Category

kindness

Jun 21
0

Black Woman Sits Next to Man Sending Racist Texts About Her to His Family – Her Reaction Has Everyone Applauding

By | Food for thought, inspiring, kindness, racism, stand up, stories, uplifting news

We all know that feeling when traveling alone — boarding a flight, train, or bus, and looking for our seat. We’re filled with excitement, of course, but also a little anxiety. 

Who will we be sitting next to? Will it be a chatterbox who tries to keep up a conversation throughout the whole flight? Will it be someone completely silent and engrossed in seasons of Friends on their iPad? We never know what we’re going to get! 

The one thing that we don’t want is to end up next to someone who will make you feel uncomfortable for the whole flight — unless of course they land the first blow. 

One woman recently vowed to make the man sitting next to her feel equally uncomfortable after she saw him sending racist text messages about her to his family. 

What a Woman Did When She Caught a Man Sending Racist Texts

Content creator Taila Rouse was flying from Puerto Rico to Atlanta when she saw the man next to her, in the middle seat, texting his family. 

What she saw was completely shocking.

The man, who wasn’t able to sit with his family on the flight, was complaining to them about having to sit next to a “big, black woman.”

He was also allegedly texting other racist and homophobic remarks, discussing airlines raising their prices in order to “weed out” people like Taila on airplanes. 

At first, Taila didn’t want to say anything for fear of making everyone on the flight uncomfortable. Then, she decided she had to say something.

Racist Woman Calls Police on Black Man Driving 2 White Kids – Little Did She Know Who He Really Was in the Community

If this man was comfortably texting things like this to his family while sitting in the middle seat on an airplane where anyone could see it, who knows what he was comfortable saying in private.

She knew she had to say something. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything — but I decided I want you to feel as uncomfortable as I do, and I want you to know that I saw your text messages and I think you’re disgusting.”

The man briefly feigned ignorance but quickly dropped the act. He gave Taila an insincere “sorry,” but she wasn’t done saying her piece — she declined the apology and told the man he was only sorry he got caught. 

How One Woman Proved the Importance of Standing Up for Yourself

Taila’s actions are a lesson in always standing up for yourself. No matter how uncomfortable confronting somebody may feel, it is important to call people out when you see them doing harmful things. 

TikTok users were inspired by Taila’s actions, and started praising her in the comments. 

“I know your heart was beating saying this and honey, but you stood up through it! Proud beyond proud.”

“The shaking … I can feel you through this video. So proud. So brave. So honorable!”

It can be incredibly hard to call out wrongdoing, but it is so important to set a good example for those around us. If we all stayed quiet in the face of injustice, our society would never progress.

More from Goalcast:

https://www.goalcast.com/woman-stands-up-racist-passenger/

Mar 28
0

Rich Actor Finds Little Boy in Dumpster and Invites Him Over to Her House for Christmas – He Ends Up Completely Changing Her Life

By | adoption, family, Food for thought, gratitude, inspiring, kindness, love, stories, uplifting news

Brazilian actor and former ballerina Carol Nakamura has many privileges in her life thanks to her career success.

So she tries to give back to the community whenever she can. That’s what she was doing one day when she encountered a little boy who would forever change her life.

An Unexpected Meeting

a man, a woman and a little boy
Instagram/@euguileonel

In 2019, Nakamura visited a poor community in Rio de Janeiro where the children didn’t have much to go on every day.

Many of them didn’t go to school or have basic necessities, so Nakamura was hoping to lift some spirits with her visit. But then she came across a nine-year-old boy named Wallace.

RELATED: Good Karma: 5-Year-Old Who Once Emptied Piggybank for Charity Wins $48M Lottery Jackpot

Wallace was hanging out by a dumpster, and something about him struck a chord with Nakamura. According to AmoMama, Wallace had never gone to school but dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. As the actor learned more about this little boy and his history, she knew she wanted to help.

So she stayed in touch with Wallace and, that Christmas, she invited him over to her house to celebrate.

A Magical Holiday

That Christmas, Wallace had one of the most wonder-filled days of his life. Nakamura gifted him toys and other gifts, and his eyes grew wide at the furniture and amenities. “Does this water fall from the sky?” he asked at one point when he turned on the shower, according to Clarín.

Nakamura wanted that wonderment to continue and knew she wanted to keep putting a smile on the boy’s face. So she began the paperwork to adopt Wallace from his maternal mother in his hometown. She also asked for permission to enroll him in school for the first time.

Eventually, Nakamura and her partner Guilherme Leonel took the boy in full-time, although he would occasionally go back to live with his biological mother for periods, according to NewsBulletin.

RELATED: This Kind Man Secretly Pays for the Hospital Bills of Poor Patients Who Can’t Afford Them

The biggest surprise for Nakamura, however, was how much this little boy taught her about life.

“He taught us a lot, especially to be grateful. There are people who don’t even have something basic. When he took an elevator or used an escalator, he was surprised, thinking it was a toy,” Nakamura told Clarín.

“The first time he ate a cheese bread was after nine years! What you call ‘basic’ is much worse for other people. This made me understand the importance of simple, small things; to be listened to. It taught me to be more grateful and stop complaining about life. Wallace completely changed my life.”

A Short Time Together

While Nakamura wanted to help Wallace and felt like a mother figure to him, Wallace decided to return to live with his biological mother when he was 12. The child hasn’t spoken about it publicly and Nakamura is sad he made that decision, but she understands that it was his to make.

“We always sat down and talked a lot, but unfortunately, that was it. I’ve cried, I didn’t understand, but it was no use. All I can do is accept it,” she told NewsBulletin last year. “When I was younger, I didn’t have any money, it was all very basic. I let him choose everything, and that was it… I bought a uniform… It’s sad.”

RELATED: Poor Boy Collects Cans On The Street To Survive – Breaks Down When Stranger Places This In His Hands

These days, Nakamura is a fur mom to dogs, but she hasn’t forgotten the impact one little boy had on her life — or how she used to take things for granted.

“I always said that I can have five children, but none would love me like Wallace, and I would love like I love Wallace,” she wrote on social media, as per E! News. “The feeling is that a piece of me is gone, and there is an emptiness. But we need to respect! Not always the best for us is the best for each other.”

Honoring What We Have

They say people come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Well, that adage definitely seems to apply to the relationship between Wallace and Nakamura.

While Nakamura was heartbroken that the little boy no longer wanted to live with her, she couldn’t be upset at him for wanting to return to his hometown and biological family, either.

She also recognized that he came into her life for one very big reason: to show her just how much she has to be thankful for in life, and not to take it for granted.

It can be hard to accept when someone leaves, but as Nakamura reminds us, maybe there was a reason they came into our lives in the first place. Perhaps there is a lesson or a reminder we need to take away with us as we continue down our own paths.

At the end of the day, one of the biggest things this story reminds us is that it’s always best to be kind — not only to others but also to ourselves. Yes, a simple act of kindness may forever change someone else’s life. But it could also change yours if you’re kind enough to yourself to accept why and how.

woman hugging a little boy and a little boy standing near a wall

https://www.goalcast.com/carol-nakamura-brazilian-actor-boy-change-life/

Mar 22
0

‘Everyone Is Welcome’: Man Gives Away Free Motel Rooms to People With Nowhere to Stay

By | Food for thought, homelessness, inspiring, kindness, social media, stories, uplifting news, work ethic

Don’t you just love it when a social media influencer uses their fame for good? That’s exactly what TikTok star Brian Arya has been doing!

“To turn your head away from people who are out in the street is the opposite of what we should be doing,” said Brian Arya, whose TikTok videos have led to an outpouring of donations for those in need, to PEOPLE Magazine.

The New Jersey Motel That Welcomes Everyone

exterior of a New Jersey motel

While Arya has high hopes for a career in showbiz, he helps pay his bills by running a New Jersey motel that was purchased by his dad decades ago. Arya’s dad, George, 83, immigrated to the US from India and been teaching his son the ins and outs of running a motel since he was a child. George has always been firm on “letting people off the hook” if they had trouble paying.

“What we’re doing here, and what we’ve always done at the Lincoln Tunnel Motel, is help people,” says Arya about the modest motel on a gritty stretch of North Bergen, New Jersey, where he grew up. The nondescript motel is just ten minutes from the famous Lincoln Tunnel that connects Weehawken, New Jersey to Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

RELATED: Stranger Take Homeless 20-Year-Old to Target for New Clothes – Then He Reveals Another Big Surprise

It was in 2019 that Arya discovered TikTok, starting an account about life at the @ltmotel and the daily drama and laughs he experiences.

Since the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, Arya, known on social media as “Brian the Motel Guy,” told his then near 500,000 followers (now close to a million) that the economy motel was being made available to anyone who needed room to quarantine or simply stay because they had nowhere to go.

“When the pandemic hit, people were losing their homes, and local shelters were filling up quickly and turning people away,” Arya told the New York Post. Arya, 34, grew up in a neighboring motel that his father also owns. “And I wanted to help get people off of the streets, so I opened the doors of the Lincoln Tunnel Motel to anyone in the area.”

Arya’s #FreeRoomForU hashtag has since gone viral on TikTok, with his videos reaching a whopping 31 million likes!

The Lincoln Tunnel Motel has now offered shelter to more than 100 disenfranchised people who needed a helping hand, serving the mandate of aiding the under-resourced rather than turning a profit.

“Sometimes they come just to kind of get away from really bad situations,” said Arya, whose dad has since gifted Arya partial ownership of the motel. “Maybe a domestic situation and kind of hiding from that person. And those you can kind of spot.”

“I’m empathetic to people who really are honest with me, telling me their situation,” said Arya. “I try to help them out the best I can.”

The married father of four has shared his own struggles to keep his bills paid but continues to keep his focus on those more deeply in need.

“To turn your head away from unhoused people or people who are out in the street is the opposite of what we should be doing,” he said.

Arya’s TikTok followers wholeheartedly agreed and have been sending donations of non-perishable food, clothing, essential toiletries, and even cash to help Arya with the costs of helping his guests. He has also started an Amazon wishlist for his guests.

How One Motel Owner Proved the Importance of Kindness

smiling man wearing a cap

The simplest items can make the greatest difference to those with very little.

“Do you know how valuable a clear toiletry bag is to someone out on the street that needs something to put their IDs and their documents in?” Arya explained to PEOPLE. “It’s just so useful for important papers you don’t want to get caught in the rain. We give those out like crazy.”

He also gives away donated soaps, wipes, and other toiletries.

RELATED: Kind Woman Spontaneously Strikes up Conversation With a Homeless Man — She Ends up Giving Him a Job and Makes a Lifelong Friend

“I also make a little bag for them, a little (toiletry) gift bag because we now have a surplus of these items,” he said.

“This motel will always be the affordable place where local people who need shelter can stay and get support and respect from me and my employees,” he said

“I want the Lincoln Tunnel Motel to be a beacon of hope for this community and for my followers all over the world,” Arya told the New York Post. “And if the best thing I can do to spread that beam of hope is give a room to someone in need, then I’m happy to do so.”

Arya chooses kindness each and every day. And kindness always wins.

https://www.goalcast.com/tiktok-star-offers-free-rooms-for-homeless/

Mar 17
0

Struggling Waiter Doesn’t Know How He Will Pay for College – Then a Famous Customer’s Tip Leaves Him Speechless

By | Celebrities, compassion, Food for thought, inspiring, jason derulo, kindness, restaraunt, stories, uplifting news

Anyone who has ever worked in the service industry knows that you live and die by your tips. This is why it’s so important for customers to reward good service.

While it’s customary to tip up to 20% of the bill, one restaurant-goer decided to show his appreciation to his server with a chart-topping 650% tip — to the tune of a staggering $5,000.

One “Exceptionally Lucky” Shift for a Nebraska Waiter

Singer-songwriter Jason Derulo is known for his smash hits and dynamic performances, but recently he’s made headlines for an incredibly generous act of kindness.

During a recent trip to Omaha, Nebraska, Derulo and his family dined at Charleston’s Restaurant, known for being “casual” and “upbeat.”

The party of 18, accompanied by security, racked up a bill of $795.99. Generally, this would warrant about a $160 tip. However, Derulo, impressed by the “really awesome” service tipped the unsuspecting waiter nearly 30 times that amount.

The waiter, Jordan Schaffer, was floored. Overwhelmed by the unexpected generosity, he took to social media to share the news.

In a TikTok video that has gone viral with over 300K views and 48K likes, Jordan thanks the musician and reveals that his generous act of kindness just paid for his semester of college.

Jason Derulo’s $5,000 Tip Goes Viral on TikTok

The clip opens with a shot of Derulo, presumably signing off on the bill, and a voiceover saying: “Jason Derulo tipped me $5,000 at Charlestons Restaurant in Omaha.”

The camera pans to Jordan as he tells Derulo, “Wow, my heart’s beating really fast.” Derulo responds, “You guys are really awesome, man.”

It then cuts to Jordan, giving a heartfelt shout-out to the pop star.

“Hey Jason, thank you. You just paid for a semester at my college.”

Jordan Schaffer

He continues, “I can’t say thank you enough so, you know, I hope your family has a wonderful time in Omaha and I hope you see us again.”

It ends with a close-up shot of the receipt and Jordan just shaking his head in disbelief.

Derulo showed up in the comments to respond, writing: “You seem like a great person. Thank you for taking such great care of our fam. Keep spreading the love bro.”

He also re-shared Jordan’s TikTok to his own social media accounts, captioning it: “Blessed to be a blessing.”

Jason Derulo’s Tip Couldn’t Have Come at a Better Time

Jordan ended up splitting the tip with his coworker, but he made certain to put his half to good use.

According to an interview with Fox & Friends, Jordan had just been hit with a $50 late fee for his college tuition a week earlier. He was scrambling to come up with the money and didn’t know how he was going to swing it. And then in walked Jason Derulo. Thanks to Derulo’s tip, Jordan was able to pay off the entire semester.

Not only did Jordan take home thousands of dollars that day, but he also came away from the experience with a valuable lesson. “I just learned that it doesn’t matter who you’re serving… if you give them the right kind of service, it might end up touching them in a way that you weren’t expecting,” he said.

And, to top it all off, he has a “crazy story” that he plans on telling for the rest of his life.

man with red hair and beard, a restaurant receipt and a man in a suit
man with red hair and beard, a restaurant receipt and a man in a suit

https://www.goalcast.com/jason-derulo-waiter-college-semester-tip/

Dec 25
0

Waitress Gets Caught On Camera Helping Elderly Man Cut His Food – What Happens Next Changes Her Life

By | Food for thought, generosity, inspiring, kindness, stories, uplifting news

A friend in need

18-year-old Evoni Williams of La Marque, Texas spent all her free time working at Waffle House, hoping to stack up enough money for higher education.

A tough task for sure, however she wasn’t the only person with a lot on her plate.

78-year-old patron Adrian Charpentier, who uses oxygen, said he was having trouble using his hands to cut the ham on his plate.

Williams, who goes by the nickname ‘Nini’, told KHOU that she didn’t hesitate to help.

He was like, “‘My hands are not functioning too well.’ He needed me to cut his food and I did,” Williams shared.

She stopped everything to cut Charpentier’s meal into bitesize bits.

Eavesdropped

Unbeknownst to Williams, customer Laura Wolf was sitting nearby and watched the whole sweet scene unfold.

It was so busy in here and she actually took the time to stop and hear what he had to say instead of walking past him. That just meant something to me

– Laura Wolf

She snapped a pic of the kind act and shared it on Facebook. “If we could all be like this waitress & take time to offer a helping hand …” read the caption.

Word of the post quickly made its way to Charpentier. “Somebody told me a few days later that I was very popular because they got me on Facebook,” he recalled.

The post went viral with close to 50,000 shares. Yet no one could have imagined what happened next.

A sizzling surprise

Lights, cameras and media descended on the restaurant to both thank and surprise the star of the hour, Evoni Williams.

Williams was presented with a $16,000 scholarship to Texas Southern University, plenty to cover the tuition she’d worked so hard to earn.

That wasn’t all. Her kind act was immortalized, as the City of La Marque declared March 8 “Evani ‘Nini’ Williams Day.”

A teary Williams was blown away.

I didn’t think it was going to go big. But I thank you all. It’s just something I would do any other day

– Levoni Williams

Giving selflessly pays off

Wolf wrote that William’s seemingly small gesture actually makes a massive impact.

I’m thankful to have seen this act of kindness and caring at the start of my day while everything in this world seems so negative.

– Laura Wolf

“If we could all be like this waitress and take time to offer a helping hand.”

How many times have we been caught up thinking, searching for a way we can help others but can’t find the right cause, the right time, the right place? I’d love to do something someday, we say to ourselves.

From helping someone at the diner, holding the door or even flashing a smile to a passerby, there are opportunities to help everywhere.

If stories like Evoni Williams prove anything, it’s to never underestimate the impact of even the simplest acts of kindness both on that person and those who might be watching.

More uplifting stories:

Kindness Lasts Forever

Wether it’s saving someone at sea or giving up your plane seat, kindness makes a lasting impact.

https://www.goalcast.com/waitress-evoni-williams-waffle-house-helps-elderly-customer-eat/

Dec 16
0

Tourists Befriend Homeless Man On Vacation- Make An Incredible Promise For Christmas

By | christmas, Food for thought, inspiring, kindness, stories, uplifting news

No one should have to be alone at Christmas. Annis Lindkvist and her sister, Emma, made sure of that a few years back when they decided to fly a man they had just met home with them to celebrate the holidays in Sweden.

An unexpected vacation

The sisters were visiting Scotland back in 2016 when they stopped and asked a man begging for money for directions. According to the BBC, the then 54-year-old Jimmy Fraser had moved to Edinburgh 13 years prior to meeting the sisters, after a divorce left him homeless. He and the sisters struck up a friendship and exchanged numbers before the duo flew home to Sagmyra.

The trio kept in touch, and when the sisters learned that Fraser would be spending the holidays by himself, they offered to renew his passport and fly him to Sweden so that he would have a family to celebrate with.

“It’s weird, I know. I was begging on George Street and these two women came up to me and the next thing I knew I was in Sweden,” Fraser told BBC. “People promise you things all the time on the street but they never materialize and friends said I shouldn’t go in case I was hung, drawn, and quartered when I got there. But I thought I’m going to go for it as it’s once-in-a-lifetime.”

Part of the family

Fraser, a former security guard and a father-of-two, told the publication that he was nervous no one would be there at the airport to pick him up. But when he got there, he said it was a beautiful experience and that Annis’ family was tremendous. During his visit he met the family’s friends, he went to a hockey game, he visited Christmas markets, and he went to midnight mass. During that time Annis, her husband Daniel, and their three children treated him like one of the family.

We give money to charity every month but we have never done anything like this before.

Annis Lindkvist

“Annis is such a wonderful, kind, and generous person and I wish everyone was like her,” Fraser added.

Lindkvist was 37 years old when she put Fraser on that plane. A retirement home worker who helps those with dementia, she admitted to the news outlet that she had never felt like this about a homeless person before. And so after they wrapped their six-day visit, Fraser (who now lives in a flat) and the Lindkvists continued to chat every day.

“My mother was crying and crying when he left and my children have been asking every day when he is going to come back. There is a big place in my heart for him,” she said. “I had had my doubts about it but I sat up late one night when he was here and spoke to him about it. I could have been a killer just like he could have been, but I just had a feeling in my stomach that he was a really nice person.”

Ignoring the naysayers

Fraser’s friends weren’t the only ones who raised eyebrows over his visit to Sweden; Lindkvist recalls that she also had conversations with friends and family members who thought she wasn’t thinking clearly. But she ignored them and opened her home to him anyway, and now he’s a part of the family. They even invited him back for the Easter holiday.

Being homeless is cold, lonely, and depressing and you get a lot of abuse from people. This was an incredible act of kindness and I loved meeting Annis’ friends, family and colleagues. I wish I was there now.

Jimmy Fraser

“True friendship never dies, and apparently our story does not either,” Lindkvist updated people last year on her Instagram page, revealing that her family is indeed still in contact with Fraser. “And Jimmy, wish you were here.”

Opening your heart

It just goes to show you that you should never judge a book by its cover- how many people potentially walked by Fraser without giving him a second thought? But Lindkvist opened her heart free of judgment and made a lifelong friend for herself and her family in the process. It’s a takeaway we could all use as we head into the holiday season: you never know what a person is going through, but deciding to show a little compassion and kindness may just turn out to be a life-changing decision.  

More uplifting news

A little compassion and kindness can make a long-lasting impact.

https://www.goalcast.com/annis-lindkvist-befriends-homeless-man-on-vacation-fly-him-out-to-sweden-for-christmas/

Dec 11
0

Onlookers Stunned At Dad’s Surprising Reaction After Driver Hit His 10-Year-Old Daughter With Car

By | compassion, Food for thought, kindness, stories, uplifting news

The emotional video has been shared numerous times and highlights the power of forgiveness and compassion.

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The emotional video has been shared numerous times and highlights the power of forgiveness and compassion.

A little compassion can go a long way. Seeing your child get hit by a car is many parents’ worst nightmare. Yet how many mothers or fathers in that situation would stop and take a minute to console the person who accidentally hit their kid?

This father in Brazil did, and now video of the event is sending a powerful message around the world.

A powerful moment of compassion

In November, a 10-year-old girl named Haghatta ran into the street to chase a ball without looking. A man driving his car saw her at the last minute and he hit his brakes, but he just couldn’t stop in time. Naturally, he was beside himself with guilt and worry when he realized he had hit the girl. He got out of his car and started crying in the street.

That’s when Haghatta’s father stepped in. Although the man was concerned for his daughter, she wasn’t gravely injured and first responders were there. He knew the entire situation was an accident, and so he did the most compassionate and unexpected thing possible: he consoled the stranger in his own time of need.

In a video shared by

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A post shared by Good News Movement (@goodnews_movement)

“>Good News Movement, you can see the father walking up to the man and hugging him. He holds the man’s face in his hand and looks him right in the eye, appearing to tell him that things will be all right. 

When the driver falls to the ground on his knees in grief that father stays with him, continuing to console the devastated man. It’s a strong moment of kindness and empathy that is now inspiring the millions of others who have since seen the video.

Extending the goodwill

Haghatta’s injuries were bad enough that she needed to be hospitalized for a week, but she has since been released and is back at home. There, her father continues to be a shining example of the power of forgiveness, as he later invited the driver over to their house so that he could see that the 10-year-old is indeed okay now. 

At the end of the video are two photos, in which you can see the girl and the driver first sitting together on the couch and then hugging. They’re heartwarming snapshots that radiate relief and love, reminding us all that bad things can happen to anyone, but it’s how you deal with these situations and treat others that truly matters. 

People commented on the video in emotional ways:

So glad the little girl is recovering. It was so kind of the father to console and forgive the driver who was obviously distraught about the horrible and scary accident.

@my_path_to_enlightenment

“This is absolutely amazing! What an amazing man that father is. And I am so grateful, for the girl and her family, but also for the driver, that she is OK,” said another user @debbiech03.

Walking in someone else’s shoes

In that particular moment, no one could have consoled the stranger the way the father did, which is why the video is so powerful. How many of us would put aside our own feelings of anxiety, worry, and maybe even anger in a situation like that in order to help someone who caused a loved one harm- even if it was an accident? It takes a very strong person to be able to show that kind of love in such a potentially dire situation.

It’s a mighty reminder that you never really know how someone else is feeling or what they may be going through. So the next time someone is grumpy or appears to be taking something out on you, maybe try and put yourself in their shoes and invoke a little of this father’s kindness. Putting your own feelings and needs aside in order to show a struggling person a little compassion could just be a major turning point in that person’s life. 

More uplifting stories

lead with compassion

“Compassion is to look beyond your own pain, to see the pain of others.” – Yasmin Mogahed

https://www.goalcast.com/father-consoles-driver-who-hit-his-daughter-by-accident/

Dec 09
0

Teacher Goes Above And Beyond For All 50 Of Her Students Who Couldn’t Afford To Buy Christmas Gifts

By | christmas, Food for thought, kindness, stories, uplifting news

They say the holidays are all about giving, but Renee Dixon took it one step further last year when she inspired an entire community (and nation!) to come together and put the children first during the Christmas season. 

Putting the kids first

Dixon, the director of the Lynhurst Baptist Church Preschool in Indianapolis, wanted to ensure that all 50 of the children at her school had a memorable Christmas last year in the wake of the pandemic.

“So many of our families don’t have money to get Christmas presents this year. Some parents have lost their jobs, others have had their wages cut back,” Dixon told The Washington Post. “A lot of them already come from low-income families and are below the poverty line.”

So the then 47-year-old took on a second job with Uber and Lyft, driving until about 1 or 2 in the morning on weekdays, as well as for 12 hours on Saturdays and six hours on Sundays so that she could buy presents and winter gear for the kids.

I can’t rest. These kids need me.

Renee Dixon

Dixon revealed her inspiration to help others stems from her own childhood. Growing up with a single mom, her family didn’t have much. “Certain things I wanted her to get me, she couldn’t,” Dixon explained. “It hurt then, but now, as an adult, I understand.” 

Inspiring others to do the same

Last year wasn’t the first time the educator helped to give the children under her care a proper holiday, but with the pandemic hitting her community pretty hard (she herself lost three family members to coronavirus), Dixon ramped up her efforts. Her students ranged from 1 to 12 years old, plus many of them had siblings she didn’t want to feel left out.

Every time she pulled in $100 she headed straight to Target to purchase toys, games, dolls, and Lego sets, things her kids had expressed an interest in. The goal was to grab two gifts per child: one from the school and one from their parents or Santa. Dixon also put aside small bonuses for each member of her staff. Along the way, she shared her story with her passengers, some of whom began recording her. Before she knew it, she’d gone viral and many community members were eager to chip in, too. 

Some gave money, others started going with her to shop for the toys. According to People, Uber offered to match the money Dixon had pulled in (estimated around $2,500 at the time), and a local news station later reported that The Lego Corporation also sent along 100 toy sets and books for the kids after seeing the story.

“We’ve gotten a lot of phone calls from people in Indiana and the Indianapolis area, donating money, donating toys and someone saw our interview on TV, and The Washington Post called me,” Dixon told the outlet.

I’m like, ‘I’m not doing anything spectacular. I’m helping these kids, helping their parents. That’s something you’re supposed to do.’

Renee Dixon

An unexpected surprise

Dixon did this all to help others and expected nothing in return. In fact, she admitted to The Washington Post that she wasn’t buying presents for her own daughters because every last bit was going towards the kids. Her daughters didn’t mind one bit, and they even helped to pick out some of the presents.

“My mom has always had a love for children. She is always looking to help younger kids at this time of year,” Dixon’s 26-year-old daughter, Vemirah Johnson, explained. 

The story was so touching that when Pat Hurst, the general manager of a local Nissan dealership, heard about it, he decided to become Santa for a day too. And so he gifted Dixon a Nissan Armada with enough room for her kids and her grandchildren. 

I needed something in my life… So, like everybody else, I needed that little spark that there are people out there that still care. That lets you know that everything is going to be all right.

Renee Dixon to KENs-5 News

Driven to help

Dixon loves children, but her big heart has inspired so many others to give back, too. And considering what a hard year-and-a-half it’s been for so many during the pandemic, that kind of love is a much-needed, bright light for so many. 

“It’s really [taken] a load off,” mother-of-three April Eberly told The Washington Post. “The bills add up, and we would love the help this year. I am very appreciative that she is taking her time to work a second job.”

“One little boy came to me and he said, ‘Mrs. Renee, this the best Christmas I’ve ever had.’ I almost cried and I’m like, ‘There are going to be more good Christmases for you.’ He’s like, ‘No, this is the best Christmas I ever had,’” Dixon added to 13-WTHR.

While it’s not plausible for everyone out there to snag a second job in order to help others, this story does remind us that there are still many people out there who could use a little extra love- especially around the holiday season. So whether you grab a couple of extra toys to donate while shopping for your loved ones this season, stock up on pantry staples for the local food bank, or volunteer a few hours at a local charity of your choice, it won’t just make a difference in someone else’s life: it may also inspire others to do the same. 

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Spread love

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”- Maya Angelou

https://www.goalcast.com/renee-dixon-takes-second-job-so-all-50-students-can-have-a-merry-christmas/

Dec 02
0

Man Invites 89-Year-Old Bestie To Live With Him So She Doesn’t End Up In Nursing Home

By | caregiving, Food for thought, friendship, kindness, seniors, stories, uplifting news

To outsiders, actor Chris Salvatore, 31, and 89-year-old Norma Cook’s relationship may look strange. But the unlikely pair are actually best friends.

Their friendship started when Cook would wave to Salvatore when they were living in the same West Hollywood apartment complex, CTV News reported in the 2017 story.

An instant connection

One day, Cook tried to start a conversation with Salvatore, but he couldn’t make out what she was saying because of her asthma. So, he went inside and had a glass of champagne.

I just came in and she offered me a glass of champagne and we sat and chatted and we hit it off right away.

Chris Salvatore to CTV

Throughout the years, Cook offered the shoulder Salvatore would cry on when he went through a bad breakup.

“She would share her advice and her wisdom with me,” he said. “I was going through my own issues with the breakup and stuff and she snapped me right out of it.”

The two even made YouTube videos together and accumulated a decent following.

Taking care of one another

But Cook’s health deteriorated and doctors said she couldn’t continue to live on her own. Instead of allowing Cook to go to a nursing home- something she didn’t have money for in the first place- Salvatore launched a fundraiser so she could move in with him.

All in all, Salvatore raised more than $77,000 to take care of his best friend.

“Living alone I was lonely,” Salvatore told CTV. “It’s been really nice. We’re so close that we spend every waking moment together now.”

Salvatore said his friendship with Cook has been “life-changing,” and that it’s a lesson for everyone about the power of kindness.

I really do believe that kindness heals.

Chris Salvatore

“I hope it inspires people to go out there and be kind to one another and show up for people who need help,” he added.

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Respect our elders

In North America, we so often leave our elderly alone in the twilight of their life- something that has sadly been emphasized during the coronavirus pandemic.

What Salvatore did was an extraordinary level of kindness, and it’s certainly too much to ask that everyone will invite their elderly neighbors to live with them. Although Norma Cook sadly passed away in 2017, Chris’ story proves the importance of being kind to the elderly and treating them with the level of care we hope to receive at that age.

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Kindness heals

Even a small act of kindness can change a person’s life in a big way.

https://www.goalcast.com/chris-salvatore-takes-in-89-year-old-neighbour-and-best-friend/

Nov 27
0

Uber Driver Has The Best Response To Lonely Passenger’s Touching Story

By | Food for thought, generosity, inspiring, kindness, stories, strangers doing good, uplifting news

On Monday night, Lina was traveling back home by Uber. On the way, she struck a conversation with the driver that seemed innocent at that moment.

She told him about how she had been feeling homesick recently and missed eating Bengali food as her family lives in Sudan.

She went on to say that because of the lack of communication from her loved ones, she felt extremely lonely in London.

A casual conversation

When Lina mentioned that she had been surviving on canteen food at work and hadn’t cooked food at home in weeks, the cab driver drove towards his house mid-journey and asked his wife to fix a plate of curry for his passenger.

While other drivers would have continued the conversation out of politeness, this particular Uber driver went above and beyond to comfort his passenger.

It’s the generosity of communion that holds us together. He even offered me rice as well, but I was like, no, please I have rice, this is too much.

Lina via her Twitter

A heartwarming gesture

The driver, however, insisted on grabbing some fresh home-cooked food for her to enjoy. The detour wasn’t planned, but after hearing Lina’s story, the cab driver felt the need to show her that there are people who cared for her.

He gave her a box of Murgir Lal Jhol, a Bengali chicken curry to take with her. The kind gesture shown to her by the Uber driver touched her heart so much so that she immediately took to Twitter to share her feelings of gratitude.

Generosity in times of isolation

In times of loneliness and isolation, an act of kindness such as the one the thoughtful Uber driver performed is precious. The feeling of having someone care for you, even if it is momentarily, will forever be remembered. This story shows that there are no boundaries for kindness and that you can make a person smile and make their day even by being a stranger. Sometimes an honest conversation can bring unexpected blessings into others’ lives. 

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Kindness Lasts Forever

Even a small act of kindness can have a lasting impact.

https://www.goalcast.com/uber-driver-act-of-kindness-towards-lonely-passenger/