January, 2016
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #10:
Once-a-month, #MergeMemphis serves Saturday morning breakfast to the residents of the Memphis Union Mission Opportunity Center. On a certain Saturday last month, I was priviledged to join them in this service. We made breakfast burritos, sticky buns, fruit, juice, and more! Once we're finished serving the breakfast, we get to sit down and break bread with the residents of the center. What an incredible group of people!
In addition to opening their doors to the at night when its cold so the homeless have a safe/warm place to sleep, the Opportunity Center, located at 600 Poplar Avenue, focusing on helping men overcome various addictions. The men are offered free room / board while they are going through the treatment program (which Memphis Union Mission pays them to do). After the men have been in the treatment program for 2 years and have continually proven to be drug / alcohol free (through random testing), they are allowed to take up residence in the Opportunity Center, where they are taught valuable job skills.
During this visit, I sat and ate with a man named Fred (Fred is in the bottom right posing with me in the above picture collage). Fred has had a hard life. Currently in his late 40's, Fred has struggled with addiction since he was a pre-teen. Somehow, he ended up in the Memphis Union Mission's treatment program and he has been clean now for many years. He now works as an RA at the Opportunity Center to help other men who are struggling with some of the same addictions that Fred says God helped him to overcome.
I could have talked to Fred for hours. Alas, it was time for us volunteers to clean up and head out.
If you're interested in volunteering with Merge Memphis to feed breakfast to the men of the opportunity center, click here for more information: https://www.facebook.com/people/Merge-Memphis/100008136078846
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #13:
Was blessed to serve breakfast again to the men of the Memphis Union Mission Opportunity Center. My mom even came along this time! We were able to meet some new and wonderful like-minded volunteers as we served some very thankful men tasty biscuits and gravy!
Thank you #MergeMemphis for providing us this opportunity to give back to our community!
February 5, 2016
I was recently honored to be interviewed by Conrad Carriker for his and his wife, Susan's, podcast called "Coffee with Conrad" regarding thsi 52 Acts of Kindess endeavor. You can check it out here: http://bit.ly/valerieinterview
Please subscribe to Conrad & Susan's podcast. It is full of inspiriation, encouragement, and ideas to help your community! The three of us met through #MergeMemphis at one of the Project Warm Memphis events. They have such kind hearts and a love for everyone they meet.
January 28, 2016
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #9: It's cold outside. There's a lot of flu and other icky viruses going around. Don't forget your friends and family members who are sick - especially the ones who live alone and have no one to care for them during their time of need. For this kindness, I made a basket of food containing 4 dinners of soup and spaghetti, garlic bread, cinnamon rolls, other pastries, and a small chocolate cake, and took this basket to a family member who was very ill, along with a special note. If she's reading this now, I hope she knows how much I love and appreciate her.
April 14, 2016
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #20: If you follow this blog, you've read about my friend Beth who is battling cancer. Today, she had her second round of chemo. Since yellow is the official color of sarcoma awareness, I made a little "happy" to give her. It includes peppermint tea (to help with nausea), a yellow mug with a little sunflower to brighten her day, and some thank you notes (because she has mentioned wanting to send thank you notes to everyone who has been so kind during this trial). It doesn't take much to let someone know you're thinking of them. Sometimes the smallest gestures mean the most.
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RANDOM ACT IF KINDNESS #8: Their mission: To break down the walls of hostility between cultures, to build bridges of love and trust between the rich and those made poor & to provide a positive alternative to the street corners for the neighborhood children.
If you are not familiar with the non-profit Caritas Village, you MUST check this place out. I recently heard about this awesome little restaurant who allows the poor, hungry, and homeless to eat for free. If you're like me, your first thought is, "Yeah, but how good could the food be?" I learned the answer to that question today - Freakin' delicious! With their professionally-trained chef, it's no wonder I couldn't stop talking about about how good the food tasted.
My co-workers and I decided to check this place out for lunch today. And we were glad we did. Every meal purchased in this restaurant helps to pay for the meals who can't afford to pay, as well as a weekly free medical clinic, after school programs for Binghampton children such as music and painting classes), a lending library, and much, much more - all of which are provided to the community at no charge! My co-workers and I even got to talk with Onie, Caritas Village's founder. Her story is an amazing one. As I sat at my table and ate my meal, I scanned the room and saw people from all walks of life - from the man who asked Onie if it was ok if he had a free bowl of soup (and she immediately agreed), to local artists, to attorneys who were obviously on their lunch break - all breaking bread together. I saw a box full of clothing, a box full of shoes, and a box full of canned goods - just sitting there waiting for someone in need to take some of the items home. I saw a restaurant full of volunteers, trying to do their part to help the community - refusing wages so that money can support the children and others in need. Please stop by and lend your support to this center if only by purchasing your lunch. What an incredible place this is. And, I really can't say it enough - what delicious food!!! www.CaritasVillage.org
January 23, 2016
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #6:
Michael and I made some no-sew scarves out of fleece purchased with money donated from from some kind-hearted friends. We then donated those scarves to Merge Memphis to use for tomorrow's Project Warm Memphis, where they put donated scarves, gloves, hats, & other needs in baggies and hang them in bus stops on Poplar and in public parks where the homeless frequent.
Making the scarves are easy and relatively inexpensive, if you purchase the fleece on sale. Simply purchase the fleece in 2 yard increments. Then, cut the scarves length-wise (each scarf should be 2 yards long) in the width of a standard scarf. You should be able to get about 6 scarves out of 2 yards of fleece. After the scarves are cut, use your scissors to cut 1-inch thick strips along each end of the scarf to make the fringe. Tie a knot in each fringe strip and Bam! Your scarf is complete!
(NOTE: For children's scarves, I make each scarf 1 yard long rather than 2 yards long. Everything else remains the same.)
IF YOU HAVE AN HOUR OF FREE TIME ON THE MORNING OF ONE OF THE MANY SATURDAYS IN THE FALL/WINTER MONTHS AND WANT TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING VERY REWARDING, please consider volunteering your time to help these awesome volunteers distribute these packages for those in need during the designated "Project Warm Memphis" days.
KINDNESS #7
In addition to the homeless goody bags discussed in Opportunity #1, I try to keep some of these no-sew scarves in my car. A few days ago, I happened upon across a young man holding a sign requesting help. Unfortunately, at that time, I was out of goody bags, but I had a couple of scarves in my backseat. I pulled over and asked the man if he would like a scarf due to the chilly temperatures outside. He politely thanked me and said, "Ma'am, I appreciate the offer, but I'm warm. However, there is a man a couple of blocks down that doesn't have anything and I would sure appreciate it if you would give that scarf to him." So, I drove down the direction the young man had pointed out - and there he was. I could tell immediately he was cold. When I called him over to my car and handed him the scarf, you should have seen the tears that came to his eyes. What a blessing God gave me today - to allow me to witness such joy and gratefullness on the face of someone truly in need!
January 22, 2016
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #5:
"A clean set of clothing can restore a homeless person's sense of dignity, and can help to enable them to gain employment." This is why the Memphis Union Mission keeps clothes closets full of fresh shirts, pants, shoes, socks, underwear, coats, and accessories - which they provide at absolutely no charge. Michael (my husband) and I were proud to donate a box and large bag of clothes and shoes to this organization, with more to come as we continue to purge our closets and drawers.
Please consider donating here instead of Goodwill's thrift store. If you would like more information, click the link below, go to the MUM Facebook page, or ask me and I'll try to find out what you need to know! smile emoticon http://www.memphisunionmission.org/emergency-services
#MemphisUnionMission
January 15, 2016
2016's Act of Kindness #3:
Sometimes an act of kindness requires a lot of time, effort, planning, money, etc. Sometimes it requires nothing but kindness and a willingness to go just a little bit out of your way. My awesome bosses provide breakfast for their employees every Friday. Today, after everyone had their fill, there were leftovers - biscuits, eggs, fruit, & chocolates. So, we wrapped them, along with utensils, napkins, & jelly packs, and delivered the leftovers to one of the many homeless men down the street. He was thrilled to get it and very thankful.
Never forget - sometimes the smallest thing (giving away your leftovers) can make a big difference for someone. Thank you, Lydia, for helping with this today!
January 22, 2016
Round 2 (Kindness #4): Leftovers from today's breakfast went to a short little bearded man walking in the snow down Poplar Avenue. Added a nice, warm scarf my co-worker, Teresa, made b/c he was shivering. Every day I see how blessed I am when I see those whose problems dwarf mine.
January 9, 2016
2016's RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #2:
Today, I was fortunate to be a part of a group (Merge Memphis) who headed up Project Warm Memphis.
THE PLAN: Tape/tack ziplock bags containing scarves, hats, gloves, socks, etc. to bus stops along Poplar Ave. and trees in downtown parks / viaducts where homeless frequent. Each bag contained a note explaining these were free gifts for anyone to use who may be cold.
WHAT HAPPENED: It was rainy and icky. But with the temperatures forecasted in the 20's tonight, we couldn't let that stop us. So, after a quick prayer for guidance, we got to work. Not only did we have enough donated bags to successfully place them in all planned areas, but we were blessed enough to meet, interact with, and personally give some of the items directly to some individuals who needed them.
I met some wonderful, like-minded volunteers, as well. One of them, a very sweet girl named Mariah, noticed one homeless man in an Old Navy shirt dragging everything he owned in a small suitcase that no longer had wheels. It just so happened that she had a larger rolling suitcase in her car that she had planned to get rid of. She offered it to him, along with the scarves/gloves. He was so very grateful! The smile on his face warmed my heart.
Another blessing came in the form of a break in the rain. During the 60-90 minutes we were placing the bags, the rains basically stayed away. What a great way to start a Saturday!
I'm looking forward to working with Merge Memphis in some of my future "Kindness" endeavors!
January 8, 2016
RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS #1:
My friend, Teresa Brawner Moeschle, and I, thanks to some co-workers who donated funds toward this cause, made some care packages for the homeless.
OUR PLAN: Keep these bags with us in our cars b/c you never know when you'll run across someone in need.
THE BAGS: Each bag varied, but the contents included mainly the following: Hair combs, Toothbrush & paste, floss, deodorant, thermal socks, hand towel, soap, chewing gum, juice box, anti-bacterial hand wipes, packs of salted peanuts, packs of sandwich cookies, cheese crackers, cream cheese/chives crackers, peanut butter, granola bars, pop tarts, etc. By purchasing the items at #DollarTree, we were able to keep the cost of each back down to about $7-$8 each.
TODAY'S KINDNESS: While at lunch, we came across our first homeless man at Park & Ridgeway. I called him over to the car. The poor man seemed ragged, beaten down, and unwell. I explained to him that we didn't have any money to give him but I had two different ziploc bags full of toiletries and food. I further explained that one bag had more food in it than the other and asked him which one he would prefer to have, if any. With drool literally rolling down & blowing off of his beard from the wind, he expressed his gratitude and pointed to the bag that had more food in it. I handed it to him and wished him blessings. The man then mentioned that there was another homeless man a block away at Poplar and Ridgeway. He said, if I wanted him to, he would take that man our second bag. I handed him the bag and thanked him.
We then drove away. We ended up having to do a u-turn due to traffic. When we did, we saw this worn-down old man, who walked slumped over as if he carried the weight of the world on his back, walk toward the other homeless man and hand him our second bag. How wonderful to see his kindness in helping another in need - even when he obviously has so little himself. And how blessed we were to be a part of it! LOVE THIS!
Once-a-month, #MergeMemphis serves Saturday morning breakfast to the residents of the Memphis Union Mission Opportunity Center. On a certain Saturday last month, I was priviledged to join them in this service. We made breakfast burritos, sticky buns, fruit, juice, and more! Once we're finished serving the breakfast, we get to sit down and break bread with the residents of the center. What an incredible group of people!
