Random acts of kindness
- Thread starter Kreskin
- Start date
Wow, wasn't that wonderful! Bet that took you by surprise, it would have if it were me, but it makes me smile to think of someone doing just a small thing like that for someone that they don't know. Thanks for sharing!
That's a good idea. It should be like a real life chain letter. You get one and you have to pass it on somehow. We could change the world Karrie.
Just don't go giving me credit for the idea. I watched the movie (Pay it Forward) is all.
I try to make sure to do nice things for people (let the mom with the kid ahead of me in line at the store, shovel my neighbor's walks, etc), and I get a lot of nice things from people in return. It was a saying that made perfect sense to me. If everyone is looking at the world with an eye for giving, instead of taking, it becomes a very nice place to live.
I was getting on the metro a few hours ago and some clown jammed all of the ticket cancelling machines, so I wasn't able to validate my ticket. A 20-something woman noticed and gave me her daycard.
She was done using it for the day, but she probably didn't want to see me fined by the BVG if I was caught without a valid ticket.
She was done using it for the day, but she probably didn't want to see me fined by the BVG if I was caught without a valid ticket.
There was a gentleman that used to hand out money to people that he thought "looked like they could use it" every year around Christmas. I read that he had handed out approximately $1.4 million dollars over the years before he passed away from cancer last year.
My brain is a little fried right now, but I'll try to link the article tomorrow. Or cut and paste. Whatever way is easier.;-)
My brain is a little fried right now, but I'll try to link the article tomorrow. Or cut and paste. Whatever way is easier.;-)
They called him the "Secret Millionaire" if your thinking about the same thing I am.. But I tried looking him up and as luck would have it Fox Network is starting up a new show with that name based on the British TV show. Incidentally I believe there have been a few of these people known to do this..
Good luck finding the article and looking forward to reading it..
I listen to a radio station out of Erie and for the past two weeks they have been talking about a man who has been showing up at grocery stores and handing out envelopes, wishing them a Merry Christmas, to random people in the parking lots. In the envelope, folks have been finding 50 dollar gift certificates.
He apparently shows up out of nowhere, then disappears just as quickly, not wanting to be identified.
I found that incredibly generous and kind.
He apparently shows up out of nowhere, then disappears just as quickly, not wanting to be identified.
I found that incredibly generous and kind.
Last week I baked ginger cookies and put one in every member of staff's mailbox at work, anonymously. It got such an interesting response I repeated the process with chocolate truffles on wednesday. Now the college is alive with talk of the mysterious "cookie monster". It's fun.
ST. LOUIS - At a suburban Goodwill store on Friday, Theresa Settles selected a large, black comforter to warm her family until she can raise the money to turn the gas heat back on.
A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words "secret Santa." "The only condition," she said, "is that you do something nice for someone."
"Pass it on."
"I will," Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.
The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City's undercover gift-giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift.
Before his death in January 2007, Stewart told a friend how much he would miss his 26 years of anonymous streetside giving, during which he gave away about $1.3 million. Stewart, from the city suburb Lee's Summit, made millions in cable television and long-distance telephone service.
The friend promised Stewart he would be a secret Santa the next year.
"He squeezed my hand and that was it," said the Kansas City Santa, who would say only that he is an area businessman and investor.
"I honoured a promise."
Two secret Santas, one from the Kansas City area and the other from the St. Louis area, descended on thrift stores, a health clinic, convenience store and small auto repair shop to dole out $20,000 in $100 bills, hugs and words of encouragement to unsuspecting souls in need.
In this economy, they weren't hard to find.
Cynthia Brown, 40, was laid off three weeks ago from her food service job. Santa found her at the St. Louis County health clinic and gave her $100, exactly what she had asked to borrow from her mother a night ago to buy food.
"I have three daughters and I can't get unemployment yet. I was down in food," she said.
Leotta Burbank, 50, of West Frankfurt, Ill., was at a thrift store Friday to buy decorations for her sister-in-law's room at a St. Louis hospice, where she is dying of pancreatic cancer.
When Santa gave her money, Burbank collapsed into his arms and wouldn't stop hugging him.
"God provides," she said.
"This is real emotional for me."
For the secret Santas, it's not about keeping Stewart's memory alive as much as the meaning behind his legacy.
"It's not about the man, it's not about the money, it's about the message," the Kansas City Santa said.
"Anyone can be a secret Santa with a kind word, gesture, a helping hand."
He said the money is given without judgment but on the condition the receiver pass along a kindness to someone else. Stewart began his holiday tradition at a restaurant in December 1979, after he had just been fired. He gave a waitress $20 and told her to keep the change and was struck by her gratitude.
Stewart also gave money to community causes in Kansas City and his hometown Bruce, Miss.
The secret Santas want to expand their operation to every state but so far, only nine givers operate in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, St. Louis and Kansas City. They plan to start giving in Detroit this holiday season.
Here is the article that I mentioned yesterday. It is nice to see that there are kind-hearted people out there.:smile:
A petite woman approached, her face obscured by dark sunglasses and a wrapped winter scarf and handed Settles two $100 bills stamped with the words "secret Santa." "The only condition," she said, "is that you do something nice for someone."
"Pass it on."
"I will," Settles said, the only words she could get out of her mouth.
The secret Santa was a protege of Kansas City's undercover gift-giver, Larry Stewart, who died of cancer nearly two years ago. Stewart roamed city streets each December doling out $100 bills to anyone who looked like they might need a lift.
Before his death in January 2007, Stewart told a friend how much he would miss his 26 years of anonymous streetside giving, during which he gave away about $1.3 million. Stewart, from the city suburb Lee's Summit, made millions in cable television and long-distance telephone service.
The friend promised Stewart he would be a secret Santa the next year.
"He squeezed my hand and that was it," said the Kansas City Santa, who would say only that he is an area businessman and investor.
"I honoured a promise."
Two secret Santas, one from the Kansas City area and the other from the St. Louis area, descended on thrift stores, a health clinic, convenience store and small auto repair shop to dole out $20,000 in $100 bills, hugs and words of encouragement to unsuspecting souls in need.
In this economy, they weren't hard to find.
Cynthia Brown, 40, was laid off three weeks ago from her food service job. Santa found her at the St. Louis County health clinic and gave her $100, exactly what she had asked to borrow from her mother a night ago to buy food.
"I have three daughters and I can't get unemployment yet. I was down in food," she said.
Leotta Burbank, 50, of West Frankfurt, Ill., was at a thrift store Friday to buy decorations for her sister-in-law's room at a St. Louis hospice, where she is dying of pancreatic cancer.
When Santa gave her money, Burbank collapsed into his arms and wouldn't stop hugging him.
"God provides," she said.
"This is real emotional for me."
For the secret Santas, it's not about keeping Stewart's memory alive as much as the meaning behind his legacy.
"It's not about the man, it's not about the money, it's about the message," the Kansas City Santa said.
"Anyone can be a secret Santa with a kind word, gesture, a helping hand."
He said the money is given without judgment but on the condition the receiver pass along a kindness to someone else. Stewart began his holiday tradition at a restaurant in December 1979, after he had just been fired. He gave a waitress $20 and told her to keep the change and was struck by her gratitude.
Stewart also gave money to community causes in Kansas City and his hometown Bruce, Miss.
The secret Santas want to expand their operation to every state but so far, only nine givers operate in Charlotte, N.C., Phoenix, St. Louis and Kansas City. They plan to start giving in Detroit this holiday season.
Here is the article that I mentioned yesterday. It is nice to see that there are kind-hearted people out there.:smile:
Thank you, SirFrancis.:smile: I never saw any mention of him being called that in the article, so perhaps that is why you were not able to locate it?
I hope you enjoy the article.:smile:
I was gifted with an opportunity to put some kindness in the path of someone less fortunate today...
Sitting down in McDonald's today, scarfing a burger so we could continue on with our last minute Christmas rushing around... a staff member there was cleaning trays... and I caught something a bit odd out of the corner of my eye.... the person was surreptitiously sucking on a sauce packet. I could see her eyes sweeping the room looking to see if anyone was noticing her... I averted my own eyes so she wouldn't see that I had noticed.... I was reminded of Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal. Maybe she wasn't hungry, but there was an air about her that compelled me to want to help her.
She had a bottle of water she was drinking out of... I watched her take a drink, put the cap back on, and put it down on the table where she had her cleaning supplies gathered.
I watched her walk away, leaving her water and supplies unattended for a couple moments to go get a mop, and went off somewhere out of my eyesight ... I didn't know how long I had before she came back... quick as a flash I told my honey to prepare to make a run for it while I dashed over to her table and tucked a $20.00 bill under her water bottle, and we scurried out the door before she came back and caught me.
I remain humbled and grateful this Christmas Eve as I warm food in my oven to feed the family I'm so lucky to be surrounded with tonight. My tree bows over a plentiful array of presents; signs of abundance and the energy of love and wellness fills my home tonight.
Season's Blessings upon us all, ... and if you're given a chance to spread some cheer, please... take it.
Sitting down in McDonald's today, scarfing a burger so we could continue on with our last minute Christmas rushing around... a staff member there was cleaning trays... and I caught something a bit odd out of the corner of my eye.... the person was surreptitiously sucking on a sauce packet. I could see her eyes sweeping the room looking to see if anyone was noticing her... I averted my own eyes so she wouldn't see that I had noticed.... I was reminded of Tom Hanks in the movie The Terminal. Maybe she wasn't hungry, but there was an air about her that compelled me to want to help her.
She had a bottle of water she was drinking out of... I watched her take a drink, put the cap back on, and put it down on the table where she had her cleaning supplies gathered.
I watched her walk away, leaving her water and supplies unattended for a couple moments to go get a mop, and went off somewhere out of my eyesight ... I didn't know how long I had before she came back... quick as a flash I told my honey to prepare to make a run for it while I dashed over to her table and tucked a $20.00 bill under her water bottle, and we scurried out the door before she came back and caught me.
I remain humbled and grateful this Christmas Eve as I warm food in my oven to feed the family I'm so lucky to be surrounded with tonight. My tree bows over a plentiful array of presents; signs of abundance and the energy of love and wellness fills my home tonight.
Season's Blessings upon us all, ... and if you're given a chance to spread some cheer, please... take it.