Make A Difference Project

Happy Make a Difference Monday! Here are five great events to support around town this week:

Benefit film screening presented by Belmont World Film: A SEASON IN FRANCE

Monday, June 25

7:30 pm to 10:00 pm

Studio Cinema

376 Trapelo Road, Belmont MA

In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20th, Belmont World Film presents the East Coast premiere of A Season in France by Chadian-born film director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. Partial proceeds benefit the Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC), which provides services such as refugee resettlement, asylee case management, counseling, outreach, and education to immigrants and refugees in Greater Boston. For more information and to buy tickets, click here.

Canines & Cocktails with NBC10’s Natasha Verma

Tuesday, June 26

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

TAMO Bistro & Bar

1 Seaport Lane, Boston MA

The kick-off of Canines and Cocktails will take place at The Seaport Hotel and be hosted by NBC10’s Natasha Verma and her precious pups, Duchess and Diesel. It will be a fun night on TAMO Terrace to benefit the Great Dog Rescue New England (GDRNE). The Seaport’s Executive Chef Richard Rayment will serve up his homemade organic dog treats, special “doggie bags” with treats will be available to take home, and there will be plenty of water on hand for the pups. For their human companions, a chance to relax and socialize over a cocktail with fellow doggie devotees, as well as the opportunity to enter to win exciting raffle items, such as an overnight stay at the Seaport Hotel or dinner for two at TAMO Bistro & Bar! Tickets are a $10 donation to GDRNE. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Friends of Rosie’s Place Summer Wine Tasting Event

Tuesday, June 26

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Urban Grape

303 Columbus Avenue, Boston MA

This fun event will feature a selection of wines crafted by talented women winemakers. It’s a great way to develop your palate while meeting other young professionals and learning about the critical work of Rosie’s Place-the first women’s shelter in the United States. To purchase your tickets, click here.

Tickets are $40 and include a guided wine tasting by Urban Grape, light hors-d’oeuvres and a complimentary entry into a raffle for fun prizes.

25th Annual Buzzards Bay Swim

Saturday, June 30

6:00 am to 10:00 am

The Edge Seafood & Lounge

E Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford MA

Just 50 miles south of Boston, the Buzzards Bay Swim features a one-of-a-kind scenic point-to-point course across outer New Bedford Harbor. Assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard and a local safety patrol, swimmers navigate 1.2 miles through the harbor and channel, passing by the iconic Butler Flats Lighthouse and the New Bedford Hurricane Barrier, one of the largest stone structures on the East Coast. At the thrilling finish, swimmers are welcomed with a beach party featuring a live steel drum band, pancakes cooked to order, gourmet coffee, free massages, and local beer! For more information or to register, click here.

WOOFstock Boston 2018

Saturday, June 30

12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Harvard Athletic Complex

145 N Harvard Street, Boston MA

Hate leaving your pup at home when you’re headed out for drinks? Well, you don’t have to! WOOFstock is a dog-friendly afternoon filled with cocktails, canines, live music and more! All bar proceeds benefit Last Hope K9 Rescue. For more information, click here.

It’s finally summer and what better way to celebrate than with some feel-good stories?

Sportsmanship

Via Buzzfeed 

During the Egypt vs. Uruguay game of the World Cup, Mexican and Colombian fans noticed a disabled Egyptian fan who was unable to watch the game. They lifted him up, wheelchair and all, so he could see the screen at the FIFA fan zone in Moscow. Many fans have reported similar acts of kindness taking place at this year’s World Cup.

World Cup Clean Up

Via Today

This past Tuesday, Japan may have defeated Columbia in their World Cup soccer game, but that isn’t what they are being celebrated for. After the game, Japanese soccer fans received praise for taking the time to clean up after themselves. They combed the aisles for garbage to throw into blue trash bags they had brought themselves. Senegal’s fans followed suit and were also seen picking up after themselves after celebrating their win in a later game.

No One Gets Left Behind

Via CBS

Helma Wardenaar is a teacher from Chicago, Illinois. When her school planned a three-day camping trip, she learned that 10-year-old Maggie Vazquez would be unable to attend due to her cerebral palsy. School officials feared that neither the walker nor a wheelchair would be able to get her through the hike. Wardenaar would not allow this. She decided the best option would be to purchase a child carrier and carry the little girl on her back. She carried Vazquez for about two hours each day of the trip, as they went on hikes, explored the forest and did many activities.

Enjoy your first weekend of summer, and use the warm weather as a reason to get out more and make a difference!

It’s Friday and you know what that means! Here is your weekly dose of feel-good stories to lift your spirits as you head into the weekend.

Teddy Bears with a Purpose

Via 7 News Boston

First, we have the story of ‘Teddy Bears with a Purpose.’ Teddy Bears with a Purpose is a drive started by a South Boston family to collect stuffed animals and donate them to EMS workers to use when working with children. The idea came after the couple’s 3-year-old son, Hunter, started having seizures and a paramedic brought him a teddy bear in the hospital. Ambulances and hospitals can be overwhelming and scary for kids, but these stuffed animals provide them with a small comfort that can make a big difference. In the past three weeks, the family has collected just about 6,000 stuffed animals, enough to fill the ambulance that came to pick them up!

An Unforgettable Ride

Via CBS Boston 

Sean Beckman had an unforgettable ride to class this week in Northbridge, MA. Beckman, who lives with Down Syndrome, is a beloved student, band member, and friend to all at his high school. On Tuesday morning he received a personal escort to school by Northbridge Police and Fire and was met by a crowd of cheering friends and faculty members. Beckman had won the ride in a raffle at an event that students had organized as a night of inclusion and fun for all. For the student who puts a smile on everybody’s face, his peers were beyond happy to put one on his.

Tyler’s Doughnuts

Via Today

Meet 5th grader Tyler Carach. Tyler has delivered more than 65,000 doughnuts to police officers in 31 states. Two summers ago Tyler was at a local store when he saw a few police officers and offered to use his allowance to purchase doughnuts for them. They were so thankful for his kind gesture; he decided he wanted to thank every police officer in America. He now uses every school break and vacation to complete his goal!

Until next week, keep up the good work and keep making a difference!

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For Make a Difference Monday this week, we wanted to showcase an innovative project from a common household brand that shares our vision of spreading good news and happiness.

Mrs. Meyer’s, a company known for creating environmentally-friendly cleaning products, wanted to help children learn the importance of planting seeds of kindness wherever they go. Working with a team of horticulturists, they created a new hybrid called the Compassion Flower.

A hybrid of a Pansy and a Spreading Viola, the Compassion Flower represents the essence of empathy.  The word Pansy is derived from the French word “penser,” which means ‘to think of’ or ‘to consider.’ It was combined with the Spreading Viola, a flower that naturally spreads its seeds across a significant distance, to represent how one small act of kindness can inspire something much bigger. Like growing a flower, kindness requires thought and compassion for another living being. But with dedication and patience, it will flourish and spread.

The company has started encouraging children to plant the Compassion Flower in hopes that they will understand how kindness can be nurtured and grown if time and effort are put forth.  So far, Mrs. Meyers has shared over 250,000 seeds and successfully planted over 5,000 flowers. To learn more about this incredible project, visit: https://www.mrsmeyers.com/our-story/compassion-flower/

Another week has flown by so why not take a pause for a little pick-me-up? Here are your top three feel-good stories of the week.

Stepping Up

Via Fox News

When Gloria Garza graduated from Southwest High School in San Antonio, Texas, the only thing missing was her father, former deputy with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Jesus “Jesse” Garza who had died in the line of duty when she was just three years old. However, his patrol unit made sure she would not be attending alone. Deputies with the Sheriff’s Office escorted Garza to her graduation. She was escorted by a patrol unit and walked in arm-in-arm with Sheriff Javier Salazar. “I know Jesse would be doing this himself absolutely if he could right now. Being that he can’t be with us, he’s got 1,500 brothers and sisters that are willing to do it for him,” said Sheriff Salazar.

A Serendipitous Meeting

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Via CBS New York 

It was a normal day for New Jersey State Trooper, Michael Patterson when he stopped Matthew Bailly in Kingwood Township for driving with tinted windows. Bailly mentioned that he was a retired Piscataway cop; which was Patterson’s hometown. When Patterson mentioned the street he grew up on, the retired cop told him he was familiar with it and that he had delivered a baby on that street 27 years ago. It was in this moment Patterson realized he had just pulled over the retired police officer who delivered him when he was born. Talk about a coincidence! Needless to say, he let him off with a warning.

Keeping Calm

Via Fox News

Captain Chris Blazek, of the Chattanooga Fire Department, was called to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on State Route 58. When he arrived, he found three young children and their pregnant mother in the car. The two older children were fine, but the 1-year-old was visibly very upset. After he examined her and made sure she was ok, he asked the mother if he could remove her from the car seat. The young girl immediately laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep. Captain Blazek stayed with the little girl until family arrived to take the children home. He said it’s moments like this that remind him why he does the job.

There you have it, another beautiful week full of reminders that there is still so much good in the world. We hope you enjoy the weekend and continue to pay it forward wherever you can!