Post 13 - Kindness is for Seniors

Hello everyone,

I apologize for not posting in a while.  Things were a little busy towards the end of the semester and the holidays were right around the corner.  With that said, I hope that all of you had a happy holiday season and a wonderful start to 2014.  With the New Year here, I thought would start off by telling you all about a project which I participated in for the holidays of 2013.  The Peer Educators of Washburn University decided to collect Christmas donations for a group of senior citizens living in a local nursing home.  Over the course of a few weeks, Peer Educators collected a number of items.  These include: socks, board games, lotions, blankets, puzzles, and more.  Around the holiday season, a lot of people get caught up in the busy times.  Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to collect donations to help out local seniors within the community who may not have gotten noticed.  All in all, I feel that the project was a success.  There is always room for improvement, which is why we need to set the goal higher for this year’s holiday season.  I hope that you all enjoyed reading this post and that you had a wonderful start to your new year.  Remember to stay safe and be kind.

Dallas Hathaway

Post #12 – Kindness is an Organization

Hello everyone,

Earlier, I told you about a plumbing company who helped a family in need.  Now, I’ve decided to change things up a bit and tell you about a nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to promote and help complete random acts of kindness all across the world.  In 2009, Misha Collins, star of the CW’s Supernatural, reached out to his Twitter followers and they came up with an idea to help nonprofit initiatives.  After several changes and some careful planning, the team eventually came up with the name Random Acts.  The basic goal of this organization is to encourage individual acts of kindness whenever and wherever possible.  Not only does the organization help fund individual projects by letting you submit your idea, but they will also provide volunteers who may help you complete the act of kindness.

The organization’s mission statement is as follows: “At Random Acts, it’s our mission to conquer the world one random act of kindness at a time.  We are here to inspire acts of kindness around the world both big and small.  We provide a vast network of caring people with the encouragement and support they need to change lives for the better.”

The organization also has a list of five key values which are listed below:

• ·         Every individual can be a catalyst for positive change in the world and in his/her own life.
• ·         Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
• ·         Each person can make a positive impact with his/her own social network and community.
• ·         Kindness breeds kindness
• ·         Being kind is fun!

I hope that sharing this with you inspires you to check out their website and see the many videos posted which give an up close and personal view of individual random acts of kindness.  This organization can do a lot for many people around the world.  If you have a random fact that you would like to complete, don’t be afraid to ask for help, because anything can be accomplished.  I hope that you enjoyed reading about this organization, and I also have posted a video below.  I hope that you enjoy the rest of your evening, and that is all until next time.

Dallas Hathaway

http://www.therandomact.org

Post #11-Kindness is Donations

Hello everyone,                                                                   

Last week, I shared a story with you about an amazing couple who gave money away on the side of the road.  This week, I’m going to tell you about a plumbing company from Arizona to fix the needs of a desperate family in their time of need.  For about a year, the McComb family has been dealing with the terrible stress of their seven-year-old daughter’s Sarcoma cancer.  At the same time, the family had also been dealing with terrible plumbing leaks throughout the year.  Mrs. McComb suggested to her husband that he should call Pioneer Plumbing to see if they could get the problem resolved.  Soon after, two employees came out and fixed all of the leaks.  After the plumbers returned to work, they shared the family’s story in a weekly meeting.  That is when the owner of the store, Mike Motzkin, decided he could make a difference.  He is quoted in the article saying, “look, these guys have got bigger things to worry about.  We just gotta help them out.”  He decided to donate all materials, and employees worked for free.  Soon after the work was done, Mr. McComb decided to nominate Mike Motzkin for a local award called “Ben’s Bell.”  This award is for “those among us who make our community better, [and a] kinder place to live.”  I hope that these services help the McComb family get through their difficult times.  I also hope that this story inspires you to do a kind act.  Things like these don’t happen very often, and when they do it makes us want to do something kind in return.  I hope you enjoyed reading this story, and this is all until next time.  Enjoy your Sunday evening.

Dallas Hathaway

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/tucson-business-owner-believes-kind-acts-should-be-the-norm/article_3443c08f-7735-59bd-822d-ff5022b575c5.html

Post # 10 - Kindness is...Panhandling in Reverse

Hello everyone,

Today, I’m going to tell you about a story of a very remarkable couple, and this couple just happens to be retired.  They decided to take their idea to the streets.  Instead of panhandling and asking people for money, the couple decided to take their own money and give it away to the people who drove by.  The couple decided that they were going to take $100 of their own money and give it away.  You can think of it as “panhandling in reverse.”  The driver of each vehicle that passed them that day received one dollar.  In addition, the couple held up a sign saying “no, I am not homeless, and I am not hungry.  Can I give you a dollar?”  Although this act is small, it shows that the couple has a kind heart and wants to bring good to the community.  No matter how small the act is, kindness can always make a positive difference in someone’s life.  So please remember, when you see that piece of trash on the sidewalk, pick it up.  Or when you’re standing behind someone in line, and they don’t have enough money to pay for their bill, pay for the difference.  Doing good deeds will bring good deeds back to you.  I hope that you enjoyed reading this post, and until next time please stay kind.  Thank you for reading.

Dallas Hathaway 

Post #9 – A Worldwide Movement

Hello everyone,

Alyssa O’Neill sent a text to her mother asking whether or not she would get her pumpkin spice latte. Even though her mother agreed, her daughter was never able to get the drink. On the morning she was supposed to get the treat, the 18-year-old died of an epileptic seizure. Her parents were filled with shock, and they had no idea what to do. So, her parents did the only thing they thought was right. They decided to go to the local Starbucks and pay for 40 other people to receive the drink. The manager of the store was so excited about what had happened he offered to donate 50 more of them in her honor. Another thing that the manager did was put #AJO on each drink with a purple marker. This is when the excitement began. Her memorial page soon reached 28,000 likes. The hashtag has become so popular that it is turned into almost a verb, with people saying “I got AJOed this morning!” Before Amber’s death, she hoped to become a nurse could help other people who have epilepsy. Her family decided to start a local scholarship fund for students who would like to go into nursing. Although this act of kindness was prompted by a sad loss, it has opened many people’s eyes and they can now be kind to others. I hope that you enjoyed reading this story. Until next time, be safe, have fun, and be kind.

Dallas Hathaway

https://www.facebook.com/AJOforeverinourhearts

Post #8-Kindness for Papou

Hi everyone,

A local doctor from Hopkins, Minnesota visited the same Dairy Queen on a daily basis to get a treat, which was 30 miles away.  He lived for acts of kindness.  He always tried to get to know his patients on more of a personal level.  Six months ago, Dr. David Dragotis, came down with esophageal cancer and ended up staying at the same hospital he practiced at.  Up until his death, Dr. Dragotis wrote prescriptions for his patients.  In hopes of letting his kind spirit live on, his granddaughters decided to pay his kindness forward.  They went to the local Dairy Queen that their father had visited each day, and they gave the manager $200 to pay for everyone’s ice cream until the money ran out.  They also included flyers of his father’s story.  When some people heard about the story, it brought tears to their eyes.  This is one way for his family members to fill the hole which their father had left them.  When others heard about the story, they also began donating in his honor.  I hope that you enjoyed reading. A link to a video is below.

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1042003/391/Hopkins-Dairy-Queen-home-to-another-viral-act-of-kindness

Dallas Hathaway

Post #7-Youthful Kindness

Hello all,

I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday.  Last night, I found the most adorable story that I thought I would share with you.  A 7-Year-Old girl named Helaina Morgan was devastated after her mom told her a story about a family who receives food stamps.  Her mother informed her that the family often times couldn’t afford to buy extra cookies or ice cream because they didn’t have enough money.  Helaina was so shocked that her only reaction was a gasp.  The little girl then asked her mom if they could go take them some food.  She told her that it would be a little difficult to accomplish because of how far away they live.  This is when the magic happened. Helaina went straight into her room and decided to get $10 out of her piggy bank.  She told her mom that she would like to send the money to the family money so they could afford extra goodies.  This came complete with a letter to the family’s 3-year-old daughter, Essence, which is posted below.  An act of kindness such as this one does not come around very often.  So no matter how old you are, or how much money you have, you can still make a positive impact in someone’s life.  I hope you all enjoyed reading the post. Feel free to look at the photos below.  Have a nice weekend until next time, everyone!

Dallas Hathaway