This announcement features 2 weeks of stories (weeks 62 & 63). This is the 63rd 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.
Week 62
12-Year-Old Forms a Nonprofit to Reduce Prevalence of Homelessness
Hannah Hall, 12, of Jacksonville, Florida has demonstrated that one need not be wealthy, well-connected, or even of legal driving age to make the world a better place. Since last year, she has been taking on that challenge in various ways. She began by collecting masks and coats for people in need. With the help of her parents, she collected hundreds of coats and masks that they distributed to people in need. Now she has formed a nonprofit called Hannah’s Hope House to target and reduce homelessness in her city by partnering with other agencies in the city. Although the organization is new and details are sparse, Hannah’s plans are ambitious: “I want to partner with the mayor and help this city and eventually I want to partner with the President so I can help the United States,” Hannah said.
Source: https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/08/02/introducing-hannahs-hope-house-2020-good-dead-inspires-idea-for-nonprofit-thanks-to-12-year-old-ceo/
Acts of Kindness Abound in the Olympic Village
Athletes who qualify for the Olympics are among the most competitive on Earth, but that hasn’t stopped them from spreading the love. Stories from the Olympic village are replete with examples of kindness and compassion. One such story centers on Kanoa Igarashi. After losing gold to a Brazilian competitor, Italo Ferreira, Japanese-American surfer jumped in to help translate a question to Ferreira during a press conference. Both the moderator and Ferreira thanked Igarashi thanked him for the assist. Elsewhere in the village, runners Isaiah Jewett of the U.S. and Nijel Amos of Botswana got tangled with each other and fell during their 800 meter semifinals. Instead of becoming angry, the pair embraced and finished the race together. On the same track later that day, Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy and Mutaz Barshim of Qatar, two high jumpers, both had perfect scores. They aced every jump until the bar was set at the Olympic-record height of seven feet ten inches (2.39 meters). Both jumpers missed the mark three times. They were tied. They were given the option to keep competing until a winner was established, but instead the pair decided to share the gold and jumped into each other’s arms to embrace. “Sharing with a friend is even more beautiful,” Tamberi said. “It was just magical.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/2020-tokyo-olympics-acts-of-kindness-sportsmanship-f7484946288e2a078b2a1f9eccbc1232
Generous Diner Leaves $16,000 Tip to Restaurant Staff
After ordering some tequila, a couple chili dogs, and an appetizer for a total of $38, a diner – who is choosing to remain anonymous – asked for his bill. As his server walked away with the ticket, he joked “don’t spend it all in one place.” The server, who was busy, did not check it until a bit later. When she did, she saw that he had left a $16,000 tip. That’s a gratuity of approximately 42,000%. The entire restaurant staff was astounded. When the man came in on another day, the server spoke with him and said that she and her colleagues did not feel they could accept such a large tip. But the man insisted. Mike Zarella, owner of the establishment, Stumble Inn in New Hampshire, said the tip is being shared with most of the restaurant staff. According to Zarella, the money will nearly triple their next paycheck. “It just says there’s good, kindhearted people out there that realize that people might have to struggle.”
Source: https://www.today.com/food/anonymous-customer-leaves-16-000-tip-new-hampshire-restaurant-t223620
Week 63
Mother of a Transgender Daughter Enrolls in Law School to Help Fight for Trans Rights
Maddie, daughter of Katie Jenifer, identifies as transgender. When Maddie started first grade, local news reporters swarmed parents in the school pickup line to interview them about the new trans kid in school. Katie felt helpless. Maddie was repeatedly ostracized at the school for years. First she was barred from a girls’ tumbling class. She was then removed from the girls’ softball team. Katie felt she had no way to fight back against the discrimination Maddie was experiencing. “It was just one thing after another,” she said. “We really needed a legal advocate in our corner.” When Maddie was 10, Katie decided to be that advocate and successfully applied to law school while juggling a full-time job and parenting responsibilities. She graduated in 2020 and is now a volunteer at various LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations. Katie and Maddie have also testified to oppose anti-trans legislation in their home state of North Carolina. “I am a mama bear and will advocate fiercely for my kid, and for all the trans and LGBTQ kiddos out there as if I was their mama bear, too,” Katie said.”
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/07/26/transgender-rights-lawyer-child/?utm_campaign=wp_the_optimist&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_optimist&carta-url=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.washingtonpost.com%2Fcar-ln-tr%2F34470ca%2F61069b119d2fda945a24c710%2F5e4d74439bbc0f462514be64%2F22%2F48%2F61069b119d2fda945a24c710
Auto Parts Store and Police Department Partner to Help People Fix Broken Headlights
As a driver, getting pulled over by a cop is rarely a pleasant experience. However, some drivers in Denver are getting a pleasant surprise. Advance Auto Parts in Denver has partnered with the Denver Police Department to help people who get pulled over for broken headlights and taillights. Since that partnership, officers who pull over drivers for these issues have been issuing gift cards instead of tickets. Advance Auto Parts has donated 100 gift cards worth $25 each. Chief of Police Paul Pazen said the cards are putting smiles on people’s faces: “Advance Auto Parts’ donation not only helps us get greater compliance with the motoring public, but it also helps us build and strengthen relationships with our community.”
Source: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/denver-police-are-handing-out-gift-cards-to-get-broken-headlights-fixed/
Nonprofit in Atlanta Provides Assistance to At-Risk Youth
After his divorce, Keith A. Lewis, Jr. had to endure a 5-hour round trip to spend time with his kids. He believed it important to be an active parent, so he made the trek, but came to empathize with kids, especially boys, who did not have active caretakers in their lives. With Jermaine Clark, he launched a nonprofit called I’m a Father First. Initially the pair were just offering free haircuts to kids in their neighborhood. Eventually, they began to mentor local at-risk boys and to offer advice about basic business and money management skills. When the pandemic hit, the organization helped provide food to homes with youth. Through their Meals of Love program, the organization began providing meals to 400 households per week by partnering with city schools and corporate sponsors. And the founders have high hopes for what they can do for their community in the future. “The mantra is ‘We are the village,’” Lewis said. “I’m a Father First is going to stay there, but it’s going to trail off into so many different things.”
Source: https://www.today.com/parents/i-m-father-f1rst-offers-support-fatherless-boys-atlanta-t209935