Kindness Challenge

Katie Amodei was the kind of person who saw an injustice and wanted to fix it. She volunteered at the food bank and helped raise money, through a charity run, so people in her community could have food. Katie was working as a waitress. She had recently completed her EMT training and was in the process of looking for a job. In 2014, a month before her 30th birthday, Katie was killed in a car accident. When going through her purse, her parents and older sister, Kristina, found over $100 in tip money in Katie’s purse. They wanted to do something special with the money, in her memory.

Kristina Ulmer is a high school English teacher in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Her 9th grade classes were in the process of reading Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. They discussed the importance of being intentional about staying connected. That’s when Kristina came up with a plan to honor her sister. She took the $100 and added money of her own so she could give each student $20. Mrs. Ulmer instructed, “I told them to go out and do an act of kindness with it in the hopes that they would realize how important it is for us to be connected to each other and remain connected to each other and care about each other.” She also told the students the project was to honor her sister. The students:

Wrapped gifts for school’s Adopt-a Family program

            Donated items to a woman’s shelter

            Put money together for a struggling homeless person

            Decorated a neighbor’s front porch

            Sewed walker caddies for seniors at the nursing home

            Helped stroke victims

After the kindness project was completed, each student made a video of how they used the money and what they learned.

 

Mrs. Ulmer thought this would be a one-time project, but as word spread money was donated each year for the kindness challenge to continue. Because of the generous donations, Kristina formed the $20 Kindness Challenge Foundation to help other teachers carry out a project with their students.

 

May we, too, be intentional about staying connected and sharing kindness. 

 

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12

Beyond the Expected

Jeannettea Hollingshead was at Kroger in Athens, Ohio, to pick up a cake for her Gramma’s 90th birthday celebration. The cashier asked about the pretty cake. When told about her Gramma, the young man commented, “Wait right here just a minute please!” He came back with a rose that he had purchased in the flower department to give to help her celebrate. Jeannettea mentioned that her grandmother was in the store so he was able to give her the flower and wish her a special day in person. She commented, “This young man, Wes, went above and beyond, and his act of kindness really made Gramma’s day.”

A teenager in Chicago kept slipping into the X-Sport Fitness Center and using its equipment, without paying. Officer Mario Valenti was called to take care of the matter. Upon questioning the young man, Officer Valenti found out that the boy’s mother could no longer afford the membership and he just wanted to play basketball. Instead of fining the teenager, the policeman paid the $150 membership with his own money. The corporate office was so touched by the officer’s gesture they added an extra two years to the contract. Officer Valenti said, “At the end of the day. It’s not about gratitude. Most of us took this job to help people, not to hurt them. For the most part, the job is dealing with good people having a very bad day, so you’re not seeing the best side of people…. I’d rather have him playing ball than being on the street and possibly getting into trouble.”

 

A kind act, by a UPS delivery man, was caught on the home security camera. While delivering a package to the front porch, the driver noticed a child’s bicycle with a loose chain. He took the time to put the chain back on the bike before returning to the truck.

 

Josh White is the owner of a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon. When he heard that people were losing food benefits, he realized children might be going without breakfast or lunch. Josh announced that anyone could come in for a free breakfast burrito and a cup of coffee. He wanted people to know they were seen and cared for. Even if he went broke, White wanted to make sure the children did not go hungry. When people in his area found out what he was doing, it inspired over 11,000 people to help out. They raised $310,000!

 

May we, too, be willing to do more than is expected.

 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Colossians 3:23

Thoughts to Consider

 

“Humility comes from proximity.

Stay closer to God than to your

accomplishments.

Celebrate the giver more than the gift.”

~ Shelley Giglio

 

 

“Use your voice for kindness,

your ears for compassion,

your hands for charity,

and your Heart for Love.”

~ Anonymous

 

 

“There is nothing more

beautiful than someone

who goes out of their

way to make life

beautiful for others.”

~ Mandy Hale

 

 

“Life is 10% what

happens to you and

90% how you respond to it.”

~ Lou Holtz

 

 

“Master & Lord,

teach me to value what

You value,

to love what

You love.”

~ Elisabeth Elliot

 

 

“Before you speak,

let your words

pass through three gates.

Is it true?

Is it necessary?

Is it kind?”

~ Rumi

 

 

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s

load with today’s strength –

carrying two days at once.

It is moving into

tomorrow ahead of time.”

~ Corrie ten Boom

 

 

“It’s not how much

scripture you know,

it’s how much

scripture you live.”

~ Toby Mac

 

 

“You change your life

by changing your heart.”

~ Max Lucado

 

 

“All we get

is time and choices.

Be wise

with both.”

~ Madhav Sharma

 

 

And after thinking, may our thoughts turn into action.

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Love and Good Deeds

Katie Prior was learning to play the trumpet, just as her great-grandfather, a veteran, was placed on hospice care. Her family had high hopes that Katie would learn to play Taps for his funeral. The 24-note song was a tradition that began during the Civil War. It was the military’s way of saying, “You served, you mattered, you will be remembered.” Katie diligently practiced, but her great-grandfather passed away before she had mastered the notes to the song. It troubled Katie that a recording of Taps was played at his funeral. When she was 14, Katie learned that more than 1,500 veterans die every day and that there are not enough buglers to play at the funerals. Not pleased with that, she founded the Youth Trumpet and Taps Corps as her project for her Girl Scout Gold Award. Katie recruited young trumpeters, all across America, to volunteer to play Taps for military funerals in their communities for free. The trumpeters also take a class on military funeral etiquette on how to stand, dress, and respect the families. Every time Katie plays for a military funeral, she thinks about her great-grandfather, Wilford Foresee. She says, “I wish I would have gotten to play Taps for him. But I’d like to think that every time I play Taps at someone else’s funeral, I am in part playing it for him as well.”

Every Tuesday morning, Margaret walks into the care center in her town carrying a canvas bag full of colorful, mismatched socks. At first the workers and residents were confused. This was the same place Margaret’s husband, Julian, had spent the last days of his life. One of the last things he mentioned was, “I just wish someone had stayed a little longer than it took to change the IV.” After cleaning out his room, Margaret went to the store and bought 30 pairs of socks – checkered, striped, sailboats, and bright colors. After washing the socks, she placed them in the canvas bag. Upon her arrival at the care center, Margaret went from room to room. She would pull out two pair of socks and ask which one they preferred. After giving the socks to the person, Margaret would spend time visiting before going to the next room.  Mr. Sterling had not spoken to anyone for weeks. When Margaret pulled out a pair of socks with sunflowers, he reminisced, “My mother used to plant those every June.” For four years now, the “Sock Lady” has spent every Tuesday at the care center. Families, doctors, and workers have all noticed a difference in the response of the residents. The local boutique began donating socks, as well as other groups in town. Margaret has said, “The socks were never the point. The point was the presence.”

May we, too, be encouraged to share love and good deeds.

 

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,

Hebrews 10:24