The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

Crocheting for a Cause: 500 plastic bags are a comfort for the homeless

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A local mission group has found a creative way to recycle plastic grocery bags into a form of security and comfort for the homeless.

It is not your typical woman's group. The ladies were actually part of a book club that has found a passion for a unique type of crocheting.

Carol Bell has been doing it for 12 years.

"We're flattening the bags. Once you cut them into strips you loop them, once they are looped you started to make a ball. What you're going to do is take it, feed what has become a ball of plastic yarn through here. Now you've got it and you can roll it up and make a bigger ball," Bell demonstrated.

Then, the crochet needles go to work. The recycled plastic is quilted into a large padded mat.

"I take them when I get my car fixed and people come up and they want to know what I am doing," Bell said.

Bell and her new friends are part of a mission called Crocheting Compassion. They are making mats for the homeless. It takes roughly 500 plastic bags to make one.

Martha Dishongh said it is truly a labor of love.

"I timed it once and it took eight hours to do preparation of all the bags and then eight hours to crochet a 3x6 mat," Dishongh explained.

She has crocheted eleven mats this year.

Once they are finished, the mats are rolled and organizer, Gerry Stark, takes them to the Capital Area Alliance for the Homeless. Stark said while the work it is rewarding, it also comes with a harsh realization.

"It breaks my heart that I may only have six to 12 mats to deliver when there are dozens of men and women who would love to have one," Stark said.

But word of their work is spreading fast.

"I've been to New Orleans. I've been all over showing people how to do it," Bell said.

She said when she stitches plastic bags in public it draws a crowd. Once people learn the ladies are crocheting compassion they often times want to become part of the process.

Faith Presbyterian Church
12855 Old Hammond Hwy
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
Time: Thursdays, 10a-12p
Contact: Carol Bell
[email protected]

First Baptist Church of Baton Rouge Homeless Ministry
Contact: Kathleen Carroll
[email protected]

East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries Crocheting for a Cause
Jones Creek Regional Branch Library
6222 Jones Creek Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
First Tuesday of the Month, 1p-3p
Schedule for offerings at Main Library coming early 2015
Contact: Gerry Stark
[email protected]

The 2015 schedule of Crocheting for a Cause at the Main Library
7711 Goodwood Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA
Beginning Jan. 14: second Wednesday of the month in Teen Activity Room, 3p-5p
Beginning Jan. 22: fourth Sunday of the month in Conference Room 102, 3p-5p
Video: http://www.wafb.com/clip/10937333/cr...r-the-homeless

[Karen]

What a fascinating idea! And so much more useful that the discarded bags one sees stuck in trees by the roadside! It even seems like it would be a good mat to kneel on when gardening, too - I can think of many ways they can be used. But so much of staying warm is about insulation for homeless folks - anything between them and the cold ground is a good thing!

[kuhio98]

Mysterious Ways: Door-to-Door Delivery
His sister wanted their late mother's chair, but how could he afford to ship it all the way to Arizona?
By John R. Short III, Jefferson City, Missouri

The U-Haul office in Grove, Oklahoma, was nearly empty that Wednesday the week before Thanksgiving. Just one other person ahead of me.

“I’ll be with you in just a few minutes,” the counter clerk said. I nodded and sat on a bench next to the desk, anxious to be on my way.

Last time I was here, seven years ago, it was to move Mom into her new duplex. Now Mom had passed away, and since I lived closer than my two sisters, I was responsible for emptying Mom’s place and driving our beloved family treasures to my place in Missouri. Part of me wished I wasn’t.

With both of our parents now gone, my sisters and I had discussed how to divide their things, and for the most part it had all gone smoothly.

My sister Shari, out in Arizona, immediately latched onto the cozy, dark blue, wingback chair that had been a fixture in our family’s living room for years.

How many Christmases had Dad sat there, watching us open presents? That was where Mom often thumbed through her Bible, praying for us kids.

Shari had our blessing to take it... but the costs to ship it to her were astronomical. I barely had time to make this U-Haul trip, never mind another in the opposite direction. The chair would have to come with me to Missouri, at least for the foreseeable future.

Shari was heartbroken. She resigned herself to taking some smaller, more easily transported mementos.

While the clerk finished up with the other customer, I thought about my sister’s dilemma. I felt guilty. I didn’t even have a good place to put that old chair.

“And finally, where are you taking the trailer?” I overheard the clerk ask the man.

“Phoenix,” he replied, “well, actually, closer to Mesa.”

Arizona! Before I had time to think about what I was doing, I got up and said, “Excuse me, but would you mind taking a chair with you?”

The man looked understandably perplexed, so I quickly explained the situation.

“My name’s Dan,” he said, shaking my hand, “and I would be happy to help.”

Dan came by Mom’s duplex the next day. “I can’t thank you enough,” I said. “This must be a big inconvenience. Let me give you gas money, at least.”

“No need,” Dan said. "My own sister lives in Gilbert, the same city where your sister lives. I was already planning to stop by. It’s not out of the way at all.”

[Karen]

Aww, that's nice!

[Karen]

I keep thinking of that crocheting one, Kuhio, I may bring it up at church in case any of the committees think it would be a good project. And in fact, we have several Scout Groups that meet in our building, maybe a troop could take it on! My Dad earned to crochet as a kid, it kept him in his chair when his asthma was bad and he was not supposed to go outside and play!

[kuhio98]

I keep thinking of that crocheting one, Kuhio, I may bring it up at church in case any of the committees think it would be a good project. And in fact, we have several Scout Groups that meet in our building, maybe a troop could take it on! My Dad earned to crochet as a kid, it kept him in his chair when his asthma was bad and he was not supposed to go outside and play!

Karen ~ That's great. When I get home (I'm at work in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska), I was thinking about contacting them to see if they have a video on how to prepare the bags. It seems like that is the most time-consuming part. If they have good directions, I was thinking about cutting some bags and mailing them so that they could make the mats faster.

[kuhio98]

Philadelphia Pizza Shop Pays It Forward, One Slice at a Time

Mason Wartman is bringing a slice of New York City to Philadelphia.

Formerly on Wall Street, Wartman, 27, saw how successful $1 pizza shops are in Manhattan, then decided to move back home to Philadelphia and start up one his own.

His Rosa's Fresh Pizza – named for his mother – opened in December 2013, and little did Wartman know what it would develop into three months later, reports Philly station WPVI.

In March 2014, a customer asked if he could buy a slice for someone in need. It wasn't long before Wartman got Post-It notes and drew a smiley face on them, to symbolize a free slice.

Nine months and about 8,000 slices later, the pizza shop is now covered with colorful Post-Its sharing inspiring messages of motivation or gratitude, such as "you can do it" and "you are beautiful."

One man wrote, "God bless you. Because of you I ate off this plate, the only thing I ate all day."

Wartman feeds about 30 to 40 homeless people a day, ABC News reports.

He treats every customer the same, no matter if he or she is on the receiving or giving end of the pizza slice.

As Wartman told WPVI, "They deserve to eat in the store and enjoy the music as much as any other paying customer would."

[cassiesmom]

What a fascinating idea! And so much more useful that the discarded bags one sees stuck in trees by the roadside! It even seems like it would be a good mat to kneel on when gardening, too - I can think of many ways they can be used. But so much of staying warm is about insulation for homeless folks - anything between them and the cold ground is a good thing!

I want to learn to do this! http://www.instructables.com/id/What-you-Need-3/

[kuhio98]

Detroit Man Who Walks 21 Miles a Day to Work 'So Grateful' More Than $149,000 Is Raised for Him

When James Robertson's 1988 Honda Accord broke down a decade ago, the Detroit man didn't just go out and buy a new one.

Instead, Robertson, who makes $10.55 an hour – not enough to buy, maintain and insure a car – decided he was going to walk to and from work, a journey that stretches a marathon-length 21 miles.

He also takes a bus partway to his job destination: Schain Mold & Engineering.

Last Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported that the 56-year-old has been making this long trek for years, no matter the weather.

"I don't think what I do is big deal," Robertson tells PEOPLE. "I do what I have to do to get to work in the morning. It's just a part of my life."

What it takes, he says, is determination and faith.

"My parents taught me hard work ethic growing up in Detroit," he says. "It's all about keeping your schedule on track and focusing your mind on what matters."


Paying It Forward
After the newspaper article on Robertson was published, Evan Leedy, 19, a student at Wayne State University, became inspired.

"I was blown away," Leedy tells PEOPLE. "He has been doing this for so long and doesn't complain. I thought of myself and how most people could never do what he does every single day."

As Leedy was looking through the readers' comments on the story, he saw people asking how they could donate money to help Robertson get a car.

"I then decided to create a GoFundMe page where people could donate," says Leedy. "I set the goal for $5,000, but I really didn't think many people would see it or donate."

Before he knew it, thousands of dollars were coming in. One day later, more 5,300 people donated a total in excess of $149,000.

"We now have car dealerships and car companies saying they will donate a car," Leedy says. "We can now use this money to truly change James' life."

Robertson currently doesn't live in a great neighborhood, and even with a car, he lives far from work.

"We can get him a nice place to live," Leedy says. "A place he deserves."

On Monday night, Leedy and Robertson met for the first time.

"It was so amazing to finally meet James," Leedy said. "I am really just so happy people trusted that the money was going to him so we can help turn his life around. He deserves it."

The first word that comes to Robertson's mind when he thinks of Leedy and the thousands that have donated: Shocked.

"I am just so stunned," he says. "Who would have thought that just a simple walk would have turned into this? I would have told you that you were crazy a few days ago."

Robertson is looking forward to putting his walking days behind him.

"I am taking this as a sign that it's time I start driving again," he said. "And getting more than two hours of sleep a night."

A Typical Work Day
Robertson leaves for work at 8 a.m. to get to work in time for his 2 p.m. shift as an injection molder.

When he finishes work at 10 p.m, he starts his trek home.

His colleagues notice that although he never complains about having to walk, they can see it's taking a toll on his body.

"He comes in here looking real tired – his legs, his knees," his coworker Janet Vallardo, 59, of Auburn Hills, told the Free Press.

Robertson doesn't just make this walk for his paycheck. He also cares about the people he has worked with for so many years.

"We're like a family," Robertson, who also gets fed dinner every weeknight by the plant manager's wife, tells the newspaper. "I look at her food, I always say, 'Excellent. No, not excellent. Phenomenal.'"

Despite his long and strenuous commute, Robertson is never late for work.

"I set our attendance standard by this man," Todd Wilson, plant manager at Schain Mold & Engineering, told the newspaper. "I say, 'If this man can get here, walking all those miles through snow and rain ….' Well, I'll tell you, I have people in Pontiac, 10 minutes away, and they say they can't get here – Bull!"

[kuhio98]

I want to learn to do this! http://www.instructables.com/id/What-you-Need-3/

Thank you! I've been looking for some instructions on how to cut up the bags.

[kuhio98]

From People Magazine: The Daily Treat: Miranda Lambert Gives More Than $200,000 to Pets in Need

Miranda Lambert continues to be dog's best friend!

Her MuttNation Foundation distributed over $200,000 to animal shelters in each of the 50 states in January.

"I feel so passionately about helping all animals and I'm thrilled that we have once again been able to give to phenomenal shelters all across the country," Lambert said in a statement. "The people at these shelters do such amazing work day in and day out and are truly heroes for the animals."

Lambert, 31, co-founded the non-profit organization in 2009 with her mom Bev, and to date it has raised over $1.5 million in support of animals. The money goes to spay and neuter efforts, medical treatments, adoptions, legislative changes and education.

"The unconditional love you get from a dog is better than anything else," Lambert told PEOPLE Country in 2012. "I can give the biggest show of my life, and my dogs don't give a damn. They're just happy to see their mom. Everyone should have a dog – the love they give back is like nothing else."

[kuhio98]

Australia's Oldest Man Spends Free Time Knitting Tiny Sweaters for Injured Penguins

Alfred "Alfie" Date, Australia's oldest living man, is putting his amazingly sharp mind and nimble hands to good use.

The 109-year-old likes to spend his free time knitting little sweaters for injured penguins from his room at a retirement home New South Wales, reports 9Stories.

Alfie picked up the hobby over 80 years, when his sister-in-law handed him a pair of needles and some wool and asked the man to knit a jumper for her baby boy.

That baby boy grew out of the jumper decades ago, but Alfie has continued to knit. The great-great-grandfather enjoys taking requests, so when two nurses asked in March if he wanted to knit sweaters for needy penguins, Alfie started stitching.

His creations were donated to Victoria's Phillip Island Penguin Foundation to help little penguins affected by an oil spill. Little penguins are a rare species only found in Australia and New Zealand, with just 32,000 living on Phillip Island.

Oil from the spill caused the penguins' feathers to stick together, allowing cold water to reach their skin. Sweaters from generous knitters like Alfie helped the birds stay warm while they waited to be cleaned up. The garments also prevented the penguins from picking at their feathers and accidentally consuming the toxic oil.

Thanks to Alfie and thousands of other knitters from around the world, Victoria's Phillip Island Penguin Foundation was overwhelmed with cozy jumpers, which allowed the foundation to fully rehabilitate many of the birds.

With this good deed done, Alfie now keeps his hands busy by knitting scarves for friends and hats for premature babies.

"It's a good way of getting along in life," Alfie said about his hobby. "You make friends all the time, but you don't make a fool of yourself either."

[Taz_Zoee]

I wish they would have shown the sweaters on real penguins and not stuffed animals.
I feel like I've actually seen them before though. Such a great thing!
And to be 109 and still able to do knitting. I am only 40-something and I can't knit!