalywaiko, 32, of Sonoma, Calif., giving back has been life changing. A severe case of dyslexia, coupled with ADD, had him wondering if he would ever have a purpose in life.

"I could barely read, so I couldn't imagine how I was going to make a living or find someone who would want to marry me or accomplish anything," says the high-energy Nalywaiko, a videographer.

But he did just that. He managed to get a job in construction after graduation, "building million-dollar staircases in multimillion dollar homes," and married Amanda, a social worker.

Then in 2009 he launched Serve A Little.

"We all have the ability to impact somebody's life," Nalywaiko says. "It's just a matter of looking outside your own world and realizing there are needs right next door."

Helping single working moms, including those trying to get an education, is something Nalywaiko says has an immediate positive impact.

"It's not a population that gets a lot of respect," says Amy Ethington, a Santa Rosa College student advisor who refers student single moms in need of assistance to the Serve A Little program. "And here is Matthew giving them respect for what they're trying to accomplish."

Nalywaiko doesn't just help out his own community. He discovered a Haitian village of about 10,000 where more than a dozen kids had drowned trying to cross the treacherous river to attend a school nearby. Nalywaiko has raised money through 80 for Haiti, an effort connected to Serve A Little, to build a closer school, using local labor and materials to boost the the economy.

"Children shouldn't have to die just to get an education," Nalywaiko says.

Matthew Nalywaiko (center) with Serve A Little volunteers.

[kuhio98]

Shelter dogs from Phoenix flown to Idaho to find new homes

PHOENIX - Thirty dogs from a no-kill shelter in Phoenix were transported to a no-kill shelter in Idaho where they will be put up for adoption.

The small dogs from HALO Animal Rescue were transported by plane courtesy of Dog is My CoPilot, a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving homeless dogs and cats by flying them to areas in the western United States where they are more adoptable.

“When DIMC moves large groups of animals from an area where they are harder to adopt out and flies them to another area where they are in demand, the animals are quickly adopted by loving “furever” homes,” explains Judy Zimet, a Phoenix attorney who also serves as executive director of Dog Is My CoPilot. “A Chihuahua in Idaho gets adopted in a heartbeat, but that same Chihuahua in Phoenix is often harder to place in a new home,” says Zimet.

Phoenix continues to see large numbers of stray and abandoned pets entering Phoenix shelters, especially Chihuahuas and pit bulls, said Heather Allen, HALO Animal Rescue president and CEO.

The small dogs were headed to All Valley Animal Rescue in Meridian, Idaho.

“We’re very grateful to DIMC for their dedication to animal welfare. Not only are we saving more animals from euthanasia because of their program, we’re able to place homeless pets with loving families who really want them,” says Jason Lee, President and marketing director for All Valley Animal Rescue.

[kuhio98]

Church to give away free lunch to cab drivers

TAMPA, Florida -- If you drive a taxi in the Tampa Bay area, your lunch could be free on Labor Day.

Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg is giving away a coupon for a free lunch to the first 100 cab drivers who show up to the church in their taxi.

The church partnered with the McDonald's next door to do something nice for people they know work hard year-round.

"We thought we would reward them," said Wesley's pastor, John Ekers. "If nothing else we thought they would get some recognition."

The church wants to be known as the little church with a big heart.

To get the free lunch, drivers have to show up in their taxi at the intersection of 4th Street and 38th Avenue North in St. Pete. Head inside the church and ask for your coupon, which can be used anytime in the month of September.

[momcat]

Wow!!! That's exactly what a church is supposed to do, help others any way they can. Can't wait to tell my Pastor when I see her tomorrow.

[Karen]

[SIZE=3]Church to give away free lunch to cab drivers

TAMPA, Florida -- If you drive a taxi in the Tampa Bay area, your lunch could be free on Labor Day.

Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in St. Petersburg is giving away a coupon for a free lunch to the first 100 cab drivers who show up to the church in their taxi.

The church partnered with the McDonald's next door to do something nice for people they know work hard year-round.

Not surprised it is a Methodist church - we do tend to feed people!

[kuhio98]

Rescue Runners: pairing runners with shelter dogs
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – The Jefferson SPCA just started doing something amazing! In partership with Synergistic Lifestyles, LLC, they’re connecting dogs at the shelter with runners, giving the dogs a break from being inside a kennel all day. News With a Twist reporter Deepak Saini put on his running shoes to catch up with the Rescue Runners.

Rise and shine! It’s time for doggy boot camp!

“They’re a lot less energetic during the day which is good, gets some of that energy out, and we get some of our energy out,” says Rescue Runner Josh Aranguiz

At the crack of dawn, the Rescue Runner pair up wit ha four-legged friend and hit the pavement in City Park.

“This dog is really energetic and he`s a really good runner, and I really like running with him cause he can keep pace,” says Rescue Runner Lori Andersen.

Lori Andersen is a marathon runner. She found her match in Chippy, who kept up with her for 2.5 miles.

“I had another dog the first couple laps around, and he wasn’t as good of a runner,” says Andersen.

Not all are morning dogs. Some prefer a leisurely walk. While others like Rocky need a little encouragement with a belly rub.

“You have to be patient with them. You learn a lot of patience. You learn that they’re just trying to have a good time too, and they’ve never really been out here before,” says Aranguiz.

After a couple of laps around, water is a welcome sight and heavy panting is a familiar sound.

“We do walk the dogs and we have volunteers and they run and they play but they don’t really get to take that whole extra edge off, so seeing them out here running in this beautiful New Orleans City Park is really kinda dumbfounding, cause you see them running like they’re someone’s pet, but they’re available for adoption,” says Jacob Stroman with the Jefferson SPCA.

The Jefferson SPCA takes in thousands of dogs a year, most spending their days in a confined area. A chance to stretch their legs on a beautiful morning is a luxury.

“We’re giving them a little business card for that animal and telling them to gome home and promote that pet an tell their friends and colleagues to take a look at the dog they’re running for that day,” says Stroman.

You can’t help but bond with your running buddy. You just want to take them home.

“Every single one of them. Yup, absolutely. My roommates would kill me though if I brought a ton of dogs home,” says Aranguiz.

The Rescue Runners meet every Wednesday at 6:15 a.m. at the Great Lawn in City Park. Anyone is welcome to run the dogs, and of course, they’re available for adoption.

[kuhio98]

378 People 'Pay It Forward' with Free Coffee at Florida Starbucks

A woman started an act of kindness chain that lasted for hours at a Starbucks drive-thru in Florida.

She ordered an iced coffee at about 7 a.m. Wednesday in St. Petersburg and asked to pay for the caramel macchiato for the stranger in the car behind her. He returned the favor. The chain kept going as employees began keeping count.

The Tampa Bay Times reports the chain finally ended around 6 p.m. when customer number 379 pulled up and ordered a regular coffee. Barista Vu Nguyen leaned out the window and explained the chain that started earlier in the day, asking if she'd like to participate. She declined, saying she only wanted to pay for her coffee.

Nguyen says he doesn't believe she understood the concept of paying it forward.