Hello and Happy New Year! As I mentioned in an earlier email, the Ball State University Center for Peace & Conflict Studies will host the Benjamin V. Cohen Peace Conference: Building a Beloved Community. We forgot to mention the virtual conference will be held on April 9 and 10!
For the 33rd consecutive week, the Center for Peace & Conflict Studies has compiled a list of acts of kindness and peace. The initiative began as a response to COVID-19 and the racism pandemic but has broadened to include any act of compassion or service to others. Please share these stories. If you have stories of positive acts people/organizations are taking and you would like to share them, please email them to Brandon Miller at peacecenter@bsu.edu. All the stories starting from week 1 are available online. Additionally, you can follow the Peace Center on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) at bsu4peace.
Secret Santa Leaves $100,000 in Gift Cards on Edmonton, Alberta Doorsteps
Thanks to an anonymous benefactor, 400 families in the Canadian city of Edmonton woke to a pleasant surprise on Christmas morning. A generous secret Santa left gift cards in the amount of $250 and a poem on 400 doorsteps, totaling $100,000. Elisha Tennant, one of the lucky recipients, said the gesture warmed her heart, “To have something like this, I mean, that’s a month of groceries for us.” The Santa’s poem asked any recipient who did not need the money to donate the gift card to someone else who did: “Whatever it is that you set out to do, remember to just believe in you. Don’t need this? Please pass the baton, for that is the way hope carries on.” Although there was an email address enclosed with the card and poem, details about the benefactor are minimal and his or her identity remains secret. Responses to inquiries have been coy, according to CBC News, but the Santa did offer some insight into what motivated the act of generosity: “I decided to do it because I know that lots of people have had a really tough year and I had the means to help out. I hope the gifts gave people a sense that the world is good and there is a brighter future not far ahead.”
Source: CBC News - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/2020-edmonton-secret-santa-1.5855192
13-Year-Old Raises $6,000 for Kids in a Local Homeless Shelter
One of the most inspiring aspects of this series of altruistic stories is the frequency with which we come across stories of young philanthropists. Most recently, we have been touched by the efforts of Jaxson Turner, a 13-year-old from Texas, who raised nearly $6,000 to buy gifts for kids in a local homeless shelter. Turner created a GoFundMe and social media for his mission. “I think we need to help [people] because so many families during this pandemic are losing their jobs or their houses and moms area already worrying about being homeless,” he said. “Why should they worry about Christmas for their children too?” After raising $5,900, Turner hosted a giveaway party where he provided a catered dinner for the families. “One of the families with four kids and a mother let me know that their children had never gotten brand new shoes before.” Turner calls the event Never Too Young To Care (N2Y2C) and he initiated it three years ago on his birthday. When his mom asked what he wanted as a gift, he decided he wanted to give to those less fortunate. Now he hosts an Easter event, a back to school event, and a domestic violence event in addition to the event at Christmas.
Source: Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/jaxson-turner-gives-christmas-gifts-to-homeless-kids/
Retired Couple Crafts Handmade Wooden Toys to Distribute at Christmas
Mike and Judy Sullivan like to keep themselves busy. After Mike retired from his 26-year career in the U.S. Army, he and Judy enrolled in a woodworking club and set up a home workshop. Now, seven years later, they have established a toymaking operation that would make a North Pole elf jealous. This year, the Sullivans knew that families would have less money than usual to spend on nonessentials, such as gifts. They decided to help fill that gap by making as many toys as possible. Since the beginning of the year, they created nearly 1,400 toys, including animal figurines, puzzles, toy trucks, and more. Mike builds most of the toys, Judy decorates them, and their grandchildren and great grandchildren serve as testers and assist with toy design. A GoFundMe helps the Sullivans cover out of pocket costs, which totaled $19,000 last year. Eventually, the couple wants to purchase a 3-D printer to aid their production efforts. Mike said the two hope to continue running their operation for as long as they are in good health. “We…are able to be out here six to seven days a week for eight to 10 hours. It’s so much fun…, “ Sullivan said.
Source: CNN - https://edition.cnn.com/2020/12/20/us/retired-couple-made-1400-toys-giveaway-christmas-iyw-trnd/index.html