For the 67th 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.
Mattress Mack Organizes Relief Efforts for Those Impacted By Hurricane Ida
As the rain and surge of Hurricane Ida devastated coastal settlements in Louisiana, one Texas man sprung into action to provide relief to those impacted. Mattress Mack (also known as Jim McIngvale), owner of a furniture store in Houston, is well known in his region of the world for the massive relief effort he organized during Hurricane Katrina. Now he is doing the same to help those ravaged by Hurricane Ida. “We’ve got lots of mattresses, lots of sofas and anybody needs a place to stay, come out to Gallery Furniture,” Mack said of his decision to open his store to those displaced by the storm. He organized a drive for nonperishable food and other supplies through social media, in addition to setting up a relief fund through GoFundMe. The GoFundMe raised over $40,000 in three days; as for the drive, Mack aimed to fill 30 trucks with supplies. “We need volunteers… to drive and help people in Louisiana. We’re here to help,” Mack said. “That’s what Texans do and you know a lot of our friends, neighbors, relatives live in New Orleans, so we’re gonna help them out as much as we can.”
Source: KPRC News - https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2021/08/29/mattress-mack-prepares-to-send-30-trucks-loaded-with-relief-supplies-to-region-ravaged-by-hurricane-ida/
14-Year-Old Rushes to Save People Inside a Burning Building
Lily Swanson, 14, of Leyland, Lancashire was walking her dog when she smelled something burning. Inspired by the Disney+ show 9-1-1, which follows emergency responders in the US, Lily decided to search for the source of the smell. She found it quickly: black smoke was billowing out of an apartment window. Lily raced to wake her father, Mike, and to call the fire brigade before she and Mike took some ladders out to the street. The pair attempted to help people evacuate until the fire brigade arrived moments later. Thanks in part to Lily’s quick thinking and altruistic initiative, everyone in the burning building was able to escape safely. “It was a proud dad moment for me, as it could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for Lily’s quick response,” Mike said. The fire station manager, Jonny Nottingham, was impressed as well, “We have seen in the past that people can have lots of different reactions to seeing a fire, but Lily showed maturity and calmness beyond her years…”
Source: Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/hero-schoolgirl-fire-lancashire-lily-swanson/
Shelter Offers a Safe Haven to Trans Haitians When Disaster Strikes
Yaisah Val, 49, is a pioneer. She was among the first, if not the first, out transgender Haitian woman, and last year she launched Kay Trans Ayiti. It is the first and only shelter in Haiti that supports trans youth. The shelter serves as a space where trans women experiment with wigs and where trans men can get chest binders. Amidst rising gang violence, natural disasters, and a slow vaccine rollout, life has been especially hard for trans Haitians. Hostility against trans individuals has been rising in Haiti as well. When people have needed greater access to emergency resources, trans Haitians have been excluded. “We’re not even in the conversation,” Val said. “We’re at the bottom of the barrel.” When Val first came out during a conference, her name and story spread throughout the country. As more people heard about her, young trans people reached out for advice and relief from their circumstances. So Val set up bunk beds in her home and invited as many of them in as she could fit. Eventually, she ran out of room. So she took her activism to the next level by opening Kay Trans Ayiti, which provides residents free shelter. The shelter also provides food, medication, empowerment workshops, counseling, and lessons in English and computers. “It’s like a big trans camp,” Val said. “It’s amazing to see them grow and change and discover themselves.”
Source: The Lily - https://www.thelily.com/for-young-trans-haitians-there-are-few-lifelines-when-disaster-strikes-one-shelter-offers-a-rare-safe-haven/?tid=more_from_lily