The Kindness Crew

I was browsing the web trying to find a spectacular story about an act of kindness. This being my fourth post I want to find something that would intrigue someone who is reading my blog. As I searched, the same old story came up or the same websites I used before. It was so frustrating! I soon stumbled across a website which I think is worth mentioning. It is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. I couldn’t that there was a website that is labeled Random Acts of Kindness. What a perfect topic for Good Samaritans.

As I browsed through the website, I came across some fascinating things. The first link I clicked on was the Kindtimes Newsletter. There were hundreds of posts from people that did random acts of kindness for the people around them and posted what they did for others to read. It was amazing to see the amount of posts there were. I read through some of them and one post really caught my eye. It was titled the Kindness Crew. In this newsletter, the members of this crew talked about the kind acts they did for people, and how they tried to encourage the people around them to do the same. I loved seeing that to be a Good Samaritan people don’t think that they have to do huge acts to achieve this name.

I then clicked to the next link labeled Kindness Days. It was all different graphics and calendars that people had created for them to remind themselves about doing these acts. There were bookmarks, calendars, and bumper stickers to help themselves and the other people around them. There were also cards and poems to send to people you love. Another link on the website encourages people to go and create their own kindness website. It gave ideas and themes for the websites. A lot of people have created websites just from this one link.

Finally at the top of the page there was a link labeled In Your Classroom. This caught my eye the most being that I want to have a successful classroom in the future. There were lesson plans, rules, and guides to help teachers incorporate acts of kindness into their classrooms. This was amazing since I always found it so hard to find ideas to one day do this. Now teachers around the nation are sharing their ideas to help make this an everyday known fact. There is also an option for teachers to make a website for their students. This way the teacher can track the student’s acts and then the students can feel accomplished for their acts of kindness.

I really think this website is something special. To find out more check out http://www.actsofkindness.org/?gclid=CJqaxqSNuo8CFQh6gwodMivLcQ.

"Kids CAN Make a Difference!"

Adults aren't the only ones who can make a difference in the world today. There are so many wonderful projects kids and teens can work hard at, and in fact many times children have more initiative to work hard at attaining those goals. I remember as a child in grade school when we all went around the school playground as a class just picking up trash to keep our school clean. Sometimes it's just the small things that make a big difference, and maybe even inspire others to do their part too. It is important to keep our Earth clean and safe for everyone living on it. Just like we don't like walking down our neighborhood streets seeing trash thrown on neighbors lawns, we are not the only occupants of this world. There are millions of animals and plants living here as well, who too are affected by these actions we make. Not only land pollution, but air pollution as well.
Because of these problems that we are being faced with everyday, we dedicate one day a year, which is not the only day that we should be respecting our Earth, but is a special day when we put it first and do projects that we had put off all year long. This day is Earth Day, and it has been a tradition started in 1970 by a man named John Mc Connell from the United States. It is annually observed on or around the date of April 22, and is a day that the whole world participates in! As a child, I always remembered seeing posters aroung my school about the day we dedicate to planting new trees, picking up pollution and just beautifying the Earth we all call home.
One website I found http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/education/earthweek/index.htm talks about the many different projects 410 students from nine schools in Houghton, Baraga, and Gogebic Counties in Michigan did while celebrating Earth Day this past spring. They conducted twelve different projects that benefitted their schools, their communities, and the environment. These projects were not only just on Earth Day itself, but continued throughout the school year. Some of these projects were: "Cool to Carpool" an 8th grade project raising awareness about air pollution and encouraging kids to walk, ride bikes or carpool to school to reduce the use of fossil fuels, and "Litter Critters" a 2nd grade project where the kids were reusing discarded items to make creative art. Every grade at these schools contributed in some way to these projects, which made worldwide news.
Another Earth Day project that children can work on is called "Dive In To Earth Day". It is an international Earth Day celebration of coral reef and marine conservation activities that take place during the week of April 22 and are focused on a common theme: to remind the public that more than 70% of our planet is covered by water and our marine resources need to be protected. More information can be found at http://www.coralreefalliance.org/divein/. They had an amazing turn out this past Earth Day of 60 Countries 222 Events and 32,000 Participants. It is just something everyone should be aware of and obviously anyone can help support.
If children are keeping the Earth clean and working so hard to obtain such wonderful goals, Anyone can do it. We all learned and were told since we were very young that we should take care of what is ours. The Earth is ours too, and just because we share it with billions and billions of other people too, doesn't mean we should just leave it up to those others to take are of it for us. It is at least important to start of by making a difference in your own community. If all of these kids are putting so much effort into it, we know a goal is attainable. Kids are people too and love their Earth just as much as everyone else does. They are our future, it is important that they are taught right and to respect their surroundings at a young age so they will continue to make a difference in years to come.

A slice of nice, makes a mile of smile!

I am going to hopefully one day be an elementary teacher. One of my biggest concerns about teaching is teaching the children the right thing to do and say. Basically their manners, but why should teachers be responsible for that? When I grew up, my parents taught me manners and the respect I should give to my elders. Why are parents pushing off this responsibility to their child’s teacher?

A woman by the name of Margery Cuyler recognizes the problem and has created a hopefully good solution. She is an author who has seen that children aren’t learning what they should be at the young age, so she took it in her hands to be a Good Samaritan and make it easier for teachers who already have a lot on their plates. She has created books for teachers to read in their classrooms to teach about acts of kindness.

In her book she has a teacher by the name of Mrs. Ruler, and her classroom is filled with grumpy children because it is raining outside. One of the students realize they are acting up, and she responds with “Kindness is cooler, Mrs. Ruler.” I think this is a creative way to intrigue children and catch their attention. I know in middle school rhyming always caught my attention. The author makes sure she uses rhyming lingo throughout her book to keep the subject fun and entertaining.

Mrs. Ruler makes sure that her students know that acts of kindness are a must in our world today. In the book when her students act up, she gives them the task of, “five acts of kindness for your families,” and reporting back for show-and-tell. The next day the children come back with their stories. Such as, vacuuming the house, setting the table or sharing their toys.

Cuyler is getting some criticism from the media for her book. Mrs. Ruler’s moral hyperbole: “All it takes is one simple act — one act of kindness that will make the world a better place.” But, some view this as a bad moral because they think that even the smallest things done by the children become homework and a simple chore becomes an act of kindness, something is wrong at home. I think this is not a good way to view this book. Cuyler is trying to remind parents and help teachers in their classrooms. She is trying to help parents teach their children about manners and acts of kindness. This article, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/books/review/London-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin, helps explain more in depth about the book and how it is being utilized by parents and teachers.

All in all, I think that people need to realize that the youth is our future. Sometimes we just assume that things are known especially when it involves children. I think we need to focus on teaching our children the right things to do and the acts of kindness they should perform for their neighbors. I feel like this book is a great start to creating awareness in parents. She is really pushing for parents to talk to their children, and make sure they understand that children need to be taught.

O and her Academy

Oprah Winfrey. She's a household name, a talk show host, a therapist to everyone sitting on their couch at home or in her studio, a producer, an educator, a magazine founder and what we here like to talk about most, a Good Samaritan. "Oprah has used the power of the media and created an unparalleled connection with people around the world.", according to http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-te5Q5aMoRKfY7EFGVSqQq52GFXY7cinb?p=1530.

Her most recent, and by far most outstanding act as a Good Samaritan was her founding of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Located in Meyerton, just south of Johannesburg, South Africa, this academy is an all girl boarding school that was inspired by Oprah's own disadvantaged childhood. Oprah was born into a family of two teen aged parents, her mother a housemaid and father a coal miner, and was forced to be raised by her grandmother in impoverished, rural conditions. Here, she experienced a dysfunctional family life with a grandmother who beat her and with a cousin, an uncle and a family friend who would molest her. Oprah managed to overcome her past and use it to make the lives of girls, who most likely experienced similar situations, and provide them with an education and leadership opportunities for the academically gifted girls who wanted to make a difference in this world.

The 52-acre, 28-building campus features state-of-the-art facilities, including large dormitories, wellness center, gymnasium, dining hall and libraries, with many of the rooms having large fireplaces. The curriculum includes languages (English, Zulu, and South Sotho), arts, culture, life orientation and leadership, mathematics, natural sciences, technology, social studies and management sciences. The first two classes of the Academy include 152 girls aged 11-12, who were selected from 3,500 hopeful girls nationwide in South Africa. Although the incoming classes of girls will enter grades 7 and 8, the Leadership Academy plans to provide middle school and high school education for girls in grades 7 through 12. To qualify as a candidate for the Leadership Academy, the potential student must show that she is academically qualified, and that her family must have a household income no greater than $787 a month. For more information, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey_Leadership_Academy_for_Girls.

Of course, we all know the old saying that "no good deed goes unpunished", and so it was with Oprah and her Academy. Oprah faced a lot of criticism with opening up this school in South Africa. Many questioned why she did not open up a school for the impoverished in America. She replied with,
"Say what you will about the American educational system — it does work. ... If you are a child in the United States, you can get an education. ... I became so frustrated with visiting inner-city schools that I just stopped going. The sense that you need to learn just isn't there. ... If you ask the kids what they want or need, they will say an iPod, some sneakers,or for some money. In South Africa, they don't ask for money or toys. They ask for uniforms so they can go to school."

This shows us the difference of American school systems versus African school systems and it tells us that children in America take education for granted because it is readily provided for them, but when you are raised in a rural town in South Africa and it's either get and education or get a job to provide for your family, an everlasting education is way more tempting than a low paying, hard labor job.

Karen Russell of the Huffington Post came to Oprah's defense of the Academy in saying,
"Critics say the school is too lavish for such an impoverished country. How dare Oprah have the audacity to spoil these Black African girls?! Why are so many quick to question if these girls deserve the best education Oprah's money has to offer? ... Oprah will get a lot of bang for her buck by educating poor Black girls in Africa. She realizes that educating South African girls must be a priority to help turn the tide in sub-Saharan Africa…where an education is quite rare, and birth rates for uneducated girls are so high, a little education could make a dramatic difference"

Do you think Oprah is being out of line by providing housing an education for poor girls of South Africa who are academically gifted and can make a change in this world? I think that the media should not criticize our beloved O, but thank her because I have confidence that the girls in her Academy will make a difference in our future.

Hollywood or Small Neighborhood: Lend YOUR Hand to those in Distress

Lately I have been hearing a lot of stories about celebrities doing good deeds. Although some people think the stories are false, and they very well could be, at least they show something positive coming out of Hollywood. In my last post I talked about what people consider a good samaritan to be, and gave some example stories on the subject. Now even if you are thinking that celebrities are just doing these nice things to boost their fame and status, you still can't admit that you would rather hear about their horrible drug overdoses or their latest trip to rehab than stories of them actually helping others.

Last time, I talked about a story I read involving a bike rider, who witnessed a horrible bicycle-automobile accident. But, instead of leaving it to others to help the injured woman, he quickly rushed to their assistance by calling 911 and taking the important job of directing traffic around the scene. This is a perfect example of a good samaritan, because the man clearly went out of his way to help another in need.
In fact this story reminds me of a time when I was younger, and I was walking with my family on the boardwalk down at the Jersey shore. We were just passing a huge lavishly decorated Christmas store when the woman walking in front of us just collapsed, falling face foward onto the hard boardwalk. It was a time when cell phones weren't as popular yet, but luckily my Poppop had one; so being the caring man that he is, he ran to their assistance to let them know he was dialing 911. Once they reassured that an ambulance was on its way, I noticed from hiding behind my mom's leg that my Poppop was bent over near a crying little girl. I could faintly hear him telling her that her grandmom would okay and that the doctors were on their way to her. It was then that I realized that that little girl could've been me, and that woman could have been my grandmom; I would only hope to be so lucky as to have a man like my Poppop go out of his way for a stranger.
This same sort of situation was seen about a month ago when basketball star, Allen Iverson, discovered a horrible car accident. The car was flipped over and two friends were inside. Iverson helped the women out of the car, called the police and insisted that they go get checked out at the hospital, where he visited to check on them later that day. For more details of the story visit http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20070912_Letters___Allen_Iverson__Good_Samaritan.html.

Another example that I gave in my previous post was about a man who stopped to help a family experiencing car problems. In the story, the man tried to help at first with no luck, but then came back in the end with anti-freeze to fix the car, accepting nothing in return for his deed.
I experienced a similar situation just this summer when I was on vacation in Disney World. My family and I were just leaving our suite at the resort to go get some dinner when we noticed a woman sitting on the ground shaking. Another couple had stopped as well because she had been screaming for help. She was still wearing a hospital bracelet, and after taking a pill that she had in her pocket, she explained that the doctor's don't know what is wrong with her yet and they are still doing tests. But, then again she began shaking and my dad was helping her open her medicine. As she began to calm down again we asked her if she was with anyone, because she didn't want us to contact a medic. My mom, my sister and I knocked on the door of the room number she gave us and checked by the pool for her family with no luck. When we returned to the scene a medic was present and staff was in search of her family. Although we weren't much help, we did make sure we got her into the hands of someone who could assist her better, even though it was not what she initially wanted.
A situation such as that, where you are bombarded with the decision to lend your hand or just ignore it, is never an easy one. Sometimes it is difficult or even scary to walk up to stranger in distress and try to help. I came across an example where Josh Hartnett was walking out of a tavern and found a man harrassing a woman at http://dailyblabber.ivillage.com/entertainment/archives/2007/02/josh_hartnett_is_a_good_samari.html. He stepped in, without throwing any punches, advising the man to step off. Even another source said that nothing physical was brought about, just a few raised voices and Josh gave the man a good talking to.

Are you a giver or a taker?

There are two types of people in the world: givers and takers. In my last blog, I talked about the worth of being a Good Samaritan. Does it pay off to make someone’s day better by doing a little good deed of the day. It is almost seen as a must to perform these tasks, or is it? In this blog, I am going to address the issue of actually performing these tasks.

I read a blog which makes a lot of sense to me. It made me think of things that I wouldn’t have thought on my own. The link for this blog is http://htacio.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/are-you-a-giver-or-a-taker/. In this blog, the author addresses the want to be a Good Samaritan. The author puts out the question, “Do people really want to do these acts every day?” Hearing this question, I would automatically say yes, but after reading the article I realized the answer to that question is no.

The blog states how people don’t want to give the effort of doing these good deeds. Yet, they want to be the victim, and have good deeds done to them all the time. We are content being the recipient of all the good things from other people. We want the gifts, but we don’t want to give them back in return. Whatever happened to the saying, “Leave a penny, take a penny.”

So, I will leave you with this. Are you the person that will go out of their way to help another who is in need, whether its opening a door, or picking up a piece of trash from the ground? Or are you the person that sits back, rushes one car ahead cutting off another driver and taking good deeds from people but not giving back?

A Safe Samaritan is A Good Samaritan

So, I previously wrote about how October is known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month but what it is also greatly known for is the holiday that is widely celebrated on the last day of this month, Halloween! Halloween can be a great time for kids and adults to get dressed up and go house to house trick-or-treating. Our duty as Good Samaritans is to make sure that holidays, especially this holiday, where most festivities take place at night, is ensued with safety. We can do this by giving out safe candies and carefully watching our children while they are out and about the streets on this night. This fun and exciting holiday can have a serious downside if parents don't take the proper precautions when trick-or-treating.

I found on this site the history, myths and realities of poisoned candy on Halloween and I think it is incredibly interesting and that everyone should check it out at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoned_candy_scare. According to this site, the first poisoning of candy that took place was in New York in the year 1964. This New York housewife apparently was sick of children who were supposedly to old to be trick-or-treating, so on Halloween of '64 she gave out packages of steel wool, dog biscuits and ant buttons that were even labeled as "poison". No one was harmed by this housewife's dangerous gesture but she was prosecuted and pleaded guilty for the potential endangerment of these children.

On http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/needles.asp?print=y, this person talks about a more recent incident that occurred in 2000 in Minneapolis. A man by the name of James Joseph Smith placed needles into Snickers candy bars and gave them out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Smith was charged with one count of adulterating a substance with intent to cause death, harm or illness when a 14-year-old boy was pricked by the needle that was put into the bar after he had bitten into it. Luckily, the boy did not have to require medical attention.

There are plenty more stories like these floating around the interweb, so in order to keep yourself and your trick-or-treater from becoming the subject of one of these stories, make sure to check your child's food before letting them eat it. For help and tips on how to have a safe and happy Halloween you can check out http://stepdadsecrets.stepdads101.com/archives/82! So, you can read those over and get an early start on how to be a Safe Samaritan this Halloween. And remember, a Good Samaritan never tampers with candy and then gives it to unsuspecting innocent children!

Do you consider yourself to be a Good Samaritan?

Everyone wants to be considered a good person, and to be known as someone who assists others in their time of need. Although in many instances, more people are seen ignoring cases where their help might be useful then going out of their way to at least ask a person in distress if they are alright. This is what separates the true good samaritans from those who just think of themselves in that regard.

It is difficult sometimes to extend your hand to a stranger. I, too, have trouble being the stronger person in a crowd of on-lookers. But even if you are unsure if the person will accept your help, at the end of the day it will make you feel like a better person for at least offering it. In fact, your actions might even inspire others to do the same, or even make the person in distress learn to be more willing to accept the help of others.

There are good samaritans out there because we hear new stories of them everyday. One specific posting can be found at http://meddlingkidd.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/thanks-jerry/, which is about a man who helped a family having car problems. The family had been experiencing their temperature guage rising, but after putting some anti-freeze in it, the mini-van was fine until a few days later when it rose again. Luckily they were near a park, so they pulled the car over. They attempted to add water, but it just evaporated. Many cars drove by yet only one stopped. A man named Jerry got out, asked if they needed help and began to assist under the hood. They came to a conclusion that it was best to wait for the mini-van to cool down, so Jerry left apologizing that he couldn't do more. Yet about ten minutes later Jerry's truck pulled up again, and he got out with a bottle of anti-freeze. He refused to take cash from the family and just told them that it was his good deed of the day.

Another example of a good samaritan was a story of a biker accident found at http://blog.glennf.com/mtarchives/007913.html. A man had been riding his bike along Lake Washington Blvd. on Bicycle Sunday when a car came out of nowhere forcing him to change gears, which jammed his chain. He wasn't hit but he got off of the bike and turned it over to fix the chain when a group of four other bikers asked if he needed help. He graciously accepted their help and together they unjammed it in about five minutes. Then on his way home, the biker witnessed the results of another bike accident, this one much worse. A woman was laying on the ground bleeding from the head. Her friends were trying to help, and another passer by called 911. It took a few minutes to convince the woman that she needed medicle help, but once she agreed they had an ambulance sent over. An EMT on bike stopped and began to help as well, and the biker began directing traffic around the scene. About ten minutes later the ambulance arrived and she was taken to the hospital. Her injuries were very bad, but if she was not wearing a helmet she could have been dead or in fatal trama.

Deed of the Day: Donate!

Since this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I believe there's no better time to be a "Good Samaritan". Being a Good Samaritan doesn't always mean that you have to physically help someone out, you can find other a lot of other ways to reach out to someone in need. Donations are always a good idea and with Breast Cancer Awareness, there are so many different organizations out there that you can donate to.

I am a personal fan of shopping and I know I am not the only one out there. I found some interesting ways of donating your money, where you get something cute and trendy in return besides the pure satisfaction of helping another out.

Polo Ralph Lauren has supported Pink Pony for more than 15 years. There are fashionable products for both men and women with a portion of the proceeds going to the Pink Pony Center for Cancer Care and Prevention. If you purchase the Pink Pony Match Shirt 100% of the proceeds will support the Pink Pony organization. If you want to find out more about these products or about the Polo Ralph Lauren - Pink Pony visit http://www.misscrew.com/blog/?p=1208 or http://www.ralphlauren.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=1870143&ab=global_pinkpony

For pet lovers out there, you can even get your pets in on the good deed! As I found on http://www.supercoolpets.com/archives/2007/10/pink_ribbon_pet_products_for_t.php, they have Awareness Pet Products for your animals! This site offers you fashionable dog collars, cat collars, pink ribbon dog leashes and key fobs that benefit not only the look of your precious pet but also benefits those who are suffering from breast cancer. According to this site, 15% of the proceeds will be going to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure organization!

And for everything else in between, you can always visit the Breast Cancer Site Store at http://shop.thebreastcancersite.com/store/site.do?siteId=224&origin=BCS_GOOGLE_ADGROUP_ContentGraphic-160x600-Pink&gclid=CNPfx4K9-44CFUtyOAodwj4M2w, where there are loads of products that you can purchase and your money will fund mammograms for women in need!

Does it pay off to be a Good Samaritan?

Giving a helping hand and a caring gesture is seen every day of our lives. People are almost expected to do a good deed for the day. This helps everyone’s life be a little bit more peaceful. Sometimes, people are asked to step beyond what is expected. A specific example of this is seen in a posting about a fishing boat sinking, http://www.conservationreport.com/2007/10/fisheries-observer-six-rescued-from.html. The Coast Guard was called but was far from the scene. When the Coast Guard arrived, another fisherman boat heard the call over the radio, noticed they were close, and rushed to help these fishermen. I think that it was courageous, and that these acts help the world become a better place. Yet, what if a situation occurred, and you step beyond what is expected, but are soon punished for it?

A nightmare of this occurred to a young waiter in Florida. A blog addresses this article: http://www.ontopresults.com/blog/2007/10/02/good-samaritan-loses-job-after-saving-woman-from-attacker/. This waiter was working, and a woman’s purse was taken. He ran after the perpetrator and caught him. When he went back to his job, his boss fired him. The boss claims the firing was due to the young waiter being bad at his job. Yet, it occurred the same night, so this Good Samaritan got fired for stepping to help someone else, or so it seems. So what is a person to do when they are asked to help another? Some help is praised; some help is looked down at. So no one knows what is really expected of them.