Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Heating It Up In North Carolina
Here's a short story of a heating and cooling contractor in Wilson, North that donated a heating unit to a women's shelter. Apparently, the owners of Affordable Heating and Cooling Service just felt it was the right thing to do.
Read the article on The Wilson Daily Times website
Read the article on The Wilson Daily Times website
Monday, December 19, 2005
Boston Globe and Santa, Unite
Read about the Globe Santa program, an 18-year old fundraising effort of The Boston Globe newspaper and The Globe Foundation. Raising more than a $1 million a year to buy presents for tens of thousands of eastern Massachusetts children is an effort that should be applauded. Thanks, Globe Santa.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Being Nice Has Its (Fringe) Benefits
From The Columbian, Clark County, WA, @ www.columbian.com
Whole latte kindness goin' on
Friday, December 16, 2005
By JOSE PAUL CORONA, Columbian staff writer
Susan Rucker planned on walking out of Luciano's Coffee Shop with her usual drinks, two extra Irish cream lattes, on Tuesday morning.
But instead she walked out with a free trip to Las Vegas and tickets to see Celine Dion, courtesy of the shop's owner.
She didn't get them because she's a great tipper or because she won a contest. It was because she's a nice person.
"She's one of those people who gives and gives and gives and never gets in return," said Tom Boyd, Luciano's owner.
Boyd got the idea of sending Rucker to Sin City after he told her about a trip he had taken to Las Vegas. After telling her about his trip, Rucker said she wished she could get away.
"I've been trying for a long time to do something for her," Boyd said. He declined to say how much the gift is costing him.
Rucker, a fourth-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in Vancouver, admits that she was "very shocked" by the gift.
"All I said was, 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!'" Rucker said Tuesday morning.
Employees at the coffee shop know Rucker well; she's a regular customer who believes in random acts of kindness.
Rucker usually stays in her car when getting her coffee every morning, but she went inside the coffee shop Tuesday at the urging of its employees.
When they said they had a gift for her, Rucker said she expected to get some free coffee, not a trip to Las Vegas.
Rucker has been going to Luciano's for the past 10 years, even before Boyd was the owner.
She said that two things have made her a loyal customer: great coffee and wonderful employees.
"They just make your day brighter," Rucker said of Luciano's employees.
Rucker said she goes there so often that she often spends more time with the employees there than she does with her own co-workers.
"It's pretty sad when the coffee people are your best friends," Rucker said jokingly.
Rather than paying with cash every time she's there, which is every morning, she pays ahead of time and buys a punch card. That makes her daily coffee purchase go quicker.
Rucker said she buys punch cards twice a month. Every time she does, she buys the person in line behind her some coffee.
She always thinks of others first, and that's why she deserved the trip to Vegas, a stay at Bally's and the concert tickets, said Boyd.
That, coupled with some recent family hardships, made Rucker even more deserving of the gift, Boyd said.
Recently, all during a short span of time, Rucker's husband suffered a stroke and her parents became ill, as did her sister.
While Rucker acknowledges the illnesses, it's not something she dwells on for more than a moment.
Things like that happen to everyone, she said.
Rucker may not believe that she deserves a trip, but Boyd and others do.
"She does go way beyond the call of duty," said Paula Colby, a secretary at Washington Elementary School.
Rucker is always giving her time to students, Colby said.
Former students visit her on a regular basis. The front office staff refers to them as her "fan club."
Rucker helps them with school projects, regularly visits students at home and does anything else she can, said Colby.
"It's just nice to see somebody get back things they deserve," she said.
Jose Paul Corona can be reached at 360-759-8038 or jose.corona@columbian.com.
Whole latte kindness goin' on
Friday, December 16, 2005
By JOSE PAUL CORONA, Columbian staff writer
Susan Rucker planned on walking out of Luciano's Coffee Shop with her usual drinks, two extra Irish cream lattes, on Tuesday morning.
But instead she walked out with a free trip to Las Vegas and tickets to see Celine Dion, courtesy of the shop's owner.
She didn't get them because she's a great tipper or because she won a contest. It was because she's a nice person.
"She's one of those people who gives and gives and gives and never gets in return," said Tom Boyd, Luciano's owner.
Boyd got the idea of sending Rucker to Sin City after he told her about a trip he had taken to Las Vegas. After telling her about his trip, Rucker said she wished she could get away.
"I've been trying for a long time to do something for her," Boyd said. He declined to say how much the gift is costing him.
Rucker, a fourth-grade teacher at Washington Elementary School in Vancouver, admits that she was "very shocked" by the gift.
"All I said was, 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!'" Rucker said Tuesday morning.
Employees at the coffee shop know Rucker well; she's a regular customer who believes in random acts of kindness.
Rucker usually stays in her car when getting her coffee every morning, but she went inside the coffee shop Tuesday at the urging of its employees.
When they said they had a gift for her, Rucker said she expected to get some free coffee, not a trip to Las Vegas.
Rucker has been going to Luciano's for the past 10 years, even before Boyd was the owner.
She said that two things have made her a loyal customer: great coffee and wonderful employees.
"They just make your day brighter," Rucker said of Luciano's employees.
Rucker said she goes there so often that she often spends more time with the employees there than she does with her own co-workers.
"It's pretty sad when the coffee people are your best friends," Rucker said jokingly.
Rather than paying with cash every time she's there, which is every morning, she pays ahead of time and buys a punch card. That makes her daily coffee purchase go quicker.
Rucker said she buys punch cards twice a month. Every time she does, she buys the person in line behind her some coffee.
She always thinks of others first, and that's why she deserved the trip to Vegas, a stay at Bally's and the concert tickets, said Boyd.
That, coupled with some recent family hardships, made Rucker even more deserving of the gift, Boyd said.
Recently, all during a short span of time, Rucker's husband suffered a stroke and her parents became ill, as did her sister.
While Rucker acknowledges the illnesses, it's not something she dwells on for more than a moment.
Things like that happen to everyone, she said.
Rucker may not believe that she deserves a trip, but Boyd and others do.
"She does go way beyond the call of duty," said Paula Colby, a secretary at Washington Elementary School.
Rucker is always giving her time to students, Colby said.
Former students visit her on a regular basis. The front office staff refers to them as her "fan club."
Rucker helps them with school projects, regularly visits students at home and does anything else she can, said Colby.
"It's just nice to see somebody get back things they deserve," she said.
Jose Paul Corona can be reached at 360-759-8038 or jose.corona@columbian.com.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Lottery Winners Gone Good
From The Arizona Republic's "Acts of Kindness" column at www.azcentral.com
Generous lottery winners
Dec. 14, 2005 12:00 AM
In July, our two exterminating ladies, Loretta and Karen, came inside our house to do some spraying. When they left, Loretta said: "When we win the lottery, we are going to buy those people an air-conditioner."
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That night, they won the Arizona Lottery for $1.1 million.
We were away in August when they came for their regular service. They left us a note that they needed to talk to us. When they came back in September, they called my husband and me into the kitchen and proceeded to tell us what they had said on that lucky July day.
This month, our air-condition/gas heater is being installed at no cost to us.
Loretta and Karen are the greatest ladies around, and we cannot begin to tell them how much we appreciate what they have done for us. "Thank you" cannot even begin to express our gratitude.
- Bette Sowell
Glendale
Generous lottery winners
Dec. 14, 2005 12:00 AM
In July, our two exterminating ladies, Loretta and Karen, came inside our house to do some spraying. When they left, Loretta said: "When we win the lottery, we are going to buy those people an air-conditioner."
advertisement
That night, they won the Arizona Lottery for $1.1 million.
We were away in August when they came for their regular service. They left us a note that they needed to talk to us. When they came back in September, they called my husband and me into the kitchen and proceeded to tell us what they had said on that lucky July day.
This month, our air-condition/gas heater is being installed at no cost to us.
Loretta and Karen are the greatest ladies around, and we cannot begin to tell them how much we appreciate what they have done for us. "Thank you" cannot even begin to express our gratitude.
- Bette Sowell
Glendale
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Atlanta Falcons Football Stars Also Shine in Life
From The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at www.ajc.com
Vick, Dunn perform acts of kindness
Inspirational teen visits quarterback
By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/13/05
Warrick Dunn's philanthropy is well known, but even for somebody who has made a habit of touching lives, the Falcons tailback's most recent gesture, literally, resonated deep. Quarterback Michael Vick, meanwhile, went long distance with his voice, not his legs or arm, to make arguably one of the most crucial scores of his life.
Kenny Gibson, a Southern California 17-year-old paralyzed while playing football last year, watched Vick, his idol and the person credited with inspiring him to live, play against the New Orleans Saints from the sideline at the Georgia Dome on Monday night.
Gibson was set to speak to Vick briefly before kickoff, making it the second time they were to meet in as many days. Gibson first met Vick after a closed practice Sunday, capping a long-sought face-to-face encounter.
In November 2004, Vick, through the When U Dream A Dream foundation, called Gibson in the hospital to encourage him to resume eating and to pursue a long life. Gibson had stopped eating, saying he wanted to succumb to his condition, which left him without the use of his legs.
"He told me to keep my head up, but the main thing when he called me a year ago was that I was an inspiration to him," Gibson said. "That's what helped me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm glad I can have it."
Dunn, meanwhile, awarded the 55th, 56th and 57th houses through his foundation to single parents last week. The highlight of Dunn's longstanding Homes for the Holidays program was him communicating through sign language to KaSheena and Keyonal Singleton, the hearing-impaired daughters of Melinda Hutchins, as they were awarded a fully furnished home in Gainesville.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank and coach Jim Mora were on hand for Dunn's project in Gainesville. He also awarded homes to families in Atlanta and Roswell.
Since 1997, personally and with the help of sponsors, Dunn annually awards homes to single mothers in metropolitan Atlanta, Tampa and his hometown of Baton Rouge, La., in tribute to his mother, Betty Smothers, a police officer killed in the line of duty.
Nearly 150 children and their mothers have been awarded homes through Dunn's program.
Vick, Dunn perform acts of kindness
Inspirational teen visits quarterback
By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/13/05
Warrick Dunn's philanthropy is well known, but even for somebody who has made a habit of touching lives, the Falcons tailback's most recent gesture, literally, resonated deep. Quarterback Michael Vick, meanwhile, went long distance with his voice, not his legs or arm, to make arguably one of the most crucial scores of his life.
Kenny Gibson, a Southern California 17-year-old paralyzed while playing football last year, watched Vick, his idol and the person credited with inspiring him to live, play against the New Orleans Saints from the sideline at the Georgia Dome on Monday night.
Gibson was set to speak to Vick briefly before kickoff, making it the second time they were to meet in as many days. Gibson first met Vick after a closed practice Sunday, capping a long-sought face-to-face encounter.
In November 2004, Vick, through the When U Dream A Dream foundation, called Gibson in the hospital to encourage him to resume eating and to pursue a long life. Gibson had stopped eating, saying he wanted to succumb to his condition, which left him without the use of his legs.
"He told me to keep my head up, but the main thing when he called me a year ago was that I was an inspiration to him," Gibson said. "That's what helped me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm glad I can have it."
Dunn, meanwhile, awarded the 55th, 56th and 57th houses through his foundation to single parents last week. The highlight of Dunn's longstanding Homes for the Holidays program was him communicating through sign language to KaSheena and Keyonal Singleton, the hearing-impaired daughters of Melinda Hutchins, as they were awarded a fully furnished home in Gainesville.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank and coach Jim Mora were on hand for Dunn's project in Gainesville. He also awarded homes to families in Atlanta and Roswell.
Since 1997, personally and with the help of sponsors, Dunn annually awards homes to single mothers in metropolitan Atlanta, Tampa and his hometown of Baton Rouge, La., in tribute to his mother, Betty Smothers, a police officer killed in the line of duty.
Nearly 150 children and their mothers have been awarded homes through Dunn's program.
