Be the change you wish to see in the world.

--Gandhi

...highlighting stories of people making a difference in the world around them.

 

Bartender helps turn wine to water in developing world

(CNN) Behind the bar at a local restaurant, Doc Hendley leans in to hear his customer over the band. "You like the pinot? Cool," he says. It's a seemingly average interaction, but Hendley is not your average bartender. As he pours wine in the United States, he's also helping to save thousands of lives on the other side of the world -- and he's tapped into his regulars to help. "[They] sit on the same stool, drink the same drink, pay the same tab every day. I felt like they really did want to be a part of something," Hendley says. "They just were waiting for somebody to bring that something to them." That something is Wine to Water, Hendley's organization that provides clean water to people in developing countries through funds raised at wine tasting events.

Wounded warriors go fishing for recovery

(CNN) Amidst the tranquility of a fishing trip at the Rose River Farm in Madison County, a wounded warrior says he almost feels "semi-normal again." The amputee is one of about 1,000 servicemen and veterans who have reaped the benefits of the therapeutic art of fly-fishing, with the help of retired Navy Capt. Ed Nicholson.

 

Former Austin boxer finds new purpose after eye injury stops his career

(Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman) Joe Hodge was a talented young Austin fighter known for delivering knockouts. With six wins and one loss as an amateur, he was about to turn pro in September 2004 when a straight right punch from an opponent caught Hodge in the eye. Hodge put a patch over it and won the fight two rounds later. But the blow reinjured an abrasion on his cornea that he had received months earlier while sparring in a gym. A doctor told him that he could go blind if he didn't stop fighting.

 

Maya nut changes lives while aiding the rain forest

(CNN) In the rain forests of Central America grows the nutrient-rich Maya nut. The marble-sized seed can be prepared to taste like mashed potatoes, chocolate or coffee. To those who stumble upon the nuts on the ground, they're free for the taking. The problem, however, is that many people living in areas where the Maya nut grows abundantly don't know about it. Erika Vohman is trying to change that -- and improve rain forest conservation and women's status in the process.

She brings smiles to kids on Easter

(Cincinnati Enquirer) Dawn Godfrey of Maineville founded Baskets of l.i.f.e. (which stands for "little inspirations for Easter") to provide Easter baskets to orphaned, abused, neglected and homeless children ages 3-13 in Greater Cincinnati. She conceived the idea on Easter Sunday eight years ago after watching her 2-year-old daughter toss aside a velvet rabbit to get to the candy in her basket. Godfrey figured that the toy would bring joy to a suffering child. So she decided to give it away.

 

Radical kindness: the banker who gave it all away

(Katherine Kizilos, The Age) On the face of it, kindness doesn't sound like a radical idea, just as Philip Wollen, at first glance, does not look like a radical. Wollen is a former merchant banker. He was a vice-president of Citibank when he was 34, and a general manager at Citicorp. Australian Business Magazine named him one of the top 40 headhunted executives in Australia. But about 1990 — he is not exactly sure of the year — Wollen decided to give away 90 per cent of his capital, a process he describes as "reverse tithing".

 

Mom stands between families and homelessness

(CNN) Despite working three jobs, Carolina Wines and her husband, George Wines, couldn't afford housing. For six months they had to live out of their van, hanging sheets on the windows for privacy and stopping at gas stations to wash up. A medical disability kept George Wines from working, leaving it to his wife to support both of them. It was a battle, and they were losing.

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August 2009 Human Interest Archives

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May 2009 Human Interest Archives

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Generosity grows in Gilroy as plentifully as garlic

(Kat Teraji, Gilroy Dispatch) A good deed creates a ripple effect all over town. These days it's easy to get the idea that more bad than good is happening in the world. But there's a synergy I have found here at the core of Gilroy, the hub, the heart. When people hear about the good deeds of others, they are anxious to pay it forward with goodwill towards someone else who needs it. By pay it forward, I mean the doing of a good deed with no expectation of anything in return, simply because someone has been kind to you at some point in your own life. Take Bunny, a 75ish lady, barely 5 feet tall, who bounced through the church door a little while ago after reading my March 5 Dispatch column on the $14,000 plumbing problem at the Methodist pastor's residence. "I read about the parsonage plumbing problem," she said. "Will you take my check? I'm a lapsed Methodist, but I want to make a donation."

Mensa Marvel: Two-Year-Old Girl's 156 IQ

(SkyNews) A two-year-old girl who can name 35 capital cities has become the youngest member of high IQ society Mensa. Elise Tan-Roberts, who can also recite the phonetic alphabet and count to 10 in Spanish, has an IQ of 156. The rating makes her smarter than former Countdown maths whiz and fellow Mensa member Carol Vorderman. The toddler's other feats include spelling her name aloud, reading the words mummy and daddy, naming all three types of triangle and reciting the normal alphabet.

Kindness buoys sick McHenry Co. girl's family

(Amy R. Mack, Daily Herald) In a joyful respite from the medical woes coloring her world before another surgery today, Taylor Radtke swam a full pool length for the first time this week. When she finished, she jumped up and down and called to her mom: "Did you see that, Mom? Did you see?" "I had tears running down my face," Laurie Radtke said from Phoenix on Wednesday. "That was like unbelievable that she could do that. It's like she won the gold. I could have been Michael Phelps' mom."

Cookie kindness spurs Jefferson Elementary School students to 'pay it forward'

(Kathy Walsh Nufer, Appleton Post-Crescent) Sixth-grader Darby Peter beamed Tuesday as she watched the mob scene on opening day of the "Pay it Forward Bake Sale" in Jefferson Elementary School's hall. As kids and adults plunked down money for cookies swimming in everything from chocolate chips and peanut butter to oatmeal and brown sugar, she grinned ear to ear. The four-day sale, inspired by a random act of kindness in a Des Moines diner and the promise to pass it on, was in full gear. "I didn't know it would go this far," said Darby, 12. "I'm really happy."

Child-led walks are haphazard happiness

(Judy Caldwell-Midero, GoTriad.com) Last year I wrote a column about taking long walks with my daughter. Walking was the only thing that eased the pain of Addison's teething, so several times a day at the first sign of a tender, swollen gum, I plopped my girl in the Snugli and we hit the streets. Over several months we logged countless miles, made new friends, and I dropped a staggering amount of weight. The Snugli now hangs in the hall closet, a fond reminder of the not so distant past when Addison contentedly rode around strapped to my chest, a baby on the precipice of walking. Nearly a year later, she is now an active and mobile toddler, and the dynamics of our walks have done a 180.

A full life packs former Negro Leaguer's memory

(Martin McNeal, Sacramento Bee) Not many people can say, "I knew old 'Satch.' " Rancho Cordova resident Elmer Carter was referring to Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, one of the most famous trumpeters in jazz history. However, he also could have been speaking of legendary Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige, whom he caught in 1931 while they were teammates on the Kansas City Monarchs. On April 12, Carter celebrated his 98th birthday.

Now 95, Big Brother treasures late-life friendship

(Jim Fitzgerald, AP) It was an unlikely pairing, the old man and the boy. Chester Ross, 65, a textiles and fashion entrepreneur, had long since raised his two daughters and had three grandchildren of his own. David Loughran, a timid 7-year-old longing for someone to play ball with, was an only child being raised by his divorced mother. But Ross reluctantly gave in to a friend's urging and agreed to meet the youngster. As a social worker told Mary Loughran that day in 1979 how the Big Brothers Big Sisters youth-mentoring program could benefit her son, Ross turned to David: "Why don't we get out of here, just us men, go to the diner or something?"

Issaquah students raise money to free 120 enslaved people

(Katherine Long, Seattle Times) When Eric Ensey traveled to India this year, he shook the hand of a man who was freed from bonded labor by the money his teenage students had raised in Sammamish. "If you hadn't helped us," the Indian millworker told the American middle-school teacher, "we would have died in the rice mill." Fundraisers for charity are a staple of school life, but Ensey and his students have taken that work in an unusual direction by raising tens of thousands of dollars to help free enslaved people, many living half a world away.

Ailing baby’s mom finds comfort, support through blog

(Kristin Erekson, Boston Herald) A blue-eyed, 5-month-old baby boy from Minnesota is winning hearts here in the Hub as he battles a life-threatening cardiac condition at Children’s Hospital, with the family’s personal struggle made famous by his mother’s popular blog. The story of Stellan, an adorable infant from Mound, Minn. is familiar to scores of readers around the globe who follow the poignant musings of his mom Jennifer McKinney, 31, on her Web site, MyCharmingKids.net. "Almost overnight, hundreds of people from all over the world were sending comments and their prayers," said McKinney, a married mother of four. "It was like a good pressure for me to keep sharing our story so that people could not only be along for the ride and support us, but could also be inspired by Stellan."

A dream home, after all

(Chelsea Phua, Sacramento Bee) After lunch Saturday, Oliver Davis, 88, stood by the doorway of his soon-to-be-completed master bathroom. Not so long ago, the bathroom was just another gutted room in a house filled only with studs. Davis and his wife Patsy, 70, had been promised a dream home – with a Jacuzzi – by a man who was later arrested for being an unlicensed contractor. Now, the elderly couple's dream is on the verge of being fulfilled.

 

Bellevue chess champs are kid kings: They even play an astronaut

(Katherine Long, Seattle Times) It's Wednesday afternoon at the Stevenson Elementary chess-club meeting in Bellevue, and 20 antsy students sharpen their pencils, wriggle in their seats and play around with their chess pieces as they set up matches between one another. Then Coach Elliott Neff gives the signal to begin, and it's as if somebody has suddenly switched off the sound in the room. All talk ceases. The students hunch over their boards in silent concentration, brows furrowed, eyes moving back and forth over the pieces, calculating possibilities.

Kindness not forgotten

(Susan Essoyan, Honolulu Star Bulletin) When Eunice Naewon Lee arrived in Honolulu on July 11, 1959, the 3-year-old Korean orphan with the bright red shoes didn't want to let go of the gracious flight attendant who had befriended her. Yesterday, she again clutched Ruth Wakai, this time in a heartfelt hug that dissolved into tears as they reunited after 50 years.

Dalai Lama urges compassion in times of turmoil

(Kristin Bender, Oakland Tribune) Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, struggled with his English and a touch of the flu Saturday, but he still kept a crowd of more than 6,000 focused and laughing as he talked about peace through compassion at UC Berkeley's Greek Theatre. In his third visit to UC Berkeley since 1994, he left the stage to a standing ovation and wearing a blue Golden Bears visor and his giant, infectious smile.

No age limit on kindness

(Sara Plummer, Tulsa World) When Hannah Newman turned 13, she decided to start spending part of her teenage years helping others. She chose Emergency Infant Services as her bat mitzvah project, began volunteering with the nonprofit group, and now sits on its Junior Board of Directors. "It's a really cool experience, helping the agency, being in the junior board and seeing what we can do," Hannah said. Planning rock concerts isn't too bad, either.

Job-hunting Carrollton man, his dog lift kids' spirits with visits

(Mark Norris, Dallas Morning News) Bryan Townsend could easily go unnoticed in this situation. His 3-year-old Labrador retriever, Trigger, is the featured attraction when he visits Baylor hospital's Our Children's House. The yellow Lab gently and happily helps the young patients make progress in physical and speech therapy.But it's not just time that Townsend is donating. Along with his weekly visits from Trigger, late last year he started a charity – Trigger's Toys – to raise money for purchasing items at the rehab center. And he's done it all since losing his job in November and asks for nothing in return.

A simple appeal hits home run for Wayland twins on a mission

(Denise Taylor, Boston Globe) The bright orange fliers cropped up first in the town's schools. Then, in recent weeks, they appeared at local businesses. Now, it's hard to go anywhere in Wayland without spotting one - and their succinct, sincere message is difficult to ignore. They read: "1st Annual ALS Walk . . . Why: To help our mom who was diagnosed with ALS. ALS is Lou Gehrig's disease." Then, beneath the how, when, and where specifics, is this simple request: "Please help us, Spencer and Hannah Miller." The 12-year-old twins have hit a responsive chord with their plea. In just five weeks, the sixth-graders have organized a team that has raised more than $35,000 in pledges for the Walk to Defeat ALS.

Lake Forest charity gets $50,000 from Hugh Jackman

(Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register) Actor Hugh Jackman announced today that he will donate $50,000 to a Lake Forest charity that fixes facial deformities around the world. Jackman, who hosted the Academy Awards this year, announced the planned donation on Ryan Seacrest's radio show. The actor will split a $100,000 donation between Charity: Water and Operation of Hope. The donation follows a contest Jackman held via his official Twitter profile. In it he announced he would donate $100,000 to a person's favorite nonprofit organization.

Preschool moms buy car for less-fortunate friend

(Barbara Giasone, Orange County Register) Fullerton Single mom Melanie Rawlins won't need to worry any more about riding three buses a day to pick up her children from school and day care after a hard day on the job. Eight preschool moms pitched in and surprised Rawlins with wheels Thursday night. The women, organized by Lorraine Spano and Kelly Weesner, paid $2,000 for a 1996 Pontiac Grand Prix at the Salvation Army before hooking up with an auto shop owner to bring the car up to speed.

Gilbert man donates kidney to ailing neighbor

(Astrid Galvin, Arizona Republic) Clem Schmidt knew Richard Malkovich, his neighbor of nine years, through polite waves and smiling nods, but the men were never particularly close. That didn't stop Schmidt, a 60-year-old Gilbert retiree, from giving Malkovich one of his kidneys. Since the successful surgery on March 13, the men have bonded and hope to spread awareness of the organ donation program.

Donations flow in for Crenshaw High student's Oxford adventure

(Louis Sahagun, L.A. Times) A fundraising effort to help Crenshaw High School junior Sharron Pearson buy a plane ticket to attend Oxford University this summer far surpassed its goal, with about 1,000 people offering to make donations, school officials said Thursday. "It went incredibly well -- amazing," said Assistant Principal Paul Scibetta, who coordinated the fund on behalf of Pearson, 17, who is enrolled in the school's magnet for gifted students. "We reached our goal, and she can make the trip."

 

The Real Story Behind 'The Soloist'

(NPR) The unlikely friendship between Steve Lopez, a Los Angeles Times columnist, and Nathaniel Ayers, a homeless musician, has inspired newspaper columns, a book and now a movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx. Lopez met Ayers four years ago, when Ayers was a homeless musician on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Lopez learned Ayers had been a promising violinist, and that he had left the prestigious music program at the Juilliard School because of his struggle with mental illness.

A Toddler, An Open Window And An Amazing Catch

(NPR) Marvin Goldstein was a toddler in 1945 when he experienced a catch rivaling any you'd see at a baseball game. "The windows at that time did not have window guards," Goldstein remembers. "I leaned out, and I had one hand on the window inside and the other hand I was leaning out. [I] let go and fell five stories."

Submerged under water for 20 minutes, boy wakes from coma

(Patrick White, Globe & Mail) Growing up near the snaking Whitemud River, 8-year-old Samuel Gross embraced baseball, soccer and books. But he never learned to swim. On April 9, the ice-strewn waters around his home on the Westroc Hutterite colony, about 120 kilometres west of Winnipeg, were days away from cresting when the shy third-grader went for a walk with friends along the stream bank. Because he can't remember what happened next, the boy doesn't understand why he's now being called a medical miracle. Underwater for 20 minutes, he was rushed to hospital. Doctors feared he would never recover.

Med students give time and sweat for the homeless

(Brian Maffly, Salt Lake Tribune) Becky landed on the streets of Salt Lake City, homeless, after escaping an abusive marriage. She may have been safe from her ex-spouse, but her health took a beating. "I was sleeping in a sleeping bag on the streets and got bad infections. My health was run down," she said on a recent Saturday visit to the 4th Street Clinic, which serves Salt Lake City's homeless population. "I was tested for 100 top allergens, and I'm allergic to 97 of them." Although Becky has housing now, she was suffering from another ear infection that compromised her hearing and endangered her job at a call center. During her recent clinic visit, she was examined by Anne Thomson and Juliann Wong, two of the many first-year University of Utah medical students who volunteer Saturdays helping faculty take medical histories and make assessments on walk-in patients like Becky.

Website connects needy to the charitable

(Laura Bruno, USA Today) Michael Yuhas' lasting memory of Pearl Harbor is seeing Japanese pilots smiling as they dropped bombs on the U.S. naval base on Dec. 7, 1941. Yuhas, who says he lost 40% of his hearing that day, never thought he'd see Hawaii again after leaving the Army in 1945. But on the eve of his 90th birthday in October, the retired steelworker from Woodbine, Md., got his wish to return, thanks to the philanthropy of 35 strangers, who contributed a combined $8,434 for his trip.

Act of Kindness Ready To Go

(Lindsay Gsell, Burke Connection) Rolling bags, old-fashioned duffels, backpacks and classic suitcases filled the Reitzel family’s basement earlier this month, but the bags didn’t stay for long. Kim Reitzel, 16, used her family’s home in Burke as a storage area for around 40 suitcases as she collected them for foster children in the area. Reitzel read that many foster children do not have suitcases and are forced to carry belongings in plastic garbage bags as they relocate homes. “I know how it is to move,” said Reitzel, who is a self-described military kid. “When I heard these kids are moving around without even backpacks, that just really tugged at my heart, and I knew that needed to change.”

Couple deliver quilts to those who helped them after fire

(Heather Guenther, Jackson Citizen Patriot) Michele ``Mike'' Weaver thought she didn't do enough to thank the people who helped her family nearly one year ago. On Wednesday, Steven Weaver, 52, delivered his wife's thank-you gift: quilts for his co-workers at the Eaton Corp. test facility, 2880 W. Argyle St. When a fire left the Weavers without a home and few personal belongings in May 2008, Eaton employees went to work. Within a few days, Steven Weaver received several hundred dollars from his co-workers and company employees he never met from other facilities. Donations for the couple swelled to $5,000 in about three weeks.

Crenshaw High student to attend Oxford program -- if she can raise enough money

(Louis Sahagun, L.A. Times) When Crenshaw High School junior Sharron Pearson asked for permission to apply for a scholarship to attend a summer program at Oxford University, her father's response was blunt: "No. We can't afford it." Sharron, 17, applied anyway. "Then I went to work trying to persuade my parents to reconsider," she recalled. "I just knew they'd come around and see things my way." A month ago, Sharron was among 400 high school students from around the world chosen to attend the Oxford Tradition 2009 on a scholarship that covers tuition, breakfast and dinner, and 28 days of room and board in a dorm. Her studies will emphasize drama and creative writing.

Editor's Note: We've heard back from the Assistant Principal at Sharron's school who told us that she has raised the necessary funds to travel to Oxford this summer. The generosity of strangers is truly amazing!

Bouncing Back: Laid-off Haverhill woman drops pen, picks up brush

(Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune) For 20 years, Sue Bodenrader toiled in the 9 to 5 grind as a corporate executive assistant, making appointments and taking calls for "C-level" officials from various local high-tech and pharmaceutical firms. Then, in January, it all came crashing down when she was laid off from Uhuru Scientific in Wilmington. Instantly, she joined millions of others around the country suffering as the global slowdown takes its toll on workers from day laborers on construction sites to the presidents of the nation's largest financial services companies. But Bodenrader didn't sit back and wait for her share of the stimulus money to boost her unemployment checks. She did something.

Twin brother is perfect match for kidney transplant

(Jose Pagliery, Miami Herald) When Geoff Gackle was diagnosed with a deadly kidney disease, he didn't have far to look for a donor: His identical twin brother, Greg. The donor-recipient match wasn't close. It was perfect. "I don't remember it being something I had to wrestle with. He's my twin brother," said Greg Gackle. "We have this connection in that we're one and the same. We're very different, but we were created together."

 

Teen goes shopping with Make-A-Wish

(Rachel Hatzipanagos, South Florida Sun-Sentinel) Christian Balbuena celebrated his birthday in style with a shopping spree courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "Wow, this is cool," Balbuena said as he admired his new silver watch with stones. "Bling, bling. Thank you guys so much." Balbuena, of Lake Worth, was diagnosed with cancer last year and has been in and out of the hospital ever since. The Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfills wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Balbuena chose to go on a shopping spree at the Sawgrass Mills Mall on Saturday.

New York City charities lose funds - but not heart

(Heidi Evans, New York Daily News) Times are tough for New York City's 30,000 charitable nonprofits. From settlement houses and museums to social services for kids and the poor, nonprofits are feeling the pinch at a time when their services are needed most. Some are well-run and spend the bulk of their money on direct services, while others spend more on fund-raising and administration. How can you tell which is which? And how can you help? Here are three inspiring examples from among the city's first-rate charitable nonprofits - and stories of the New Yorkers whose lives they have changed.

Bowling association sponsors repair of VA’s lanes

(Dale Huffman, Dayton Daily News) Bowling balls, just like the wheels of kindness, can gain momentum and move in a remarkable manner when some caring person starts the process with a little push. Dennis O. Hindson, a retired member of the United States Air Force, found that out recently when he was a patient at the Dayton Veteran’s Association Medical Center, 4100 W. Third St. Hindson shared an example of good people working together to touch lives in a positive way.

Centenarian rolls into bowling history in Nevada

(Martin Griffith, AP) 100-year-old woman from New Jersey has become the oldest competitor in the history of the United States Bowling Congress Women's Championships. Emma Hendrickson of Morris Plains, N.J., was presented Saturday night with a plaque and a medallion to commemorate her 50th consecutive appearance in the tournament.

Random Acts of Kindness

(Becca Habeggar and Dhomonique Ricks, KOMU) April is Random Acts of Kindness month, and one Columbia woman is shocked by what she received. Bobbie Johnson celebrated her birthday Friday, during the month that promotes one person doing something nice for another in hopes of the trend continuing. Not only was it Johnson's birthday, but she also she received a random act of kindness in the form of a $5,000 check.

Guerrilla gardeners dig in

(Yvonne Gordon, Irish Times) Don't be surprised if you leave home one morning to find that the neglected piece of wasteground near your house or office has been transformed overnight into a mini flower garden. This may be due to the work of "guerrilla gardeners" who have decided to reclaim an ugly or neglected space to create something beautiful. Guerrilla gardening is a worldwide phenomenon, with people taking over abandoned pieces of land they do not own to grow plants and flowers. Because of its illegal nature, many practitioners work at night and in secrecy to create new gardens. Targets for gardening include anything from neglected urban corners to traffic islands and canal banks.

Church builds 100th wheelchair ramp

(Stuart Duncan, Corpus Christi Caller-Times) St. Mark’s Episcopal Church builds bridges to the community by building wheelchair ramps. Today, volunteers from Access Plus, the church’s outreach effort, will put the finishing touches on their 100th ramp, this one at a home in the 1200 block of 18th Street. As many as 150 people ages 12 to 80, some of whom were Boy Scouts and family and friends of church members, have helped build wheelchair ramps for those in need since the outreach began in the summer of 2001, church member Doug Wayland said.

Charlie meets Ruby

(Donna J. Miller, Cleveland Plain Dealer) A golden retriever named Ruby spent months in an Ohio prison, where inmates taught her how to help a boy who will soon be confined to a wheelchair. Charlie Glazer, 7, of Garfield Heights, has muscular dystrophy. He met 10-month-old Ruby for the first time Friday. She won't become his constant companion and loyal assistant for another five months, while she learns how to live in a house and take commands from children.

What a Trooper He Is! 'Star Wars' Gift of Life

(Kieran Crowley and David Hastie, New York Post) When die-hard "Star Wars" fan Jeff Romanoff needed a kidney transplant, he didn't have to go to a galaxy far, far away. With his right kidney lost, his left failing and a transplant his only hope, things were looking as bleak as the snows of Planet Hoth for the 41-year-old suburban-Philly cop last summer. But then he found a group of heroes who rushed in and saved the day like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.

Cyclist nears his 4,000th mile in MS150

(Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle) In all his years spent pedaling from Houston to Austin each April to raise money for the fight against multiple sclerosis, Tom Webster has had only a couple of regrets along the way. The longtime sales rep for FedEx wishes he’d learned about the MS 150 earlier — he came on board one year late but hasn’t missed one since — and he wishes a cure for the disease could be found tomorrow. If that happened, Webster admits he would probably hang his bike up in the garage and leave it there.

Pay It Forward: Pittsburgher Spreads Random Kindness On YouTube

(WTAE) A man from Pittsburgh's South Hills took it upon himself to spread random acts of kindness, hoping that others would do the same, and it's all chronicled in a YouTube video. The man -- who wishes to remain anonymous -- said he took a weekend trip to Chicago this month for no other reason than to do good deeds for strangers.

Urban gardening finds a home on Leclaire Ave.

(Ofelia Casillas, Chicago Tribune) Neighbors on the 400 block of Leclaire Avenue are used to pulling together. They clear snow and mow lawns for those for whom that's a hardship. And if they see violence or drug dealing, they unleash the power of the phone tree and block club. As a result, the street has become a little oasis, largely shielded from troubles that have plagued many parts of Austin.

At 90, swimmer is still teaching

(Bryan Painter, The Oklahoman) Olivia Whitaker loved being in and around the water. Born in Marion, S.C., she loved lakes and rivers and spent most summers at Myrtle Beach. A guy who lived across the street in Marion, Curtis Thomson, worked with the YMCA and taught her to swim. Whitaker has lived in Oklahoma City for decades and still loves the water — at age 90. Oh, yes, she doesn’t just swim. Whitaker continues to serve as a YMCA water safety and swimming instructor at Earlywine Park YMCA.

A senior prank gone good

(Isadora Vail, Austin American-Statesman) For four years, Eric Upshaw and his friends discussed what senior prank they would pull at Westlake High School before they graduated. Hank South, 17, said that instead of the usual senior prank — like popping fireworks in the halls during school — they decided to do something nice, just for irony and memories. So on Sunday, Upshaw, South and 12 other students packed into three pickups and an SUV to carry a large Bradford pear tree, flowers, mulch, a bench and two garden gnomes to an area just west of the school's stadium.

She earned the respect

( Lisa L. Colangelo, New York Daily News) When Emilisa Robles came to New York from Colorado three years ago, she had only one career in mind - working on sanitation trucks. Specifically, she wanted to work underneath the massive trucks as a mechanic. Not only did she get her dream job, she broke some ground while doing it. Robles is the first female Civil Service mechanic working for a city agency.

Woman Gives Kidney to Her Cleaning Woman

(AP) Karine Nelson has been cleaning Chris Breazeal's home in Hayden for four years. When Nelson needed a kidney transplant, it was her employer who volunteered one. Nelson and Breazeal underwent the surgery last Tuesday at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. Both are now recovering in their homes.

Naval dreams finally take off

(Stuart Duncan, Caller-Times) While driving over the Harbor Bridge twice a week, King High School science teacher James “J.R.” Jones constantly was reminded of a lifelong dream that nearly got away. Jones, who never finished flight school training at Naval Air Station-Kingsville, waited 32 years for another chance to fulfill his dream of flying on and off a Naval aircraft carrier.

Alpine man makes acts of kindness go viral

(Jacob Hancock, Deseret News) Even though a cup of joe isn't exactly Jeff Smith's cup of tea, he gets a buzz out of kicking back at his local coffee shop and spying on yawning — and often downright grumpy — morning customers as they realize their foam-whipped morning fix has been paid for. "They just transform," Smith said. "They get this confused look, then grin from ear to ear and look around for someone to thank. They can't figure it out." A cashier then slips the baffled customer a small laminated card with an unusual message: "You've been 'tagged' with an Act of Kindness."

 

Cadillac Ranch creator plans a Monet replica

(Betsey Blaney, AP) Millionaire prankster and artist Stanley Marsh 3 is back at it. The 71-year-old's newest creation is unlike most of his others, though. This one — not far from where Marsh began his playful ways 35 years ago by burying 10 vintage Cadillacs nose down in a wheat field — will be peaceful and verdant. And less noticeable, which is how he likes it. This time, the art lover, philanthropist and, some say, eccentric is building a replica of the pond that inspired Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" paintings — a very big one — to grace the backyard of Toad Hall, his 300-acre Amarillo spread.

 

How social worker Jane M. Buri saved $1.4 million, then gave it all away

(David Hunn, St. Louis Post Dispatch) Jane M. Buri, a public school social worker, spent nearly four decades fighting to keep kids in class. She tracked students to their homes, found them shoes, meals, jackets, and returned the truants to their teachers. She never married, never had children, never missed a day of work. All the while, she was quietly building a small fortune. Buri died at 84 with $1.4 million to her name. Then in death, as befit her life, she gave it all away.

 

Sisters Reunited After 55 Years, False Murder Report

(AP) After being told one of her five sisters was murdered, eldest sister Lorene Womack of Cleveland set out to find the truth about a sister she had not seen in 55 years. What she discovered was the importance of perseverance and how fundamental faith and hope are in fortifying a family.

 

Two Northeast Ohio couples tell how World War II brought them together

(Brian Albrecht, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Sit up!" Patricia Perks said, nudging her husband as they sat on a settee in their Westlake condo. "If you don't sit up, you'll look fat." "I am sitting up," Roger Perks replied, tucking a pipe in a comfortable corner of his mouth. His wife had been talking about her service in the British Women's Auxiliary Air Force, or WAAF, during the war. The time when she was stationed at Yorkshire as a "plotter," tracking the path of planes, friendly and enemy, on a large map.

 

Southern Indiana residents celebrate kindness week

(News and Tribune) We have thousands of Southern Indiana Extra Milers who are performing acts of kindness every day. Last month, Southern Indiana joined the nation in celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week, and I asked our readers to let us know of acts of kindness that have been performed for them.

 

Blue Star Mothers support troops with care packages, more

(Brian Albrecht, Cleveland Plain Dealer) Home comes cellophane-wrapped, as in the handfuls of hard candy dropped like long-distance Easter eggs in postal shipping boxes scattered across a small room of the Lakewood Christian Church. It comes vacuum-packed in bags of homemade beef jerky that Blue Star Mother Nikki Rothschiller, of Cleveland, seled as 10 Boy Scouts of Troop 41 in Bay Village stuffed footwear in the overseas-bound boxes as part of their "Socks for Soldiers" effort.

Seeing-Eye Horse Guides Blind Michigan Woman

(AP) Seeing-eye dogs are a nonstarter among many Muslims who consider the animals unclean, but a horse the size of a dog just might work. "This is a really awesome little horse," Mona Ramouni said this week as she put Cali, a 3-year-old miniature horse, through her paces and rode the bus to work with her for the first time.

 

Jellybean guess is good for $25,000

(Christina Boyle, New York Daily News) A Harlem woman took home $25,000 Thursday for guessing the exact number of jelly beans in a jar - for the second time in her life.

 

Pianist to take stage 13 years after doctors told him brain cancer meant he'd never play again

(Stephanie Gaskell, New York Daily News) Matthew Zachary was a 21-year-old aspiring concert pianist when he was diagnosed with brain cancer and lost the use of his left hand. Doctors told him he'd never play the piano again. Now 34 and in remission, the Brooklyn native is taking the stage at the Ann Goodman Recital Hall at Kaufman Center in Manhattan to pick up where he left off 13 years ago.

 

Pups for pupils

(Jane Hawes, Columbus Dispatch) The 7-year-old boy scanned the page before him, took a deep breath and barreled on. " 'Not I, quacked the duck,' " Jack Fenton read aloud from his copy of The Little Red Hen. " 'Not I, barked the dog. . . .' " Trace, the 12-year-old border collie that lay quietly at Jack's feet, pricked up her ears and glanced at the first-grade student. Jack continued reading while Trace's handler, Katy Ratliff, gave the dog a quick pat.

 

Diaper drive a big success

(Amber Ellis, Cincinnati Enquirer) Two months ago, Kelly Schilling had no way of knowing her latest project would not only take over her living room but compel so many people -- many she’d never met before -- to donate so many diapers. On Saturday, she and her husband, Paul, spent two hours hauling more than 25,970 diapers from their Middletown home to the Community Pregnancy Center, where the diapers will be doled out to families in need.

 

Baker's Tasty Tribute To Obama: Baracklava

(Gul Tuysuz, NPR) Turks rejoiced when Barack Obama was elected president last November, and he remains a popular figure in predominantly Muslim Turkey. But sentiment has been mixed in Istanbul, as the president winds up his European trip there this weekend.

 

'Schindler's List' found

(Straits Times) A list of Jews saved by Oskar Schindler that inspired the novel and Oscar-winning film 'Schindler's List' has been found in a Sydney library, its co-curator said. Workers at the New South Wales State Library found the list, containing the names of 801 Jews saved from the Holocaust by the businessman, as they sifted through boxes of Australian author Thomas Keneally's manuscript material.

 

Ana's story / First of two parts

(Thomas Curwen, L.A. Times) Isolated by her appearance, she yearned for a place in the world. Ana Rodarte had given up on marriage and even finding a job seemed impossible — and all because of her face. Then a chance meeting gave her reason to hope.

 

Ana's story / Second of two parts

(Thomas Curwen, L.A. Times) For a young woman cut off from the world, a series of risky operations offers hope of ending her isolation. For the surgeons, it's the supreme test.

 

Homeless couple leave shack for basement suite

(Andrew Hanon, Edmonton Sun) John MacNeil and Emily Manns have spent their last weekend in a tiny shack on the city’s northern fringe, thanks to the generous spirit of Edmontonians. After surviving the bitter Alberta winter in a 30-square-foot shanty built from scrap materials just off Manning Drive, the couple are moving into the basement of a house near the downtown core today.

 

More older adults adopt older kids

(Karina Bland, Arizona Republic) Caseworkers sifting through adoption applications are seeing a surprising trend: older couples looking to adopt school-age children, not the babies that many others so desperately want. In a field where babies are most coveted, caseworkers are thrilled with the interest in the older children, who at the tender age of 6 get labeled "hard to adopt" because of their age.

 

Into the arms of strangers: Generosity saves a life

(Jon Mark Beilue, Amarillo Globe-News) Moises Asertemo had not been out of his Belize hospital bed in eight weeks. But there he was 11 nights ago, sitting in a chair by his bed in the darkness, ready to go. The 8-year-old boy should have been dead on Jan. 9 after he was run over by a truck. Doctors gave him five hours to live.

 

Walls go up for Yorba Linda's first Habitat project

(Sean Emery, Orange County Register) As an early morning chill gave way to the hot sun, Carmen Granados and her young son stood back and watched the volunteers hard at work on her brand-new Habitat for Humanity home.

 

April 3, 1892: Ice Cream Puts On Its Sundae Best

(Randy Alfred, Wired) A druggist in upstate New York adds a candied cherry and some cherry syrup to two dishes of vanilla ice cream. He and his guest, the local parson, enjoy the concoction so much they name it the Cherry Sunday. A treat is born.

 

Ice Climber Survives 72 Foot Fall

(Imaeyen Ibanga, ABC News) When a nylon rope gave way and sent veteran climber Cri Boratenski hurdling 72 feet toward the earth as he climbed a Colorado ice sheet, the 31-year-old thought he wouldn't live to see his wife or 1-year-old son again. It was an image of them sitting next to each other that flooded his mind during his freefall from the side of the Designator, a massive, vertical ice formation that hugs a cliff near East Vail, Colo. He thought about how he wanted to apologize to them for dying. But, incredibly, the apology would be unnecessary

 

Learning from random acts of kindness

(Martha Randolph Carr, Baxter Bulletin) It's a commonly held belief that big cities are cold and unfamiliar and people go about their business rudely bustling by each other avoiding any kind of eye contact. In America, New York City is thought of as the capital of rudeness as an art form. Movies love to show cabbies with thick Queens accents yelling at some poor slob trying to quickly waddle across the street ahead of the red light.

 

Random acts of kindness duo spread cheer in Grand Rapids

(WZZM) In March, you may have received a free tank of gas, or maybe found free restaurant certificates on your windshield. These are just a few of the random acts of kindness a duo in West Michigan has been secretly sharing with complete strangers. For one month, these two women have been "paying it forward" as part of a project they have dubbed "Helping Hands." They hid money at a car wash, left free umbrellas throughout Grand Rapids on a rainy day, and on the particular morning we followed them, they treated someone at a Biggby Coffee drive through to a free cup of java.

 

Facing eviction, renter overwhelmed by offers of help

(Sheila Steffen, CNN) Lisa Brown was caught off-guard by the offers of help that came from strangers. "I'm overwhelmed," she said. "People helping people in these tough times. I never meant to solicit any help. This is incredible, really."

 

In twilight of life, a racist mourns his violent past

(Helen O'Neil, AP) Elwin Hope Wilson leans back in his recliner, a sad, sickly man haunted by time. Antique clocks, at least a hundred of them, fill his neat ranch home on Tillman Street. Grandfather clocks, mantel clocks, cuckoos and Westministers, all ticking, chiming and clanging in an hourly cacophony that measures the passing days. Why clocks? his wife Judy has often asked during their 49 years together. He shrugs and offers no answer. Wilson doesn't have answers for much of how he has lived his life -- not for all the black people he beat up, not for all the venom he spewed, not for all the time wasted in hate.

 

Grad student pays-it-forward to undergrad student

(Lauri Harrison, Examiner) Times might be tough but it hasn’t prevented people from being generous.