Kimberly Becker of Labyrinth Consultants, Inc. is from Ft. Myers, Florida and she had asked me how she and her coworkers could bring “Be Kind to Humankind Week” into their area to help with the many wonderful things that their organization does to help others. This year they would specifically like to help collect food and other needed goods for the folks at Community Cooperative Ministries Incorporated (CCMI).

CCMI is the umbrella agency that serves multiple organizations in downtown Fort Myers, including The Soup Kitchen, Meals on Wheels and Faith in Action. Labyrinth Consultants will have a number of locations to drop off items during the week. Canned goods, non-perishable foods, toiletries, and monetary donations are all accepted.

Links:

Labyrinth Consultants
CCMI

Downloads:

Press Release for the event
Download the Event Poster - PDF | JPG
Download the Event Flyer - PDF | JPG

Note:

Poster and Flyer Design by: Bryan Chaikin
bryan@dofgdesign.com

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Kim and Labyrinth Consultants, Inc., you guys are awesome! We wish you luck with your week!

Drop Off Locations and Events in SW Florida

Below is an idea submitted by Tiffany Wright:

My husband and I have been trying something new for a couple of years now. On our birthdays, we make a point to do something for someone else. We have tried to break the tradition of celebrating this day as our own. Instead we try to recognize the world around us and give back as a celebration of life. There are little things we do from making a small donation to the causes we believe in to being extra nice to strangers on the street this day. As new parents to be we will be starting this tradition in our new family and wanted to pass it on to others that may also agree its a good idea.

Peace and Love from Los Angeles, California!

Listen to “Aquarius - Let the Sunshine In” by The Fifth Dimension

New picture inside

This is an update to The Gary Family Goes to Guatemala Part 1

The Gary family and the other team members recently returned from a week-long mission trip to San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. Here is a follow-up of some of the things they experienced, written by Shelli Gary.

“San Juan Sacatepéquez is a beautiful town located in the Guatemalan highlands. There is a town center where daily open markets take place, selling fruits and vegetables, fabric and beautiful flowers that are grown throughout the city. It was interesting to see the hustle and bustle of commerce taking place with the amazingly colorful background of the local Mayan clothing and culture.

We stayed at a church located right in town. Pastor Santos, his family and the people were so welcoming and showed us so much love and hospitality. The genuine affection we were given was heart touching. It is something I will never forget.

Continue reading this post…

On June 14, a team of nine from Connexions Church in Dexter, MI, will be headed to San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala on a mission trip to serve the needs of the people in the community. Among the team will be the Gary Family, who will be returning to Guatemala for their second time in less than a year.

“Last year we were in the Mayan Highlands in Santa Apolonia. The town was beautiful, and full of the traditional Mayan culture, that has not changed much over the years. The women and young girls still wear the traditional Mayan Huipals and Cortes (hand woven and multi-colored tops and wrap skirts). We served in a church by hosting a children’s fair and Vacation Bible School for more than 250 children! But, it was the Mayan people who captured our hearts and we fell in love with them. The Mayans are very warm and beautiful people, and very family oriented. It is not uncommon to see older siblings carrying their younger brothers and sisters around on their hip, or grandfathers carrying their grandchildren around on their shoulders. The family unit is very strong in the Mayan culture. But we also witnessed much need. There is great need for health education and medical and dental services, and the illiteracy rate is 64%, one of the highest in Central America.

Listen to “Get Together” by The Youngbloods

Continue reading this post…

A BIG THANK YOU to Meijer Department Store in Scio Twp. Michigan….

The Meijer Department Store on Jackson Road in Scio Township was once again super generous by donating a $250.00 gift card to the Ann Arbor, Robert J. Delonis Homeless Shelter!!! This is the 2nd year in a row that Meijer has been so wonderful!!! The money which they donated will help so many people! Please do not forget your home towns homeless shelters. Donations are always appreciated!!! Thank You again and Merry Christmas!!!

Photo : Jeffrey D. Allred of Deseret Morning News

Below is an email sent to HappyNews by one of its readers.

Hello Happy News, I love your site.

I wanted to let you know about a special little girl named Taylor and her dad, who’s biking across the country to help save her life. It would mean a lot if you could help spread the word about Taylor, her Dad, and their cause. Taylor’s story is below, and you can learn more about Taylor, her dad, and the other childeren and dads at www.loneliestroad.org.

Taylor is a vibrant, blue-eyed, funny two-year old girl who loves to dance, loves princesses, and loves playing with her older brothers. Taylor has a devastating pediatric cancer called Neuroblastoma. She is stage 4-High Risk. She has been incredibly strong in her fight against this disease, enduring 7 rounds of chemo before age two. She is now being treated at Sloan Kettering in NYC because the local doctors have done all they can with their resources.

In New York, there is a new treatment against the disease that could be manufactured, but the funding is currently unavailable. The survival rate for high-risk neuroblastoma is a grim 30% with a 50% relapse rate. This new treatment gives much hope to the families being treated there, but they needed to come up with a way to fund it. Taylor’s dad, along with other dads have taken it upon themselves to raise the funds. On Monday, September 10th they began the long trek across our country on their bicycles in a campaign they are calling “The Loneliest Road.” They will travel mostly along US Rte. 50, against the elements, and fatigue. It is an echo of what their children are going through each and every day. They hope to raise much needed awareness for this devastating and often “silent” cancer, as well as raise the funds for the new treatment.

Thanks for your time, I appreciate any help you can provided.

Sincerely,
Michael Waisley
Ashburn, VA

Visit The Loneliest Road.

Related Articles:
http://www.deseretnews.com
http://www.thekansascitychannel.com
http://www.mmdnewswire.com

Below is a small article written by our friend Tiffany Wright:

My husband and I like to try out different places to live. In the past five years we have been promoting random acts of kindness in three different states, Illinois, Arizona and California. We have seen the difference of living in a city to the extreme of living in the desert. What we have learned is, across America, one thing is the same - We need to make this land the best it can be by acknowledging your neighbor and speaking kind words. By promoting peace in our communities, by doing little things like holding the door open for the person behind you. By saying please and thank you, by letting someone go in front of you, by putting others first.

One major issue that America struggles with all over is homelessness. Lend a hand out to the homeless people in your city. You can literally go on the streets and hand out food, make eye contact, they are humans and need to know humankind does care. If you’re more comfortable, go to a homeless shelter and speak to the director that can give you recommendations on how you can help.

In your day to day life at work, try extra hard to smile every chance you get. Remember the names of the people you see if you work in customer service. Create a peaceful environment around you to promote kind acts in your community. We all have the power within us to unite as humankind and create a peaceful world to live amongst each other and for our children to grow old in…

We’re not perfect, and we’ll never have a perfect day. But, we can try!

When I was 27, my life as I knew it was stripped away from me. I went from being a totally healthy, active, vivacious young woman to being completely bedridden all in one day. Doctor after doctor were puzzled by my strange symptoms, which were numerous and debilitating.

It took eight months for me to be diagnosed with Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. It took a year for me to be able to work again, and then it was only a part time, sit-down job. A ridiculously high heart rate and bottoming out blood pressure left me out of breath and seeing-stars-dizzy whenever I stood up for any length of time. I was lucky though; some people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome are wheel chair bound and can’t stand up at all.

It has now been eight years since I was originally diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, an often unheard of disorder characterized by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the body that is involved in the control of automatic functions such as breathing, temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. I have healed greatly in the last eight years, and I know that I am blessed to be able to go for walks or just stand up to hug my husband and son when they come in the door. I feel as if I’ve been given a second lease on life, and I’ve spent the last four years running a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping others who have been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Because the disorder is not well known, funding is in short supply. If there is anyone out there who can help me, I’d greatly appreciate it. Donations are tax deductible and can be made online at www.dinet.org or mailed to:

DINET
PO Box 55
Brooklyn, MI 49230

Thank you,
Michelle Sawicki

Meijer Department Store here in Ann Arbor Michigan was gracious and generous enough to award “Be Kind to Humankind Week” a $250.00 Gift Certificate to be spent for items needed at the Robert J. Delonis Center for the Homeless, Washtenaw County!!! Debbie Locke-Daniel, Executive Director of the Ypsilanti Area Convention and Visitors Bureau went on a fabulous shopping spree with the gift certificate in hand and purchased a wide variety of wonderfully warm and cozy outer wear for the homeless.

It was a great day and a very rewarding one too! Debbie spent $250.09, almost to the penny of the gift certificate!! What a terrific job Debbie! There certainly are going to be a lot of very warm folks out there this winter thanks to your help!!!

Click here to view more pictures!

With Kindest Regards,
Lorraine Jara/Promoter

What a Merry Christmas it will be for all of the children at “The Foote Care Center” in Jackson, Michigan. This hospital administers its services to the care of both adults and children in all aspects of healthcare, and the pediatric unit was thrilled to hear the news that they would be receiving home-made Christmas cards from children as far away as Los Angeles California, Louisiana, and Hawaii!!! BK2HK also included a box of chocolates for the nurses!

These wonderful cards put a BIG smile on my face, and I know they will do the same for these hospitalized children! A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all who participated in this “KIND ACTS IN ACTION“…they are as follows: Girl Scout Troop 748 in Los Angeles, California. Misty Broussard from Columbia, Louisiana. And our friends @ Pahio Resort in Princeville Kauai, Hawaii!!! Also, a BIG thank you to doonenicething.com and Debbie Tenzer for her thoughtfulness!! Happy Holidays to you all!!

View photos of the cards

Photos of The Delonis Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Dexter Senior Center in Dexter, MI was kind enough to offer to collect “Wish List Items” for the Homeless Shelter in Ann Arbor. There are plenty of items that are needed. We want to thank all of those involved at the Senior Center for their generous contributions to the shelter!!!

We applaud your kindness Valerie, Director Senior Center. Thank You!

At an inner city soup kitchen, a young woman was serving meals to guests. It was her very first day and she was nervous and unsure of how to behave around the poor, the indigent, the homeless people she had never seen before. As one man was moving past her, she noticed that he had missed his bread portion. She reached out and touched his arm. When he turned, the young woman saw that he was crying. Concerned, she asked if she had hurt him. The man replied, “No, you are the first person who has touched me in more than two years.” - Valerie

“Every time I deliver a meal to her, I give her a hug. I know sometimes it’s the only human touch she’ll get that day.” - Meals on Wheels Volunteer, Dexter MI

View the Wish List
Download the Wish List Word Document.

Please send all donations to the following address:
Robert J. Delonis Center 312 W. Huron, Ann Arbor, MI
To find out more about the shelter go to the Ann Arbor Shelter.

Listen to “Reach Out I’ll Be There” by The Four Tops.

This Kind Act is a project in which the clientele at the Senior Center in Dexter Michigan put together packets of much needed mini-sewing supplies for Ann Arbors local homeless shelter! I was pleasantly surprised to see what they had done for the shelter. While volunteering at the homeless shelter, I noticed that sewing kits were one of many much sought after items. I mentioned this by chance to the Senior Centers Director Valerie, and lo and behold she led a project with the seniors to put together these great sewing kits!

Thank You Valerie and all of those at the center for your thoughtfulness!

View pictures of the sewing kits: One | Two