kindness

Sy Newson Green faced a crisis during his freshman year of high school. His father required a heart transplant, and his mother suffered an accident that left her visually impaired. With both parents losing their jobs, Green’s future at Palma School, a private all-boys Catholic institution, was suddenly uncertain. Unexpectedly, help came from an unlikely source: inmates at California’s Soledad Prison. These inmates pooled their earnings from prison jobs, with some external assistance, to cover the majority of Green’s tuition, amounting to an impressive $32,000, enabling him to complete his education through graduation. The inspiration for this initiative stemmed from a book club. Jim Micheletti, an English and theology teacher at Palma School, initiated a reading program called Exercises in Empathy at Soledad seven years prior. This program facilitated regular discussions between Palma students and inmates, fostering a deeper understanding and challenging stereotypes. Micheletti noted the transformation in students’ perceptions, saying, “They go in thinking ‘monster,’ and they come out thinking ‘a man, a human being.’” Among the inmates, Jason Bryant and Ted Gray, who were serving long sentences, aimed to create a positive narrative despite their not so colourful pasts. They decided to establish a scholarship fund for a deserving Palma student, selecting Sy Green, who excelled academically and athletically. Over the next three years, Bryant and Gray worked diligently from behind prison walls to raise funds for Green’s education. Although most contributions were modest, the consistency made the difference. Now 19, Green graduated from Palma last year and is currently studying at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. After serving 20 years, Bryant received clemency and now works as the Director of Restorative Programs at CROP, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing recidivism through training, career development, and stable housing. He believes that helping others is the key to breaking the cycle of crime and punishment.

Kevin and Blake first met at summer camp when they were 13 years old. Even at a young age, Kevin thought Blake was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Although they stayed in touch through instant messaging and phone calls in the following years, they eventually lost contact due to the distance between Indianapolis and Michigan. One year after they stopped talking, when Kevin and Blake were both 17 years old, a fateful phone call changed their lives forever. Kevin was seconds away from taking his own life, having already written a suicide note, when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Blake calling him out of the blue. During their conversation, Kevin confessed to Blake that he had been planning to commit suicide. Shocked and concerned, Blake talked him down and made him promise to call her the next day. Over the following months, the two became even closer friends until they fell in love and started dating. Ten years after that pivotal phone call, in 2015, Kevin proposed to Blake. During his proposal, he reportedly told her, “I love you. Also, thanks for saving my life.” This story does cause some unexplainable, yet familiar vibrations in my consciousness. And I really hope it will make us all see the need to regularly check up on people. That phone call, that SMS! may be all that’s needed to save an unspeakable situation. T.A.L.K to someone today.

An Arizona woman heroically rescued her neighbors from a house fire, an act captured on their doorbell camera. Early on New Year’s Day, Carolyn Palisch noticed smoke drifting past her window and rushed to check on the Salgado family, who lived next door. The footage shows her banging on their front door in Avondale, Arizona, until she finally woke them at 7:30 AM. Nicole Salgado expressed gratitude for Carolyn’s persistence, noting that they escaped just moments before the roof collapsed. The fire caused the Salgado family to lose all their belongings, but a GoFundMe campaign did raise $48,000 of their $50,000 goal. Nicole Salgado described the frantic moments as they scrambled to escape, with everyone rushing out without shoes or socks. They were in shock as they watched their home burn, thankful to be alive. And grateful for Carolyn’s quick actions that saved their lives. Nicole remarked on the situation, emphasizing their appreciation for Carolyn and her bravery. “If it wasn’t for her, it’d be a totally different story,” Nicole said, declaring Carolyn a part of their family. One another is all we’ve got, let’s be intentional about being one another’s keeper; Always looking out for one another.

Mercedes Boggs, a young woman from Kentucky, narrowly escaped death when her car hit a patch of ice, flipped on its side, and slid down an embankment into a frigid creek. Trapped inside her mangled vehicle with cold water rushing in, she regained consciousness and felt a sense of despair. However, fate intervened when a stranger appeared, making his way toward her. In that moment, Boggs felt a sense of relief, stating, “When I saw him, it was just like everything was fine. I wasn’t even scared anymore. I just knew that that was like my saving grace.” The stranger, identified as John Burke, a Kentucky coal miner, was on his way home from his night shift when he witnessed the accident. Without hesitation, he stopped to help. Burke freed Boggs from her vehicle and was assisting her up the embankment when her car burst into flames. Had he arrived just half a minute later; Boggs would likely have perished in the ensuing explosion. After an ambulance crew took charge, Burke continued on his way, unaware of the scale of kindness he had done, and inspired. Meanwhile, Boggs was rushed to the hospital without knowing the name of her saviour. In a desperate attempt to find and thank him, she turned to social media, posting a heartfelt plea on Facebook. Within hours, her post was shared nearly 900 times, catching Burke’s attention, who then reached out to her. When Boggs spoke with Burke, she expressed her immense gratitude, but he downplayed his role, not seeing himself as a hero. However, Boggs and her family viewed him as a true superhero. “Kids look up to Batman and Superman; that’s how I look at John now. He will forever be my hero,” she told News outlets. Burke’s selfless act of kindness not only saved Boggs’ life but has also restored faith in humanity.

Chelsea Timmons decided to end her delivery shift early due to worsening road conditions in Austin, Texas. However, her last delivery took an unexpected turn when her car became stuck in the customer’s driveway, leading to a fortunate turn of events. Attempting to avoid a walk up the steep driveway, Timmons, an H-E-B grocery employee, tried to drive up but ended up sliding into the garden. Despite the couple’s efforts to help her move the car, they were unsuccessful, and with AAA overwhelmed by calls, they invited her to stay in their home as the weather deteriorated. Nina Richardson expressed, “It’s just what you do when stuff shows up,” while her partner Doug Condon added that they hoped someone would help their daughters in a similar situation. Over dinner, Timmons shared her dream of opening a bakery, and in gratitude, she promised to bake them a gluten-free coconut cake. Timmons spent five days in their spare room, bonding with their dog and feeling truly grateful for the warm reception and hospitable nature of her new found family. She discovered that her own apartment had lost water and power, making her stay with the couple a fortunate escape “I certainly enjoyed much better meals here,” she remarked, grateful for the way they welcomed her and made her feel like a member of their family.

A popular restaurant in Huntly, New Zealand, was bustling with customers when an unexpected family emergency left the chef as the only staff member available to serve customers. When Emily Puhi arrived at Thai Food Huntly, she noticed the restaurant was full, with people waiting to either pay for their meals or pick up take-out orders. Realizing the chef was overwhelmed and unable to take orders or handle payments, she witnessed a remarkable act of community spirit. A woman waiting to pay took the initiative to grab some paper and began waiting tables for the chef. Another customer stepped in to wash dishes, and a nearby shop employee offered assistance as well. With the chef’s approval, this worker managed the cash register to ensure everyone could settle their bills. “It was such a beautiful feeling,” Emily shared with the New Zealand Herald. This incident painted the concept of ‘customer service’ in living colours, giving it a whole new meaning. Emily expressed on Facebook, “We could easily feel the sense of community all around the place.” Also noting how frowns turned to smiles and grumpy waiting turned to patiently waiting. When we let our humanity shine through, there is no dark moment that love and kindness cannot illuminate.

Business owners seeking to maximize their advertising budgets usually allocate funds to media buys. However, one Wisconsin restaurateur found that his best return on investment came from an unexpected source: promoting his competitors. Adolfo Melendez, the owner of the Tex-Mex restaurant El Mezcal, did experience firsthand, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the restaurant industry, particularly on family-run establishments like his own. He recognizes that small businesses represent more than just revenue; they embody the heart, soul, vision, and hard work of their owners. Melendez, who identifies with his fellow small business owners as friends and neighbours, took action to support his community. He purchased over $2,000 in gift cards from other local restaurants and has been raffling them off to his customers through Facebook. Pete Ananiadis, the owner of Olympia Family Restaurant, expressed gratitude for Melendez’s altruistic efforts, stating that during the COVID-19 crisis, it was crucial to support local, small businesses, and acknowledging that Melendez understood that so well. In a highly competitive industry, Melendez believes that diversity enhances a community’s character. He values the success of his peers, viewing it as a reflection of his own, and he encourages others to embrace efforts that help others to not only survive but thrive. May we continue to embrace the Ubuntu Philosophy; for truly it shouldn’t be about you, nor should it be about me. It should be about us, through kindness, love and respect, making life better for us all.

A house is where people live but a home is where people are loved. Sometimes, the bonds of family have no relation to biology. That’s why when a group of fraternity brothers learned their “second mom” needed help to retire, she didn’t even need to ask. Jessie Hamilton worked as a cook at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house (affectionately known as Fiji) on the campus of Louisiana State University from 1982 to 1996. Though the single mom had three kids of her own, she treated the young men in her care like surrogate sons—listening to their worries, offering counsel, and even driving them to doctor’s appointments or ferrying them to the grocery store on occasion. “I enjoyed doing it. They loved my cooking,” Hamilton told The Washington Post. “I was always there to talk things through with them. They’d come in the kitchen and sit on top of the counter and tell me their problems.” Andrew Fusaiotti, who’s now 52 years old, was a Fiji brother in the late 1980s. “She was truly like a mother to us,” he told the Post. “She treated us like we were her own kids. She was always looking out for us.” After leaving LSU, Hamilton found herself balancing multiple jobs to maintain her financial stability, a challenge she had faced since the age of 14. In 2006, at the age of 60, she took out a 30-year mortgage for a house she hoped to retire in, yearning for a place to call home. Over the years, she kept in touch with several fraternity brothers, including Fusaiotti, who now owns a car dealership in Mobile, Alabama. At the onset of the pandemic, Fusaiotti reached out to check on Hamilton and was disheartened to learn that she was still working multiple jobs, with retirement not in sight for her foreseeable future.Not doing something to rectify the situation wasn’t an option for him. Fusaiotti reached out to Hamilton’s family to determine a suitable monetary goal and began rallying his fraternity brothers for financial contributions to pay off her mortgage and provide her with a financial cushion. With donations averaging between $600 and $1,000 from approximately 91 alumni, Fusaiotti’s efforts culminated in a total of $51,765 raised. Just days before Hamilton’s 74th birthday, the fraternity officially declared April 3 as “Jessie Hamilton Day,” celebrating the occasion with a catered party where they presented her with two large checks: one for $45,000 to pay off her mortgage and another for $6,675 for her personal use, along with commemorative T-shirts and koozies, all infused with love and cherished memories. As Fusaiotti and the other young men whose lives Hamilton touched can tell you, sometimes guardian angels turn up in unlikely places—including the fraternity kitchen—where you’ll find them doling out generous helpings of fried chicken, red beans, and comfort that goes way beyond comfort food. “She is the type of person that inspires me, people that don’t have a lot but give a lot,” Fusaiotti told The Advocate. “She’s the most giving person you’ve ever met.”

Caught sight of a truly exhilarating scenario and I feel everyone should learn a thing or two from it. A man, Fernando and his wife were waiting in the ticketing line, he overheard a man at the counter trying to get a ticket to Las Vegas. He was having trouble. He only had $150 and that wasn’t enough. The ticketing agent was pretty unhelpful and told him he needed to go online and look for other options. The man kept trying to explain his situation to her but wasn’t getting anywhere. His English language abilities were limited, so it was difficult for him to communicate. He was becoming increasingly frustrated—and she was becoming increasingly indifferent. After he finally, despondently, turned away from the counter, Fernando, went up to the man and asked what was up. He speaks Spanish so was able to understand his story. The man had lost his job here in the San Francisco area, had no place to live, and only $150 in his pocket. He had family who were living in Las Vegas and was trying to get there. He was told he could get a ticket for $150, but told Fernando that he couldn’t read, didn’t have a computer, and didn’t know how to access the internet from the airport—let alone navigate how to purchase a low fare ticket. Fernando believed him and wanted to help him. They walked back to the counter and Fernando purchased a $330 ticket to Las Vegas for the man. Fernando didn’t ask for anything and trusted that this guy’s story was true. He followed his heart, because he wanted to help him. And most importantly, he did. While we hope that this incredibly kind gesture from a stranger, who paid attention and cared enough to listen to this man’s story and take some action, be a turning point for him to get back on track, we hope most fervently, that this will inspire us all to learn to treat people with more compassion than ever before. It was a Good Samaritan helping another who was down on their luck—most likely an immigrant, most definitely a human being—so he might have some safety, better his life, and be with his family. Not only that, a month later when Fernando’s wife was going through the credit card statement, she saw the charge and asked her husband, “Wasn’t that ticket $240? Why is the bill $330?” Fernando sheepishly replied, “I upgraded him.” On this note, I sincerely hope that we too will learn to, within our capacity, upgrade those we come in contact with.