Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
- Leo Buscaglia


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Jackets, Hats, and Mittens

     Today's wet, cold, nasty weather got me thinking about how lucky I am to at least be able to put on some extra layers and find a way to stay warm.  It also had me thinking about how many people don't have such a simple luxury.  I decided that at least I could make a difference for a few of them.
     So my daughter Hannah and I went over to the local Target and went shopping for kids' winter coats, hats, and mittens.  We picked out a bunch of winter items like these, mostly for children between 18 months and 5 years.  Then we drove over to the offices of Twin Oaks Community Services (formerly  Family Service of Burlington County) and delivered them our purchases.  Twin Oaks runs literally dozens of programs to assist people of all ages.  Among those they serve, there are many children who hardly have a stable home, much less nutritious food to eat or warm clothes in the winter.  We were glad to be able to help some of them today.

     On a completely separate note, over the course of this past year of kindness, I've gotten to know a number of people around the country who are doing or have done similar efforts to mine.  In fact, one of them, Eric Winger of Oregon, is nearing completion of 2 years of daily kindness acts and blogging.  Today he wrote a great piece summarizing some of the things he's learned over the past 2 years.  I thought it was worth sharing.  Here's a link.


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