Stories by AnnC (53 matches)

Baby Shower For Charity

I just received an invitation to a "Baby Shower for Charity Tea" The hostess explained in her invitation that this will be just like a regular baby shower EXCEPT all gifts will be donated to a battered women's shelter. What a fun way to get together and help others at the same time. She included a list of the most needed items which included diapers, baby bottles, clothes (for babies and small children), baby wipes, baby blankets and snugglies, pajamas (for babies and children), etc.  

Witnessing Kindness during the Holidays

"Where do you see kindness? No matter who we are or where we come from, when we take a moment to look around, we can see kindness everywhere" -Shelley Frost Yesterday morning I was feeling stressed because I needed to go shopping for some of the organizations I volunteer with. I really don't like big crowds and tend to stay away from large department stores and shopping malls at Christmas time. However, I was determined to make the best of it and have a good day. So I decided to play a game with myself. I would actively look for and count the number of times and ways I saw people being kind. With this mindset, I witnessed so many, many acts of kindness: Drivers letting other cars into traffic; people taking shopping carts back inside; customers waiting patiently in a long line at the cash register; kind words spoken to cashier who ... Read Full Story >>

Catchy titles shared

"Donate your favorite book to the nearest library with a note inside on why you love it!" was my smile deck challenge today.

The daughter of a friend of mine and her children just started a "Little Free Library" (http://littlefreelibrary.org/) in their neighborhood. There are lots of kids in that neighborhood and so I knew this would be the perfect place to donate some of the books that I read to my children and to my grandchildren that they have now outgrown.

So I donated several books (including The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Velveteen Rabbit, Charlotte's Web, Where the Wild Things Are and others) to this Little Free Library

Planting Seeds Of Kindness ...

 My grandson's cub scout den is doing a two month unit called"Planting Seeds of Kindness. They are practicing compassion and learning that good things happen when you are kind and help others by doing multiple small service projects.

At their meeting this afternoon they made seed tapes which they are donating to a senior living home. These seed tapes are much easier for the elderly residents to plant than the standard seed packets. Tomorrow the boys are going to visit the seniors and help them plant the seed tapes. My grandson was so excited when he told me about this activity.

Painted Rock Treasure Hunt

My sister-in-law just sent me an invitation to participate in this fun activity that is taking place in our community. It sounds like fun and is something that any community or group could do! You can change the "rules" to suit your group or situation.

Here's how it works: Just paint a rock with art inspirational quotes of your choosing, write "Go to PNW Rocks on Facebook" on the bottom, and be sure to seal it so it holds up in our wonderful rainy weather. Then, hide it around town where people can come across it in their daily activities. If you would like, post a picture of your rock art. Give a hint as to where people can find it.

If you find a PNW ROCKS painted rock, post a picture of your find on the Facebook page. You can choose to keep the rock or re-hide it. The whole point is to use art to brighten someone's day! Please note that there is no guarantee your painted rocks will be found, and they are given freely.

Letters to Brighten the Day!

According to my Special Days Calendar, December 7th was Letter Writing Day. But everyday is a perfect day to send a hand written letter and brighten someone's day.

Here are a few reasons you should send out a letter today. Or even better - get in the habit of regularly sending out letters!)
Letters are tangible and can be kept to be read and re-read
Handwriting is personal.
Mail makes everyone smile.
Writing a letter shows you took the time.

Survival Kits For Healthcare Provideers

Survival Kits for Healthcare Providers: A few days ago, I saw a post from a fellow KS member talking about gift bags for the nursing staff at a hospital or nursing home. It got me thinking about the wonderful staff at the Assisted Care home I visit on a regular basis. So I found this run "survival kit" idea and purchased the items to make several of them. I am putting the kits together tonight and will deliver them to the staff tomorrow. These are the items I am including:all which all came from the Dollar Tree. - A package of mints: A reminder that you are WORTH A MINT - Roll of lifesavers: To remind you of the many times you have been one - Rubber Bands  Because you often are called upon to stretch yourself beyond your limits - A Package of Band-Aids - For when things get a little rough (I ... Read Full Story >>

Teens Making A Difference

Today I was honored to attend a meeting of TAB (Teens Against Bullying) at the high school where my husband works. WOW! What a great group of kids! Today’s topic was “Supporting Each Other” and they handed each attendee a bookmark with this message:

Share your truth
Understand others have their own truth
Participate in many activities to get to know others
Pose Questions to understand
Offer encouragement – not judgment
Reach out – be a friend
Together we can make a difference.

One of the service / education projects this group is doing is working with kids in elementary students to stand up against bullying. They have set up teams of 3 - 4 high school students who work with groups of 10 - 12 elementary school students. One team is doing a project with a group of 3rd graders aimed at helping them to learn cooperation and encouragement.

Pizza Thanks

I was in our local pizza takeout today when a couple of teenagers came in to order pizzas. They each ordered a small personal size pizza for themselves and 3 large pizzas to be delivered to the fire department. which was having a training night. They asked the delivery person to include a note they had written thanking the members of the fire department for all they do for the community and for helping their friend when he was in a serious accident. They explained that their friend had lived because of the actions of the emergency personnel. I don't know these kids, but I am very proud of them.   ... Read Full Story >>

A Little Girl's Instant Smile Card 'Tag'

While at a restaurant this past weekend, I asked the waitress to give a "smile package" which included some of Mindy's peace doves, some coloring pages with markers, and a small gift bag of toys to a young family who were at the table next to us. There was a little girl about 6 and a couple of younger children. The little girl was so excited and when she read the smile card message, she got right up and went over to a family who had just entered the restaurant to gave their little boy the bag of toys. As she walked away she said loudly "SMILE -- YOU'RE IT! She totally made my day!

I Had To Laugh ...

I had to laugh when I randomly chose my smile deck challenge today. The first card I chose was "Make a bagged lunch for a family member and slip a joke in it". After he retired, my husband took a job as a custodian at the high school. He is also an avid fisherman. Well on our travels earlier this week, I happened upon a "Custodial Supplies" store. They had an insulated cup that said "Custodian by week, fishing legend by weekend". It was a little on the spendy side, but I knew he would get a kick out of it so I bought it for him as a surprise and had already packed it in his lunch box before I read the card. So I decided to choose a second smile card challenge which was "Take 10 minutes to write a song, poem, or note for a loved one". You guessed ... Read Full Story >>

Today's Randomly Pick From ...

Today's Randomly Pick from the Smile Deck was "to give a houseplant to a friend". This was a great one for me, because my Friendship Plant (Pilea involucrata) has outgrown its pot and needs to be divided! I found some cute flower pots that I have been saving to re-gift and potted up three plants which my grandson and I will deliver to my neighbors tomorrow.

Ocean Wisdom

I can't stop the waves, but I can learn to surf!

You think you are just a drop in the ocean but look at the ripple effect one drop can make!

Take me to ocean, let me sail the open sea, to breathe the warm and salty air and dream of things to be!

Helping Friends In Need

I was so proud of my husband today. He has always been kind and caring, but today he went above and beyond. This morning he changed the oil and then did some other routine maintenance on an elderly neighbor's car, and after that he mowed another neighbor's lawn!

While mowing, he learned that another member of our community had been very ill and his wife was looking for someone she could hire to mow their grass. Hubby went right over and got the job done (for free of course!).

Shortly after he got home, he received a call from another friend asking for a ride to the auto parts store. His friend needed to get a part to fix his vehicle. So hubby is off again to help a friend -- and I know he will stay and help him fix the car once they get the necessary part.


 

Teens Working Together For The Elderly

WORKING TOGETHER

Today the teens from our teen center helped the residents or our local assisted care facility plant flowers and vegetables in the raised beds the kids helped build last year.
They are a great bunch of kids and they are really bonding with the residents of the assisted care center. It is a win win situation for both groups!

Random Act Of Kindness Day

Today is Random Acts Of Kindness Day and all around town, I have seen the results of people's kindness. While at the library today, I overheard two ladies talking about RAOK Day and its impact on the world. One woman said that "it has to start somewhere and if even just one person learns to be kinder because some did an RAOK the day will be a success!" :-)
 

Turning a Thanksgiving Deal Into a Gift for Two Familiies

I was blessed with an opportunity to help others enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. Our local food market made this offer: buy one turkey, stuffing mix, a five-pound bag of potatoes, a can of vegetables, a can of cranberry sauce, and a gravy mix, and they would provide one each of the same items for free. If you wished to donate one or both of the turkeys, the store offered to keep them en until just before Thanksgiving when the Boy Scouts and the Food Bank would deliver them to needy families. Since it would just be my husband and me for Thanksgiving this year, we decided to purchase and donate both turkeys and all the fixings. In addition to the above-mentioned items, we took advantage of "buy one, get one offers" on canned pumpkin and dessert mixes. The items were all very reasonably priced and we were able to provide two ... Read Full Story >>

Stretching My Kindness Muscles

I recently joined a gardening club. When I received my first club newsletter, I noticed that the Editor was resigning. I love doing newsletters, so at the meeting last Thursday, I volunteered to take over as Editor if they needed someone.

Today I received a call from the president asking me to take over another project instead. I almost said no, because this project does not sound nearly as fun as producing the newsletter and it will be a lot of work.

But I realized that the new project was important and one that I could do -- and that the KIND thing to do was to say yes. So I stretched my kindness muscles and agreed to take on the project.

Love In Action

I live in a rural area so my neighbors are quite spread apart, but despite that we are a pretty close bunch and always eager to help each other out.

Unfortunately, the couple that lives approximately 1/2 mile from us at the end of our private road has been very stand offish and at times disagreeable with all the other neighbors.

However, we learned recently that the husband had major surgery about a week ago and was pretty much immobilized at this time. All the neighbors put any misunderstandings aside immediately and have pitched in to do the farm chores, provide meals, transportation to the Dr., and just whatever needs to be done. I call this Love in Action.


 

Popcorn Kindness

I was unable to post yesterday but the smile deck challenge that I completed was: Get in touch with an old friend who you'd like to reconnect with -- I visited a cousin whom I have not seen since my dad passed away 20 years ago. She recently moved close to where my son and his family live. It was great to see her.

Today's challenge was Pay for a stranger's meal anonymously. There was an old fashioned popcorn wagon at the Pumpkin Patch we went to with the Grand Kids. I bought some popcorn for our family and then paid for 5 more bags to be given randomly to other families.

May Day Baskets

I have been very busy getting ready for a month long road trip. Yesterday as I was preparing my flower garden the best I could to survive while I am gone, I realized that all the flowers now blooming would be wilted and gone by the time I got back. I sadly decided to cut them all now. and then I realized it was May Day! When I was a child, we would make May Baskets out of paper or berry baskets (or really whatever we could find) and fill them with flowers. Then we would take leave them at the door of friends and neighbors, ring the bell and run and hide . I decided to renew this tradition. I didn't have the time (or patience) to make my own May Baskets, but I have a large collection of Dollar Tree and/or thrift shop vases. So I cut the flowers, arranged them ... Read Full Story >>

A Problem Turned into an Opportunity

I received a call from the summer camp that my grandkids will be attending in two weeks. They had a "problem" -- we had mistakenly paid for 4 kids but only have 3 grandkids attending. The camp's policy is to not offer refunds for cancellations less than 30 days out except in cases of emergency.

As the camp director tried to figure out how to refund us for the "mystery child", my husband and I quickly offered a solution: offer the spot already paid for as a "campership" to a needy child so that s/he could attend camp. The director was so excited as they do have a waiting list of kids who they would love to accommodate! I love it when I can turn a "problem" into a wonderful opportunity .

The Gift Of Joy

Today was our neighbor's birthday. He is a special needs adult who takes delight in the simple things we often take for granted. We took him to IHOP for a birthday breakfast (he L O V E S pancakes) and then on a horse-drawn trolley ride around town. We stopped at a bicycle shop and had him pick out a couple of accessories for his bike (he does not drive). His excitement and joy were a gift to us!

Books and Kind Wishes

Today I volunteered at our "Friends of the Library" used book sale. Towards the end of the sale, a gentleman rushed in. I recognized him as the the 'father' of a very special family in our community. This man and his wife have adopted a large number of special needs children (I think the number is around 20 over the past 40 years).
 
The couple's grown biological children have now carried on the tradition. I helped the man choose a large selection of books for all the kids and told him there was no charge since the sale was nearly over. While he was talking to someone else, I put an envelope with some money in it and a quickly written smiley note in the top of his book bag. The amount was not large, but I hope it will help.

Summer Toys for the Free Daycare Center

One of our local stores had a big sale on summer toys for kids. I purchased a couple of kiddie swimming pools, water balloons, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and sand toys for the free daycare center. Last evening, when my husband and I took them to the center, the lady who runs the center was ecstatic. She and the rest of the volunteer staff are so loving and kind. Our community is blessed to have this great resource. Most of the kids who attend are homeless or live in very poor conditions. I was excited to be able to help out even a little. ... Read Full Story >>

Just Listened

Yesterday's Smile Card Challenge on the Kind Spring website was "Strike up a conversation with someone who looks like they need a friend." While waiting to have a prescription filled at my HMO's pharmacy this morning, I noticed a lady who looked very agitated and impatient sat down beside me. I greeted her and asked if she was having a hard day. She replied that she was having a hard life and went on to tell me about a number of problems she was having. I said a quiet prayer that I would have the patience to listen with with empathy and understanding. I just made an occasional comment such as "Oh I am sorry you have to go through that" and "that must be really hard". When her name was called to talk to the pharmacist she told me "thank you for listening. I think I have the strength now to ... Read Full Story >>

My Retiring Husband's Wish

My husband is retiring tomorrow. He asked his fellow employees at the high school where he works to donate to the school's scholarship fund instead of throwing him a party.  The scholarship fund helps graduates with small scholarships to help with expenses at college or trade school.  

They Got Together To Show That They Care

Today at a meeting, one of the members stood up and explained a little bit about the challenges and heartache she is going through right now. She told us that she would really appreciate people calling and/or stopping by to visit as she is mostly house-bound these days.

It took a great deal of courage to tell her story and ask for help and support. After the meeting, a few of us got together and set up a schedule for one person to visit each day and at least one other person to call just to say "we care".  

Friends want to help -- they just don't always know how or realize the immediate needs. Please don't be afraid to reach out and ask for help from your friends. It is a sign of trust and love.

Wishing You Well

Yesterday, I saw a young boy of about 3 asking his mother for change to throw in a wishing pond. As he gleefully threw in the change, someone asked him "what are you wishing for?" Without hesitation, the young boy answered "That all the sick kids in the world will get well". It made my day -- and I too threw in my coins and silently repeated his wish.   ... Read Full Story >>

Fill A Bucket

One of the members of the teen council at the teen center where I volunteer saw this idea and asked if we could do it at the Teen Center and use the money for special projects to help the community, It has only been up a few days, but the it has been amazing to watch the kids add change to the "bucket". I am so proud of these kids! (The bucket pictured below is from the web.)

Day #1 Of Kindness Challenge

Reborn through KindSpring

First Time Fishing For 10 Year Old

A Car Seat for a Young Father In Need, And Then Some

Auctioning Love

Students Spend 200 Hours Making Halloween Costume For Girl With Rare Mutation #tbt

How Are You This Morning

Rescued On The Road in North Dakota

The Magic of KindSpring

The Magic of KindSpring

8 Year Old Kindness Ninja

Witnessing a life lived with a different set of rules

Our Mother Daughter Kindness Circle

Hugs, Hugs, Hugs!

Regular families building libraries in the most underserved schools.

Sunny Sunflowers

Effective Recycling

Mending Hearts One at a Time

Hospital Cheer

New Furry Friends