kindness

A generous couple has been secretly stuffing money into diaper boxes and under formula canister lids at local Targets in order to help out struggling families. Krystal Duhaney is a registered nurse and the founder of Milky Mama. A soon-to-be mother of three, when she and her husband Patrick had their first child, they realized just how expensive raising a family can be. Now they’re in a better place financially, they can afford to give back to others—so they’ve stuffed about $1,000 in cash into various baby supplies around Los Angeles Target stores, and they’re not stopping any time soon. “We recalled how hard it was for us as new parents to afford some of the basics and we could imagine how difficult it must be now,” Krystal explained to TODAY.  “We hope that the parents that purchase these items have a brighter day when they find our gifts” Krystal added. May the difficulties we experience cause us to be more understanding of the situation of others, inspiring us to be kinder and more compassionate.

Being in the right place at the right time can be a matter of life and death. During a 100-kilometer cross-country race in Gansu province, China, an unexpected ice storm struck, endangering the lives of many runners. Zhu Keming, a local shepherd, faced the harsh conditions to rescue six participants, three men and three women. On the day of the race, temperatures were mild as Zhu tended to his sheep. However, the weather quickly deteriorated, plunging into freezing temperatures accompanied by sleet and hail. Seeking shelter, Zhu took refuge in a cave where he had stored emergency supplies. From this vantage point, he spotted a runner in distress, appearing immobilized and disoriented. Zhu brought the distressed runner to the cave, where he lit a fire to warm him up. After ensuring the man was safe, Zhu returned to help five more runners find shelter. His actions were undoubtedly lifesaving, as many participants were inadequately dressed for the sudden cold, with lightweight clothing that left them vulnerable to hypothermia. Tragically, 21 out of the 172 athletes succumbed to the storm. One of the rescued runners, Zhang Xiaotao, expressed his gratitude on Weibo, stating, “Without him, I would have been left out there.” Despite the acclaim, Zhu remains humble, insisting he is “just an ordinary person who did a very ordinary thing.” However, the athletes he saved, their families, and many others recognize the extraordinary nature of his courage and timely actions in a life-threatening situation. If there’s ever anything right you could do to help a fellow, just do it.

The Gusah Family made a significant contribution by donating their ancestral land in Mbabagu Village for the establishment of a clinic years ago. They conducted a land survey to delineate their grandfather’s boundaries among his brothers, the sons of Gedege: Lan, Gusa, and Namtsav in Vandeikya LGA of Benue State, Nigeria. The clinic has been functioning lowkey with a small team of three Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs). This year, the family has taken a more proactive approach, committing over N20 million to renovate the clinic, construct a three-bedroom boys’ quarters, and hire a qualified Nurse-Midwife, Sister Terver Saa-Aondo. Their objective is to transform the clinic into a state-of-the-art primary healthcare facility, adhering to the current guidelines set by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Following this event, Sister Terver will initiate a comprehensive assessment of the community’s healthcare needs, with plans to raise funds to address these issues through a two-year action plan. This initiative represents a public-private partnership aimed at promoting local social development. Attention is particularly drawn to the deep sense of empathy demonstrated by the Gusah Family, when we emulate this magnitude of selflessness and concern for the needs of others, we would be painting the true nature of kindness in living colours.

A 27-year-old pregnant mother, Alyssa DeWitt, is being celebrated as a hero after she rescued four children from drowning at Lake Michigan’s First Street Beach Pier. On a windy Tuesday afternoon, Alyssa hesitated before taking her children to the beach, concerned about the strong winds. However, she ultimately decided to go. While at the beach, Alyssa noticed a group of girls, all under 15, struggling in the water. Alarmed, she saw one girl waving her arms for help, which prompted her to act. “I got up, pulled my kids out of the water, and ran out onto the pier,” she recounted. Alyssa attempted to call 911, but the noise from the waves made it difficult for the dispatcher to hear her. Realizing she couldn’t wait for help, she laid on her stomach on the slippery pier to reach the girls. Despite being five months pregnant, she fought against the waves to pull them to safety. “Every time I’d get one of them halfway up, a big wave would come smashing into us,” she explained. “My turning point was when one of the little girls looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to die.’ That was it for me and I was like ‘I’m not going to let you die, I’m going to get you out of this water, I promise.’” She managed to pull all three girls out of the water and over the pier before the group set off back towards the shore to rescue a fourth girl who had managed to get closer to shore but couldn’t stand because her leg was injured. “I honestly do not know how I did it, it was pure adrenaline at that point,” Alyssa said. Once all the children were safe on the beach, emergency services arrived. Alyssa sustained a swollen wrist but both she and her unborn child were unharmed after a check-up at the hospital. While there are numerous lessons and inspirations to draw from this incident, I want to beam our TORCH on Alyssa’s determination and predisposition to kindness. Despite being five months pregnant, she was driven by compassion and chose to risk her own safety to save the lives of four young girls. If we all embraced a mindset of thoughtfulness and selflessness in our actions, the world would be a much more peaceful and beautiful place.

This uplifting moment showcases the extraordinary teamwork of villagers who united to retrieve a pickup truck that had tumbled down a steep hill. A man was traveling along the slope when he lost control and skidded off the dirt road in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. More than fifty locals volunteered to pull the old vehicle that rolled over the hills and was stuck on the edge of a cabbage field terrace. They helped the driver out of the truck before tying thick ropes around the truck to pull it. After almost an hour, the vehicle was successfully towed back to the road. Malinee Laowang, a niece of the driver, said: “I saw the pickup truck toppled down the hill and flipped multiple times.”  “I remember running towards the car and smashing the windows open with a rock to let my relative out. More villagers came to help us even without asking.” Malinee’s uncle narrowly survived the crash and only suffered minor cuts and bruises and the car was dragged back to the driver’s home. Malinee added: ‘My uncle was not seriously hurt and his car would be repaired. I would like to thank the villagers for helping us out.’ When we stick to the Ubuntu Philosophy and enshrine the spirit of togetherness and brotherhood into all we do, we would be healing the world from the infamy of pains and cruelty induced by human greed and selfishness.

Sometimes when friends try to hold you back from being too generous and kind, you know you’re doing something right. When icy temperatures this past winter froze Kodak, Tennessee, shutting power down and freezing pipes, Sean Patel, owner of the local Quality Inn, wanted to do something to help his neighbors: open his hotel to all comers, even if he ran out of rooms, and provide them food and warmth until the power came back on. “I frequently ask him to dial it back a bit because I know he’s spending so much of his own money and energy to help others, but he has such a big heart, I know he will only give more,” says his friend Steve Smith, who nominated the Quality Inn for Nicest Places in America. But Patel wouldn’t listen. The immigrant from India, who came to America in 2004, saw goodness in the people around him when he settled in Tennessee—and wanted to be a part of it. “I saw how much people helped each other in the South and it got to me,” explains Patel. “It’s not always about money. Sometimes you just need to talk. I always wanted to be that kind of person.” So, he did what came naturally: Patel took to social media to say, “If you can get here, we will take care of you.” Even at maximum capacity, Patel would make space for those who needed it whether that be in the lobby or around the pool area, just so they could have someplace warm to be. Between Christmas and New Years of 2020, all 60 rooms in the hotel were completely booked with some rooms housing as many as eight or nine adults. Some guests even stayed in the lobby or meeting rooms just to have a warm place to be. A couple rooms under maintenance were used so guests in the lobby could take a shower, which Patel’s team sanitized thoroughly after each user. People came together in ways that Patel has never seen before. Everyone pitched in. Some guests even paid for each other’s rooms. Everyone was sharing food. The hotel staff turned on their breakfast station so people wouldn’t have to worry. Later in the winter, when a similar freeze hit Texas, Patel did the same with another hotel he owns, the Segovia Lodge. Power lines came down and pipes froze over as the cold engulfed an unprepared Texas. Patel waived all fees so anyone who could get to the hotel could stay and eat for free all week. Guests even walked to the hotel because their cars couldn’t get through. The hotel eventually lost electricity and stranded truckers took turns staying up all night to keep a fire going. All of the rooms were full, yet Patel opened the lobby floor so more guests could be sheltered. With over 200 people at the hotel, there wasn’t any fuss. No one argued. Everyone made sure the others were comfortable, warm, and fed as they took turns cooking for each other.  “It wasn’t about who was Black, White, Democrat, Republican. COVID, or no COVID, everyone was a family,” says hotel manager Shelly Shirley. All the guests who were at the Segovia Lodge during the freeze have even kept in touch via a Facebook group! They check in on each other and keep up with news from each other’s lives. “Business is down, but I still have clothes on my back, the kids were safe, we had a shower and food,” says Patel. “We all have to look out for each other.” It’s of utmost importance to remember that our motivations shouldn’t solely revolve around financial gain. The kindness we extend to others will linger in their hearts long after our wealth and material possessions have faded away.

High school graduations are one of the most important rites of passage in a teenager’s life. Four years of hard work, friendships, and dreams for the future all culminate in a shining moment that will be remembered long after the caps and gowns are collecting dust. Now imagine Daverius Peters’ dismay when on May 19, as he headed into the ceremony to receive his diploma, he was stopped at the door by the fashion police. Although his black-topped, white-soled sneakers were anything but outrageous, Peters learned they were in violation of the school’s dress code and he was denied entry. It looked as if Peters was about to miss his chance to walk across the stage with his classmates—until someone stepped in with both feet—and shoes—to turn things around. When the distraught senior caught sight of a friendly face he went looking for help. John Butler, a para-educator at Boutte, Louisiana’s Hahnville High School was on hand for the graduation as a parent, not a staff member, but once he learned the details of Peters’ predicament, he accompanied the young man he’d come to know and respect back to the entry to see if he could change the gatekeeper’s mind. “I was hoping that maybe if she saw me with him, she would let it go, but she insisted on not letting this young man in, and I didn’t have time to go back and forth with her,” Butler told The Washington Post. “It was a no-brainer… This was the most important moment in his life up to that point, and I wasn’t going to let him miss it for anything.” Without missing a beat, Butler simply swapped his size-11 loafers for Peters’ size-9 athletic shoes. With seconds to spare, Peters made it inside the venue just as the doors closed and was able to keep his place in the graduation line. Although his family was initially confused by the last-minute wardrobe substitution, they were thrilled that Butler’s quick thinking kept a joyful celebration from turning into an ugly situation. “I wasn’t surprised because Mr. Butler is that type of person,” a grateful Peters told The Washington Post. “At school, if you’re having a bad day, he’ll be the one to take you out of class, walk around the school with you and talk to you.” It’s said that a truly generous man will give the shirt off his back to someone in need. Now it seems, the adage also applies to the shoes off his feet. Our minds may forget beautiful faces, but never the ones who lit our way through the darkness. This here is an invitation for us all to stay kind wherever we find ourselves. If we can’t help others, may we at least not add to their struggles and pains.

A Scottish farmer named Fleming toiling away on his farm, when suddenly, piercing screams shatter the tranquility. Without a second thought, he abandons his tools and races towards the distress. What he finds is a child struggling in the swamp, trapped and drowning. With no hesitation, Fleming risks his own life, using a long branch to pull the child to safety. The very next day, a luxurious car pulls up to Fleming’s modest home. Out steps a distinguished gentleman—Randolph Churchill, the father of the boy Fleming saved. Churchill offers to repay the farmer’s bravery with riches, but Fleming refuses, saying, “Saving someone is my duty; humanity has no price.” Just then, Fleming’s own son appears at the door. Churchill, intrigued, asks, “Is this your son?” When Fleming proudly confirms, Churchill proposes an intriguing deal: if Fleming won’t accept his money, he’ll fund the boy’s education at the finest schools, ensuring he gets the same opportunities as Churchill’s own child. Fleming, realizing the chance to give his son a future he could never afford, gratefully accepts. His son goes on to attend St Mary’s Medical School in London and becomes Sir Alexander Fleming, the inventor of penicillin. Years later, the story comes full circle when penicillin, discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming, saves the life of Winston Churchill, the son of Randolph Churchill, who had once offered to fund Fleming’s education in gratitude for saving his son. This remarkable twist illustrates the adage that what goes around comes around, reminding us of kindness and the interconnectedness of our actions. Let us be inspired to act kindly, always.

For over 9 years now, Linda Brown and her husband David organized a nightly drop-in shelter where homeless people in Springfield could eat, shower, do laundry, use a computer, and socialize during bingo games and karaoke—but they wanted to do more. So, they transformed an abandoned mobile home property into a village of tiny homes that provides permanent housing to the chronically disabled homeless. They raised $4.75 million and opened Eden Village in 2018, erecting 31 tiny homes that are now occupied by people like Jonathan Fisher. Jonathan Fisher who was battling substance abuse, and had lived on the streets for two years when he met Linda Brown, who changed his life. “In the worst moments of my life, Linda gave me guidance, care, and made me feel like I was still worth something,” Fisher says. He says that Brown took the time to learn about how he became homeless, and then encouraged him as he rebuilt his life. She even offered him a job. Now sober, Fisher works full-time for Brown, doing construction and maintenance on the 31 homes, and helping others experiencing struggles similar to what he went through. The driving philosophy behind Eden Village is the same that fuels the Housing First movement: The root causes of a person’s homelessness cannot be thoroughly addressed until his or her immediate housing needs are met. “I watched as my homeless friends walked off into the darkness to a hidden, wet, cold camp while we went home to a warm bed,” Linda told the National Association of Realtors, who honored her with their Good Neighbor Award in 2020. “I had to do something,” That was the moment that formed her vision for the tiny-home village that serves as a place where the chronically disabled homeless “can live with dignity and self-worth.” After drawing sponsorship money from Coldwell Banker, the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors, local banks, churches, and area residents, by February 2019, all 31 tiny homes, which cost about $42,000 each, were occupied. “It takes someone who wants to do something, and then believes they can. I’ve watched Linda Brown live that out,” says Nate Schleuter, who helped launch a tiny-home village for the homeless in Austin, Texas, but now is the chief visionary officer for Eden Village. “It’s exciting to watch the homeless who thought they’d live the rest of their life on the street now have a home.” Brown’s 13 years of real estate expertise has been essential to the development of the tiny-home community, where she learned of a listing for an abandoned 4.2-acre mobile park on Springfield’s east side, which was suitable for tiny-home trailers as it didn’t require rezoning and had the necessary infrastructure and utilities already in place. The 400-square-foot individual homes are fully furnished, including dishes and bedding, and are rolled in on wheels attached to their steel frames, qualifying them as recreational vehicles. Residents can remain in their home as long as they wish, provided they remain a good neighbor in the community. The village includes a 4,000-square-foot community center where residents can hold cookouts, do laundry, and access a medical office staffed with student nurse volunteers and mental health professionals. Eden Village also features the site of a marriage ceremony for two residents. Fisher says Brown’s devotion helped him emerge from the grip of homelessness. “She helped me to build a better life,” Fisher says. “Even when I was struggling with homelessness and sobriety, she showed me I was valuable and that my potential shouldn’t be wasted. She made me feel like I belonged somewhere.”