1/29/96    This Fall I was in a comunity Christmas pageant. This pageant was to raise money for the Habitat for Humanity foundation.  This play consisted of children of all ages and even a few adults. We all worked real hard to memorize are lines and put on a great prefromance. We had two shows.  Together we made about 3,000 dollars and gave all of this money to a family. This Christmas they had Christmas dinner in a new house. A house we gave to them!

1/20/96    I recently received a check for some back payments of my social security disability.  We had waited for nearly 1 1/2 years to receive this payment.  We had endured managing to keep our home with the assistance of my wife's parents.  After hearing a plea from a local woman (Bea Gaddy) for food for the homeless, we put together several boxes and bags of clothes including some winter coats and took them to Ms Gaddy.  While I was looking for the home of Ms Gaddy, I was approached by a young woman who asked me to read a note which explained that she was asking for a donation for her niece's family for funeral expenses.  The note indicated the young woman's niece had been caught in the cross fire of several drug pushers, and the niece had been shot on Dec 26, 1995.  She was hospitalized at John's Hopkins Hospital but had passed away on the 12th of January.  Social services had given the family $600 dollars for funeral expenses, but they were left with a bill of over $500.  The young woman had a list of contributors with the amounts listed, most of which were but a few dollars each.  I gave the young woman $20.00 anonymously.  She told me the way to Ms. Gaddy's home where I left the cloths and $200.00 for food for the homeless.

1/19/96    I was driving off the exit ramp from the interstate when I saw a man with one of those "Homeless and Hungry" signs.  He really looked hungry.  I didn't have any money, but I did have some leftover pound cake that my grandmother had brought over for lunch.  So I rolled down the window and gave it to him.  I guess he really was hungry, because he turned around, sat down on his suitcase and ate it right there.

1/15/96    I took a phone call the day before yesterday. It turned out to be a friend of mine. She was crying for her boyfriend had left her that day.  She also had her wallet stolen.  Shocked, she stumbled from the boardwalk and trashed her face on the street.  The doctor said there will remain some scars.  I invited her to have a cup of coffee with me. She felt better then.

1/13/96    Last week I told a schoolmate of mine that she should buy me some candy, as my new-years resolution was not to buy candy. I did this with a smile on my face and laughed a bit afterwards. Why should she buy candy for me with her own money?  I went on to my locker, never thinking of it again, but in class she gave me a liqourice bar. Wasn't that nice?

1/13/96    I gave some bum the crust of my old peanut sandwich.

1/9/96    One afternoon during the summer, my friends and I went swimming in a local river, among the fishermen.  About two hours after I got home I recieved a phone call. It turns out I had left my wallet on a rock by the river, and a fisherman who had seen us swimming found it.  He ended up waiting two more hours, until I could find a ride, before I could pick it up.  When I got there, he was still there waiting in the dark with his family for me to show up.  I recieved my wallet and the fifty dollars that was in it. And he just told me to do something kind for someone else in the future.

1/7/95    I offered to help carry an old womens bag to the car.  It was rewarding, because she showed trust in me.  She gave me her car keys to put the bag in.

1/6/95    I'm a 15 year old girl who enjoys SHOPPING!  One day when exiting the mall I saw an elderly woman struggling with her bags of groceries.  I then went to her and asked if I may help her with her packages.  She was delighted to see that I took the time to help her!  Afterwards I felt perhaps better than if I had won the lottery!!!

1/2/96    I had returned to my car after walking around Green Lake, in Seattle, with a friend. I searched everywhere for my keys and, much to my chagrin, saw them in the ignition of my locked car. I noticed a tow truck about a block away, waiting at a stop sign for traffic to clear. I ran as fast as I could, expecting to have him disappear before I reached him. For some reason he waited after all the traffic was clear. I ran up to his truck, explained I had locked my keys in my car and he drove his truck to where my car was parked. He got my car unlocked, handed me my keys and I asked him how much I owed him (and thinking it was probably more than I could afford). He said,"Oh, there's no charge. Just do something nice for someone else." I felt like I was walking about a foot off the ground after that.

1/29/96    I noticed this as I was browsing the "Net" for my first time and I'd like to say that it's great to see people interested in doing good for others and promoting kindness and service towards others.  In my life I've found that joy comes through serving others. It doesn't have to be something extravagant to be of help to others. Here are examples of "helping" that aid you more than those you are serving:

1. Visit a local nursing home and spend some time just talking to people there, it's suprising to see how much you learn, and they enjoy company!!
2. Set up lawn games and invite the neighbor kids over for the afternoon.
3. Think of someone who sets a good example for you and send them a postcard with your feelings.

When you constantally think of how you can be of help to others, you'll find that others are helping you more too!