Good Idea Spreads: Window-Washers in Super Hero Garb Wow Kids in Hospital
At children's hospitals around the country, window washers are dressing up as super heroes and doing their part to help kids feel better.
At children's hospitals around the country, window washers are dressing up as super heroes and doing their part to help kids feel better.
20-something siblings Katie and Ryan Moi could really use $13,000 right now but they still decided to return the bag of cash they found on the street to its rightful owner. "Obviously, we couldn't keep it," Katie, 21, told the Register-Guard. "When I had my laptop stolen, that was the worst feeling. I would not do that to someone else." Good karma followed with unexpected rewards.
A lot of national attention has been showered on Billy Ray Harris, a panhandler in Missouri, after he returned a diamond engagement ring that accidentally dropped into his change cup when a woman was pouring in the contents of her change purse. The woman's husband, Bill Krejci, was so grateful for the honest man's efforts to return the ring, and so many friends asked how they could help, that a fundraising page was set up for Billy Ray on Feb. 14. As of this morning, Feb. 23, the Give Forward page just passed $100,000.
A struggling doe and fawn stranded on ice were rescued by employees at the Department of Natural Resources a few hours after receiving a call for help. A helicopter arrived and descended toward the deer while an onlooker recorded video of the amazing rescue.
The Connecticut Parent Teacher Association reached out to fellow PTA members across the country, requesting handmade Snowflakes for Sandy Hook to create a winter wonderland at the new school the kids moved into. Now on day 25, and the entire lobby of the state association is stuffed floor to ceiling. The office is crammed end to end with boxes of every size.
Dozens of children got a big surprise when window washers dressed as Spider-Man descended on the outside of All Children's Hospital in Florida on Thursday.
A project that hangs small wind chimes with bells is becoming a healing remedy for grieving communities following tragic mass shootings. An Arizona mom in mourning started Ben's Bells after her little boy passed away from illness. She wanted to say thank-you for the many kindnesses that were shown her, passing it forward so more people would remember how kindness heals. A few years later, the project grew, embraced by the Tucson community following the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords and thirteen other citizens. Hundreds of volunteers painted, assembled and hung the ceramic wind chimes from random branches, and doorknobs and playgrounds around the city. Last week Ben's mom, Jeannette Maté, traveled to the location of the latest tragedy, Newtown, Conn., with 1,000 bells to distribute to a community in need of smiles.
A photo of a notebook page taped to a bathroom wall at her university has gone viral because of its encouraging and positive message meant for women who have written on the stalls about some of their saddest life experiences.
New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker has saved a woman from a house fire, shoveled the driveway of a local resident and invited families to stay at his house after Hurricane Sandy when the power was out. Now, the Newark politician has saved a dog who was left out in the frigid temperatures for hours.
Mac Gallegos was only 5 when his father, Army Sgt. Justin Gallegos, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009. To celebrate what would have been his 31st birthday, Mac wrote a letter to his father and wanted it to be flown as close to heaven as possible. Thanks to an Air Force pilot, he got his wish.
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels squadron transformed its C-130 aircraft into a modern-day Santa's sleigh in support of the U.S Marine Corps' Toys for Tots Program, hauling several pallets of toys to children affected by Superstorm Sandy. The Blue Angel crew arrived from Florida in Wrightstown, N.J., where many residents have needed to forestall celebrating the holidays because the hurricane forced upon them more pressing concerns.
Hundreds of South Mississippians stood in line at the Biloxi Town Green where more than 1,500 lunches were served and more than 500 pounds of donations dropped off to benefit New York City firemen. So many people over the years have helped us. We just want to say thank you.
Dozens of homeless Milwaukeeans are improving their self-esteem with professional portraits from Help-Portrait Milwaukee, a local branch of the global initiative that arranges for photography sessions to benefit those in need. Worldwide, more than 200,000 portraits have been taken by more than 16,000 volunteer photographers in 60 countries, according to the international organization.
A nice story was posted on Reddit about a friendship between a young shop girl and a homeless veteran who hangs out near where she works (photo, right). She received a gift from him the other day and shared the story with photos on December 5.
After living through Hurricane Katrina six years ago, New Orleans firefighters recalled the help provided by New York City Firefighters, who arrived on the seen within days of the Louisiana levees breaking. Now they are repaying the favor, clearing out tons of debris in homes of firefighters whose Breezy Point homes were flooded.
More than 1,700 children and spouses of American soldiers killed in action were treated to an all-expense-paid visit to the Dallas/Fort Worth area for the seventh annual Snowball Express – a five day event to honor their sacrifice and bring joy and new memories to the families during the holidays. Their partners, American Airlines, donated nine chartered aircraft to bring families from 54 cities.
A surprise gift during an Eastman School of Music concert drew a standing ovation and prompted the conductor to say it was the best moment he'd ever witnessed. Tara Fayazi, a tuba player, works really hard to afford classes at the conservatory but she's never been able to own her own instrument. 11 months ago, her friends began organizing fundraisers to help pay for one.
This week, a Walmart store in Hastings, Mich., received a $10,000 check from an anonymous donor to pay off 43 customers' layaway accounts in their entirety, no strings attached. Anonymous donors such as this one are showing up across the country at some of the nation's biggest retailers.
It started as a way for one Montana family to talk about the tragic school shooting of 26 children and adults. Now it's blossoming into an international movement to build a chain of handmade paper hearts to stretch for miles. Organizers will send a first shipment of 10,000 hearts – each linked to another and with its own personal message – this week.
In a show of seasonal goodwill, coffee drinkers in line at a Winnipeg drive-through paid it forward for 228 customers in a row on Friday, according to the staff at Tim Hortons. A customer at the Manitoba coffee shop started the chain by paying for his own order and the order for the car behind him. Inspired by the generosity, drivers paid it backward for the next three hours.
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