Sliver of Hope

[SubGod22]

If this doesn't warm the heart, I don't know what to say.

Boy Scout Raises Money To Buy Christmas Gifts For Every Foster Child In Two Counties

11-year-old Jonathan Werner has only been a boy scout for nine months.

But he takes his service projects seriously.

Through popcorn sale money, Jonathan was able to buy gifts for every foster child in two counties.

"I adopted all the foster care kids in Kanabec County and Isanti County for Christmas," he told KARE11.

It's a need that's close to his heart.

"My dad spent 14 years in foster care and based upon stories that he had being in foster care, it doesn't really sound like they had much of a Christmas," Jonathan said.

90 second news video in the link.

[SubGod22]

Sweet tribute

Man Spell Out 'Hi Kevin' in Lights for 20 Years-to Honor His Neighbor

Every Christmas, Mike Witmer gets out his colored lights to weave a very specific message out into the night.

Witmer says passersby are sometimes confused by his lights, which read ‘Hi Kevin’ across his roof, but it’s to honor the memory of a young boy who passed away from cancer in 2010.

For the past two decades, he has featured a reference to Kevin in his light displays. Kevin was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 when he was just 11. That year Mike had written ‘Get Well Kevin’ in lights.

The pair had lived on neighboring roads and Kevin had loved seeing Mike’s light displays each December.

He continued to reference the lad in his lights every year until his tragic death eight years on in June 2010.

Mike vowed to honor Kevin’s life by continuing their much-loved tradition of installing his largest display yet on his roof, so that Kevin could still see the lights from above.

“Kevin was a cool kid in the neighborhood. He swam on the local swim team with my kids and we all became friends,” said Witmer from Gaithersburg, Maryland.

“When I heard he had cancer and was going through chemo and radiotherapy, I wanted to support him. I had this idea to write ‘Get Well Kevin’ in my Christmas lights—what 11-year-old doesn’t want to see their name in lights?”

Witmer continued to do it every year, even after his cancer went into remission and Kevin went off to college.

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Sometimes we forget how magical certain things are, or can be. Little boy sees snow for the first time.

Watch Lucky Little Boy Delight in Playing in Snow for the First Time During US Trip

This little boy was overcome with excitement after being able to play in the snow for the very first time.

Dominic laughs with excitement in the video posted by his parents—running and discovering all the joys of a thin layer of snow on grass and sidewalk.

Dominic and his parents Candice and Fidel were visiting his grandparents in Utah from their home in Mexico.

The 3-year-old was born in Mexico and has lived there all his life.

“Dominic was amazed and mesmerized,” said the 33-year-old mom.

“The first thing he did was put his hands in the snow and started jumping around. He said wow a lot.”

“It made me cry. My parents were just as emotional as I was.

Short video in the link.

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NY Couple Opens Home To 10 Korean Tourists Stuck In Blizzard

A couple in upstate New York opened their home to 10 Korean tourists after their bus got stuck in the snow.

On Friday, a bus carrying 10 tourists got stuck in the snow near Buffalo, New York. The group of tourists were making their way to Niagara Falls from Washington, DC, when they found themselves in the middle of a blizzard.

Two men in the group decided to knock on the door of a nearby home to ask for shovels. Their plan was to dig the bus out and keep moving.

Instead, they ended up with a warm place to stay until they could be picked up after the storm cleared, The New York Times reported.

"2pm frantic knock on the door today during the worst blizzard I've experienced, was from a Korean tour-group of ten en route from DC to Niagara Falls, whose bus got stuck and remains stuck in front of our house. A Festivus surprise for all," Alexander Campagna said.

You never know when or where opportunity to make new friends may come from.

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Police Praise Local Hero Who Broke into School to Save 24 People During a New York Blizzard

A remarkable story from the Christmas blizzard blanketing the Northeastern United States featured the kind of ‘smash and grab’ we all need to hear about.

The school’s alarm went off at Edge Academy on Christmas Eve, but due to the ‘worst snow storm in a generation‘ the local police near Buffalo, New York, were unable to quickly respond.

When the Cheektowaga Police did arrive, they found one of the windows had been broken out—but checking the school building, they found nothing out of place.

They thought maybe the damage was caused from the hurricane-force winds—untill they saw a handwritten note left on a table.

The note started with an apology for causing damage to the window—and having to borrow the snow blower to rescue others who had run out of gas while trapped in their cars.

“Got stuck at 8 p.m. Friday and slept in my truck with two strangers. Just trying not to die.”

“There were 7 elderly people also stuck and out of fuel. I had to do it to save everyone and get them shelter and food and a bathroom.”

The note was signed, Merry Christmas, Jay.

When officers watched the video surveillance from the school, they were astonished. “We witnessed people taking care of people,” said a report on the Department’s Facebook Page.

After breaking in, Jay went back out into the storm and found others who were freezing in their cars, and brought them inside—24 in total, and 2 dogs.

In the school, he found granola bars, water, and blankets in the nurses office, and gathered apples, juice, and cereal from the kitchen.

Kids played in the gym and adults watched football games and storm updates on television, while the hours on Saturday turned into a Christmas Day Sunday, spent sheltering at the school.

They even made sure to clean up after themselves and didn't touch any of the "real" food in the freezer.

People helping people. I love it. And it just goes to show that despite the media, most of us are good people.

[SubGod22]

'We Fed Them, Had Coffees Going': McDonald's Workers Shelter People From Blizzard

Employees at a McDonald's in Buffalo opened their doors to the public during the blizzard.

The restaurant sheltered more than 50 people from the storm.

It was around 2:00 p.m. on Friday when Jeffrey Spangler, Kristin Kosha and Amanda Kendall were closing up the McDonald's on Sweet Home Road in Amherst when the snow started coming down.

"It wasn't safe to drive," Kosha told ABC News. "We had to make the right choice for us and our other manager with us."

Knowing they had a warm place to stay, and plenty of food, Kosha opened up an invitation to anyone stuck on the streets to come to the McDonalds.

It wasn't long before Amherst Police and fire were dropping off stranded motorists at the McDonalds, and into their care.

"I didn't think it would go as big as it did. I thought 10-15 people, but we were full," she said.

More evidence that when things get bad, people will do what they can to assist others in need.

[SubGod22]

People are amazing

NFL Fans Shocked by Sudden Collapse of Athlete Donate $5 Million in 24-hrs to His Humble Toy Drive-Including Tom Brady

The shocking news generated an avalanche of compassion that has already raised nearly $5 million for Damar’s charity in less than a day.

The 24-year-old, who now plays safety in Western New York, created the charity to provide toy drives and back-to-school supplies for children in his hometown of Pittsburgh.

‘Tom Brady’ just donated $10,000 in the past hour—being one one of 160,000 people who opened their hearts by contributing.

The Chasing M’s Foundation first posted the humble fundraiser on GoFundMe in December of 2020, with Damar writing:

“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me.”

“I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive.”

I just checked and at 8:50am local time, his fundraiser sits at $6,173,080 with almost 204k people donating. The largest donation is $20k.

[WuDrWu]

Currently at 8.667 million.

[SubGod22]

Bless those that volunteer their services for these pups.

This Crew of Street Veterinarians Treat the Pets of L.A.'s Homeless Residents of Skid Row

There aren’t many willing to voluntarily go out to spend the day on Skid Row, and even fewer with the goal of giving away free stuff, but Dr. Kwane Stewart, also known as “The Street Vet” is nearly famous because of it.

Kwane runs the 501(c)3 non-profit Project Street Vet, that takes donations and volunteers out onto the streets and to homeless encampments to provide free medical care for their pets, and last year they were able to help nearly 600 animals receive medical care.

It’s estimated that 10-25% of the homeless population of America own pets, for companionship, and occasionally for security. It goes without saying that many don’t have the means to take proper care of these animals, whom they often love more than anything else in the world.

In 1997 Stewart was buried in student loan debt when he graduated from the University of Colorado, before bouncing from one miserable rescue shelter to the next. Out of frustration for his career choice, he just started spending a few hours a day providing free medical care to pets of the homeless in LA.

This went on for 7 years until he had an encounter with show biz that spawned Dr. Kwane: The Street Vet, a one-season Canadian TV show that attracted pet product firms, volunteers, and philanthropists to his mission.

Homelessness has a number of causes, some mostly out of the control of those who end up on the streets. The dogs of those people have zero choice and I know I've at times wondered how they're cared for or what I would do if I were somehow broke and on the streets. My dogs are very much a huge part of my life and I wouldn't just dump them or give them away to some random person. I also wouldn't separate them from each other. If I were completely on my own with no family or friends to help I'm pretty sure that I would starve before I let my girls do so. But that still doesn't cover medical needs, rabies and fleas and such. It always puts me in a negative state to even think about it. But thousands of homeless deal with this as their normal life these days. It warms my heart to see people giving of themselves to help those poor pups in vulnerable circumstances.

[SubGod22]

Tiny Alabama Town Shocked to Learn Farmer had Secretly Paid People's Pharmacy Bills for a Decade

Upon the occasion of the funeral for one Hody Childress from Geraldine, Alabama, it was revealed that for a decade this quiet and humble gentleman was a sort of guardian angel for the town’s poor and sick.

A farmer and U.S. Air Force veteran, Childress began his covert charity campaign when he visited the local Geraldine drugstore and learned that all too many of the town’s 900 residents couldn’t afford to pay for their prescriptions.

Life up until that point had been difficult from a health standpoint. Childress lost a son in 1973, and his first wife in 1999—whom he used to carry into the stands for local football games due to her multiple sclerosis.

Upon hearing of his neighbors’ inability to always afford their medications, he handed Brooke Walker, owner of Geraldine Drugs, a $100 bill.

“Here, this $100 is for anyone who can’t afford their prescription,” Walker recalled in an interview with local news. “Do not tell a soul that the money came from me, tell them it’s a blessing from God.”

Every month, this man would stop in and drop off money to cover costs for those who simply couldn't afford it themselves. Didn't tell a soul what he was doing, outside of the pharmacist, until his health deteriorated to a point where he couldn't get out on his own, at which point his daughter carried on for him until his death. At that point, she told the story and it sounds like others are now stepping up to assist their less fortunate neighbors.

There's something to be said for small town living. People will rally around their own. I've seen the outpouring of support and offers of assistance recently in my own hometown and it's beautiful and humbling. A man passed that wasn't very social and hadn't really made any friends in the past few decades outside of work, which he'd retired from 15 years or so ago. His family however, were much more public. His wife had worked in town for decades and the children, grown now, were very active in the community and in sports when in school. All three still live in town. The grandkids are much the same. This family has received so much love over the past two weeks or so. I think they've all been stopped somewhere in town and had people ask how they, and more importantly, their mother was doing. So many people have offered food and services. People who they hadn't talked to much in years are stopping by and checking on everyone. I used to sometimes think that at least some of these actions were phony and people trying to one up the next person in who can be the best neighbor or whatever. Maybe that exists on some level in some situations, but from everything I've seen and heard around town the past couple of weeks, that's not the case. There's a genuine affection for this family that I think many of us probably don't fully understand or appreciate in general.

Some of you are from small town and may understand what I'm trying to express. Some of you may understand some of my previous skepticism. I have seen people who were all about publicly "helping" or being seen to help and it was more about ego than really helping. I'm not denying that that doesn't exist some places at some times. Even this town I love so much and am talking about, I've seen it in the past. But recently, I haven't.

I didn't mean to hijack a post about this small Alabama town, but it reminded me of some things I've seen recently right here in the 316. And when we're talking about a Sliver of Hope, seeing a community rally around their own always warms my heart. Seeing it in my hometown even more so.

Carry on.

[SubGod22]

'They Changed My Life': Engineering Students Create Robotic Hand For New Classmate

Engineering students at Hendersonville High School in Tennessee built their new classmate a life-changing robotic hand.

Starting at a new school at 15 years old can be difficult for any teenager.

Sergio Peralta had to do it with a hand that didn't fully form. His plan was to hide it from everyone.

"In the first days of school, I honestly felt like hiding my hand," he told CBS News. "Like nobody would ever find out."

A teacher in the school's engineering program did find out, though, and told Peralta that his classmates might be able to help out.

"They ended up offering me, like, 'We could build your prosthetic hand', and I never expected it," Peralta said. "Like, never in a million years."

With access to online models and a 3D printer, the group hit a home run. Peralta was able to catch a baseball with his right hand for the first time in his life.

"I never expected this...They changed my life," he said.

There's a local news segment in the article if you're interested in seeing the hand in action.

[SubGod22]

I always enjoy these. Maybe being a former athlete you just know how much it means. Maybe you don't ever have to have been an athlete. I don't know.

Equipment Manager Finally Gets to Play-Watch a Boy's Basketball Triumph as High School Cheers

Equipment manager Carson Watters loves basketball, loves working on his junior varsity high school team, but never imagined he would ever get to play in a game.

The Philip Simmons HS freshman has worked hard all year, said his coaches, and deserved to show what he could do on the court.

“Seeing him go in and the look on his face when they called him into the game,” Carson’s mother Mary Watters said, “because he didn’t know it was going to happen, I can’t even describe it.”

15-year-old Watters has Down Syndrome. He’s trained the whole year as player-manager of the Iron Horses, and was able to show it when, with the clock running down, his teammates passed him the ball and he did rest.

“I made my lay-up,” he told reporters from ABC post-match.

His mother Mary knew ahead of time that the coach was going to sub Carson into the match, but they kept it a secret from him. She said that his freshman year has been anything but difficult, despite some apprehensions.

Two different videos inside the link if interested.

[Shockm]

I always enjoy these. Maybe being a former athlete you just know how much it means. Maybe you don't ever have to have been an athlete. I don't know.

Equipment Manager Finally Gets to Play-Watch a Boy's Basketball Triumph as High School Cheers



Two different videos inside the link if interested.

It is obvious to see how well our society, schools, and kids treat special needs kids. This is a triumph of our culture, and it's one of the reasons that I don't think that racism is the major problem (racism still exists, but not near what is portrayed by our culture) our media says it is. Most people care about others, have empathy for them, and want the best for them.

[SubGod22]

For all the hate social media gets, some of it deserved, there is definitely a positive side to it.

The Power Of Social Media: TikTok Video Saves Struggling California Restaurant

Last month, Jennifer Le posted a short video clip to TikTok that shows her father Vuong Le waiting with an expressionless face at the counter of his empty restaurant.

"It makes me so sad to see my parents wait for customers to walk through the door to eat at their Vietnamese restaurant," Jennifer captioned the video.

@jennif3rle Replying to @michellekostick thank you guys for all the support & love to my parent’s restaurant! we welcome you all anytime and check out our instagram: @leesnoodlehouse for delicious food photos :) #santarosa #bayareafoodies #vietnamesefood #california #leesnoodlehouse #noodles #pho #fyp ♬ cà phê sped up - salemdoll

"My parents haven't been having that many customers and been feeling stressed dealing with financial issues," she said.

In fact, the restaurant was closing a few hours earlier every night to save money on gas and electric.

But a 7-second video changed their lives forever. Droves of people started visiting Lee's Noodle House in Santa Rosa.

I think I saw something a month or so ago about some food blogger/TikToker doing a similar thing for I believe a pizza joint in Vegas.

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I'm no fan of Heinz, or ketchup in general, but this is nice move to try and cap off an amazing story.

Heinz Wants To Find The Man Who Survived A Month At Sea With Nothing But Ketchup And Buy Him A New Boat

Last month, the Colombian Navy, in coordination with the General Maritime Directorate and the National Aeronaval Service of Panama, rescued a sailor 120 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Bolívar in the Guajira department of Colombia.

The Naval Institution had received information about a sailboat with the word "HELP" engraved on its hull.

The sailor, identified as 47-year-old Elvis Francois, said that his ordeal began in December when currents swept the sailboat out to sea while he was making repairs off the island of St. Martin in the Netherlands Antilles.

Francois, who is originally from the island nation of Dominica, claimed to have survived 24 days adrift in the Caribbean with nothing but ketchup and food seasonings.

"Twenty-four days — no land, nobody to talk to, don't know what to do, don't know where you are — it was rough. At a certain time, I lose hope. I think about my family," Francois said in a video released by the Navy.

"I had no food. It was just a bottle of ketchup that was on the boat, garlic powder and Maggi. So I mixed it up with some water."

Now, Heinz is asking people to help the company find Francois.

Even if you want to be negative and say this is all about good pub and they're doing it for selfish reasons, it's still a nice gesture that could really help someone out and the ultimate result would be good.