Make A Difference Project

Happy Feel Good Friday! Check out this week’s top three feel-good stories to find out why it doesn’t have to cost a penny to be a good person.

Public Service

Via Huffington Post

During her shift one day, Milwaukee bus driver Natalie Barnes started talking with a passenger, Richard, who told her he had been homeless for the past week. She agreed to let him ride the bus for the night to avoid the cold, even stopping at one point to offer him a bite to eat. On top of these kind gestures, Natalie later reached out to a friend to help get Richard into a temporary shelter. Her kind gestures did not stop with Richard; Natalie also regularly takes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the bus to share with people in need. Natalie was praised by Milwaukee County Executive, Chris Abele, in a ceremony last week. We should all strive to be like Natalie, helping those who cannot help themselves.

Man on Duty

Via ABC Action News

 A young woman in Utah came into the West Jordan Police Department with her three young children, looking to file a domestic violence report. The process can take hours, as victims will need to fill out paperwork and speak with a victim advocate. Seeing that the woman was in obvious distress, Officer Lofgran stepped in to help. Officer Lofgran watched the woman’s children while she filed her report, spending hours on call helping to make sure she got the help she needed without distraction. It sounds to us like this was just the guy she needed in that exact moment. Thank you for your service and your kindness, officer.

Honoring a Hero

Via Fox 6

This past Tuesday, hundreds of people stood out in the cold in Omaha, Nebraska to honor Vietnam veteran Stanley Stoltz, who passed away last week, even though most of them had never even met this man. Stanley’s funeral notice was posted in the Omaha World Herald, stating the 73-year-old war hero had no known living family members and invited anybody who would like to attend to the burial. An estimated 1,500 people showed up to show their respect for this fallen hero.

When given the choice, always do good, be good, and see the good. We hope these stories have helped to inspire you and lead you down the path to make a difference.

We hope you all had a beautiful Thanksgiving with friends and family. Just because the holiday is over doesn’t mean it’s time to stop giving, here are a few ways you can help out locally this week.

 

Thropic Fundraiser

Tuesday, November 27^th 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm

Towne Stove & Spirits

900 Boylston St, Boston

Join Thropic on #GivingTuesday to raise money for Ben Speaks. Ben Speaks is a local non-profit that provides positive channels of expression to deal with mental health. This event includes an open bar, DJ entertainment, a 50/50 raffle and much more! Click here for more info.

 

Making Change Happen Breakfast

Friday, November 30^th 7:30 am – 9:00 am

WilmerHale

60 State Street, Boston

Hyde Square Task Force will be hosting their annual Making Change Happen Breakfast to support their mission to amplify the power, creativity, and voices of youth, connecting them to Afro-Latin culture. All proceeds from the Making Change Happen Breakfast will go to support their work with children, youth, and college students through Afro-Latin arts, education, and civic engagement programming. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

Children of Promise Gala

Saturday, November 30^th 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm

InterContinental Boston

510 Atlantic Ave, Boston

Join The New England Center for Children for an evening of stories, inspiration, dancing and more with emcee Billy Costa of Kiss 108! The New England Center for Children is more than a school, they are an autism research institute helping children with autism live more independent lives. All proceeds from the Gala fund research to help thousands of children with autism live fulfilling, independent lives. For more information, click here.

 

Philanthropy On The Field

Saturday, December 1^st 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

Fenway Park

4 Yawkey Way, Boston

Join Doris Buffett’s Learning by Giving Foundation (LxG) and over 250 of Boston’s young professionals for the city’s first large-scale, one-day philanthropy event at Fenway Park. Throughout the event, participants will learn how they can use their time, treasure, and talent to support nonprofits in Boston. For more information, click here.

 

45th Annual Holiday Fair

Saturday, December 1^st 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Gateway Arts

62 Harvard Street, Brookline

Gateway Arts, a nonprofit studio art center for adults with disabilities, will hold its 45th annual Holiday Fair this Saturday. Shopping at Gateway is shopping with a mission — 50% of all original artwork and product sale proceeds are paid to the artist as commission. Each purchase directly supports professional careers in art for adults with disabilities. For more information, click here.

We hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving feasts with family and friends! Now that we’re all stuffed, let’s carry these blessings into the weekend with these feel-good stories!

Turkey for All

Via WHDH

We all remember Carlos Arredondo as the cowboy hat-wearing hero from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, but he and his family are not done making a difference quite yet. This past Sunday, the Arredondo family spent the day delivering turkeys to veterans and their families across the state. The foundation was started by Carlos and Melida Arredondo in 2015 and has been helping military families ever since. This year they’ve teamed up with Herb Chambers in Sharon to donate meals to people in need for their fourth annual turkey giveaway. Did you know Herb Chambers also donates a turkey to every employee each year before Thanksgiving? And this year, over 200 of those employees donated their turkey to the Arredondo Foundation. How beautiful is the season of giving?

Emotional Support Sit-Out

Via WCVB

Christina Pozsonyi and Rachel Perrault, two security guards at St. Catharines hospital in Ontario, decided to spend their Monday night camped out on a bridge. They hosted the 12-hour overnight “sit out” at a location where two people had jumped over the past several weeks, in hopes of preventing future attempts. They wanted any other potential jumpers to know they had somebody to talk to, somebody to sit with them and keep them company. The pair also decided to write words of support and love on the bridge for those who are dealing with a mental illness.

Community Cooking

Via Washington Post

 Scott Macaulay of Melrose, MA has been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for strangers for the past 33 years. Back in 1985, when his parents divorced, Scott didn’t want to spend his Thanksgiving alone so he put out an ad in the local paper asking 12 people to join him for dinner. Figuring there must be others in a similar situation; he bought everything and cooked the Thanksgiving dinner at his local church. Since then, he has made his Thanksgiving dinner an annual event, inviting anybody who would like the company to call and make a reservation for dinner. Scott says it’s not about the food, it’s about being together. Nobody wants to eat Thanksgiving dinner alone.

We hope you all have a beautiful weekend and never forgot how blessed you are. Every day is a chance to be thankful.

This week is all about being grateful for life’s blessings. If you’re looking to help out those that may not be as fortunate, here are a few opportunities to give back to your local community this week.

 

Make Your Holiday Season More Meaningful at the Celebration of Life

Tuesday, November 20th 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Hynes Convention Center

900 Boylston St, Boston

For more than 30 years, Victory Program’s “Celebration of Life” has been free for people living with HIV/AIDS. Attendees are encouraged to bring up to two loved ones to enjoy a sit-down, family-style Thanksgiving dinner, live entertainment, a community resource fair, and more. In addition to giving guests an important opportunity to catch up with old friends and celebrate the holidays, Celebration of Life is also the biggest fundraiser of the year to support important services at the Boston Living Center. For more information and to register, click here.

 

Night Before Thanksgiving Donation Yoga

Wednesday, November 21 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM

The Phoenix Room

19 Inn St, Newburyport

Join Sarah Oleson for Thanksgiving-Eve Yoga! Sarah will lead you through a slow flow vinyasa yoga practice, to bow to all that we are thankful for. The practice will end with a sound healing meditation to peacefully guide you into your Holiday. After class, enjoy a Thanksgiving treat from The Juicery! Part of the proceeds of this event will go to Our Neighbor’s Table. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

Boston Volvo Thanksgiving Day 5K

Thursday, November 22nd 9:00 am to 11:30 am

Boston Volvo Village

75 North Beacon Street, Brighton

The Boston Volvo Thanksgiving Day 5K presented locally by Boston Volvo Village is a 5K run for everyone! Come be a part of this awesome event and help change the world for people with MS. For more information, click here.

 

Mistletoe Ball 2018

Saturday, November 24th 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Fairmont Copley Plaza, Boston

138 Saint James Avenue, Boston

The Hellenic Women’s Club engages in wide-reaching philanthropic endeavors while promoting Hellenic ideals, culture, and community in New England. The Mistletoe Ball is their premier fundraising event. Join them for a memorable night of cocktails and music by Eye 2 Eye and Orfeas. For more information, click here.

 

Cycle for a Cause with Rev’d Burlington

Saturday, November 24th 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Rev’d Indoor Cycling

80 Burlington Mall Road, Burlington

Join REVD cycling in Burlington for a post-Thanksgiving sweat. Instructor Alyssa Pantozzi will lead you through a 45-minute ride, all to benefit The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation! For more information and to reserve your bike, click here.

It’s Friday AND we have a short week next week? As if we need anything else to be thankful for, here are our top three feel-good stories of the week.

Long Lost Love Letters

Via Boston 25 News

A few weeks ago, Dan Heater bought a box of items at Grumpy Jerry’s Flea Market in Marion County, Florida. Inside this box of knickknacks, he found about 60 letters. As he began to open the letters he realized they were written during the Korean War and include dozens of letters from a soldier to his wife. Dan is now determined to find the man’s family. The letters are addressed from Warren Holly to Jean Holly. What do you think, can we help this guy out? Here’s our chance to help him make a difference!

Always Trust Your Instincts

Via CBS News

Nancy Abell could not ignore her maternal instincts when she encountered a young woman, Katharina Groene, along the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington State. Katharina mentioned in passing that she planned to hike alone up to the Canadian border. Nancy tried to talk her out of it but she was determined. Over the next few nights, Nancy could not get the girl out of her mind. She grew so worried that she decided to call 911 and report the hiker as missing. Sure enough, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s department found Katharina, frostbitten and with about a day to live. Always trust your instincts!

Into the Flames

Via Yahoo

While most people were driving away from the deadly fires in California, Allyn Pierce was driving directly into them. Allyn manages the Intensive Care Unit at the Feather River Hospital in Paradise, California. After his own home was destroyed, he drove through the fires, melting his beloved Toyota Tundra, to set up a makeshift treatment center on the grounds of the hospital. Here Allyn and his colleagues have since treated 25 people. Toyota has since offered to replace his truck, free of charge.

It’s been a tough week, and our thoughts are with all of the people in California. We hope these stories send you into the weekend with love and gratitude.

The season of giving is right around the corner. If you’re looking to get a head start on your good deeds, here are a few local happenings to get involved in!

 

Joe Andruzzi Foundation Looks to the Future at 11th Annual Gala

Thursday, November 15th 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Gillette Stadium’s Putnam Club West

1 Patriot Place, Foxboro

Join the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF) for their 11th Annual Gala this Thursday. This annual event is crucial in raising funds for the JAF mission, which is to alleviate the financial burden on cancer patients and their families throughout New England by assisting them with non-medical bills such as rent/mortgage payments, utilities, and other household expenses. The gala also provides an opportunity for the Foundation to pay special tribute to those who have provided key support of JAF over the past years. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

FamilyAid Boston’s Home for the Holidays Celebration

Thursday, November 15th 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Boston Exchange Conference Center

212 Northern Ave, Boston

Home for the Holidays celebrates FamilyAid Boston’s work empowering parents and caregivers facing homelessness, honors the champions who have shown a commitment to ending family homelessness in Greater Boston, and raises critical funds to continue this necessary work. For more information, click here.

 

School on Wheels of Massachusetts Open the Door Gala

Thursday, November 15th 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Venezia Restaurant

20 Ericsson Street, Boston

The Open the Door Gala, hosted by Billy Costa (KISS 108), is to honor those who support the educational needs of children and teens in Massachusetts impacted by homelessness. For more information, click here.

 

IMPACT Melanoma’s Annual Shades of Hope Gala

Friday, November 16th 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Four Seasons Hotel Boston

200 Boylston Street, Boston

IMPACT Melanoma, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to working to reduce the incidence of melanoma, is hosting their annual Shades of Hope Gala to help raise funds for the organization’s educational awareness programs and initiatives. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

Annual Gear Up for Winter Un-Gala with Cradles to Crayons

Saturday, November 17th  11:00 am to 2:00 pm

The Giving Factory

155 North Beacon St, Brighton

Cradles to Crayons’ Annual Un-Gala is a special holiday tradition that highlights their Gear Up for Winter initiative in a festive day of hands-on service. Families with children and corporate representatives work side by side during this unique celebration that combines philanthropy with volunteer engagement on behalf of children in need. The event features mascots from your favorite Boston sports teams, kid-friendly activities and entertainment, a special volunteer shift, a delicious meal, and an impact presentation. For more information, click here.