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Random Acts of Kindness: Day 3

February 15, 2012 By
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It’s Day 3 of Random Acts of Kindness Week. Have you performed an act of kindness? It need not be something big, it could be even as small as sharing a smile with someone. We’d love to hear about something you’ve done for someone else, or something someone did for you!

Here are today’s suggestions:

  • Tell someone who works for the public—a teacher, police officer, nurse, mail carrier, etc.—how much you appreciate his or her service.
  • Find out what item your nearest animal shelter needs, and donate it.
  • Offer to babysit for free for a family you know.
  • Write a letter to someone who made an impact on you.
  • Leave your waiter/waitress/barista a generous tip.

Celebrate Random Acts of Kindess Week in 2013 With Your Very Own Good Neighbor Stories 2013 Datebook!

Order Your Copy Today!

 

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Random Acts of Kindness Week: Day 2

February 14, 2012 By
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We are celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Week all this week by offering several suggestions each day of ways to be kind to others. Yesterday Michael shared with us that he helped a woman whose car had broken down in traffic. We’d love to hear more stories about your acts of kindness!

Here are today’s suggestions:

  • Go through your closet and find several items to donate to charity.
  • Pay for someone behind you in the drive-thru.
  • Share your umbrella with someone who doesn’t have one.
  • Refrain from making negative comments this week.
  • Bring unexpected snacks for coworkers or deliver treats to neighbors.

Celebrate Random Acts of Kindess Week in 2013 With Your Very Own Good Neighbor Stories 2013 Datebook!

Order Your Copy Today!

 

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Take Our Poll!

February 13, 2012 By
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Will you perform an act of kindness during Random Acts of Kindness Week?

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Random Acts of Kindness Week 2012

February 13, 2012 By
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This week is Random Acts of Kindness Week, when we’re all reminded to do something kind for one another. In a way it’s oxymoronic, to perform a “random” act during a non-random time period. Yet, it’s a powerful idea: millions of people around the world performing acts of kindness during a set period, serving to multiply the effect.  Just as we have a day to honor all parents, or veterans, why not a time to remind ourselves of the importance of extending kindness?

Each day this week we’ll have ideas for acts of kindness for you to consider trying.  You can find more ideas at the Random Acts of Kindness website, or helpothers.org site. And we’d love to hear your own ideas, or hear about what happens when you perform an act of kindness! Tell us in Comments.

Below are today’s (easy) ideas:

  • Smile at a minimum of five people
  • Hold the door open for someone
  • Pick up trash on your street
  • Let the person behind you in line go ahead of you
  • Call a friend you haven’t seen in awhile just to say “hi”

For more ideas, see the Be Kind: Kindness Ideas Page.

Also see  Day 1 entry for Random Acts of Kindness Week 2013

                 Be Kind! Random Acts of Kindness Week Kicks Off (2014)


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Five Ways To Be A Good Neighbor In February

February 1, 2012 By
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February is the month most famously known for a day of love. Why not spread the love throughout all 29 (Leap Year!) days? Here are five ways to be a good neighbor this month. If you think of more ways, tell us in the comments.

1. Get to Know Muslim Neighbors: Silicon Valley Reads recently kicked off its new campaign, “Muslim and American — Two Perspectives.” Every year Silicon Valley Reads chooses books for all of Silicon Valley to read together. This year organizers chose The Muslim Next Door; The Qur’an, the Media, and That Veil Thing by Sumbul Ali-Karamali, and The Butterfly Mosque by G. Willow Wilson.  A whole host of events are happening in February, all the way to the end of the campaign in April, including lectures, film showings, art exhibits, and small group discussions. Author Ali-Karamali will speak at two special events, 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 5, at the Saratoga Library, and 2 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 12, at the India Community Center in Milpitas. She’ll also be speaking at other events around the valley through April. In all there are more than 100 events happening in conjunction with the reading program. For more information see the Silicon Valley Reads website. [Read more…]

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New Resolutions To Hope For

January 25, 2012 By
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Before we get ready to close out January, here’s a list of “resolutions” that if we all followed, this would be a better world. These are actually a list of hopes from Shane Claiborne, an "Hope" by Pol Sifteramazing young man who helped found The Simple Way community in Philadelphia. Shane and other members of the community live in a challenging neighborhood sharing life with, and serving, the poor.

If you’ve already given up on your New Year’s resolutions, adopt these for the coming year:

12.  Do something really nice – that no one knows about.

11. Spend more money on other people than I spend on myself. Love my neighbor as I love myself. And love myself as I love my neighbor.

10. Laugh often… especially at advertisements that try to convince me that I must buy more stuff in order to be happy. [Read more…]

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Share Your Story: A Tale of Two Incorporators

January 23, 2012 By
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Stewart Hyland of East Palo Alto shares this story below. If you have a story to share, visit our “Share Your Story” page.

Robert ‘Bob’ Hoover has been an institution in East Palo Alto starting in 1959 when he and his wife had come to Stanford but were not allowed to rent a home in Palo Alto so they moved into East Palo Alto. Carlos Romero went door to door in 1981-83 to advocate for residents to incorporate from a county municipality to a city. Both men served together to incorporate EPA.

In 2011 Mayor Carlos Romero convened two retreats to design a better funding strategy for Measure C Crime Prevention Parcel Tax. Making It Happen for Our Children President Bob Hoover, advocated for cross-service sector coordination as described in the Kania & Kramer’s ‘Collective Impact’ (http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/collective_impact). Both men have made lifelong commitments to a multicultural and changing East Palo Alto. [Read more…]

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Happy Lunar New Year!

January 23, 2012 By
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Good Neighbor Stories wishes everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year a very happy and prosperous Year of the Dragon!Chinese New Year Dragon by Robert Raines

The celebrating launched this weekend in the Bay Area and will continue for three weeks. Patch.com has a handy list of regional activities. Even though the kick off events are now over, there are still plenty of cultural events to enjoy between now and Feb. 12, from story times and creating lanterns at libraries, to concerts, to street festivals, to the grand finale parade in San Francisco on Feb. 11.

 

 

 

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Rooted In Justice: MLK Day Tree Planting in East Palo Alto

January 16, 2012 By
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About 90 volunteers descended on two schools in East Palo Alto today to plant a variety of fruit trees as a way to commemorate the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

The nonprofit group Collective Roots organized the event at the East Palo Alto Phoenix Acadamy and the East Palo Alto Charter School. Volunteers came from all over the valley. There were high school groups, families with small children, Americorps volunteers, and residents from the neighborhood. Together they planted about 40 citrus and avocado trees around the playgrounds and parking areas of the Phoenix Acadamy, and another 25 on the grounds of the charter school, where Collective Roots operates an educational garden.

According to Executive Director Kris Jensen, the group will maintain the trees while they become established, and later will help coordinate harvesting fruit from the trees. In addition to running a creative hands-on learning program, Collective Roots also maintains the East Palo Alto Community Farmers’ Market and the Backyard Gardener Network. [Read more…]

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My Favorite MLK Quote: ‘Hate Cannot Drive Out Hate’

January 16, 2012 By
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Editor’s Note: This is a reprise of a 2011 post to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day

In honor of Martin Luther  King Jr. Day, I offer one of my favorite MLK quotes from his book Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community:   

“Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

When I think of what Rev. King and his contemporaries accomplished by combating hate with love, I am in awe. Our basest instincts when hurt are to lash out. But King, who drew upon the teachings of Jesus, called all of us to a higher way of living. He asked us to love, even when love seems like a ridiculous response.

What I love about the quote, is the contrast between dark and light. Violence and evil exist in darkness. Love shines a light on evil, exposing it for all to see, and allowing us to stand up to what is wrong in order to bring about what is right.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to share the love light that shines when people help others, making this world a brighter place. We all have the capability to make the choice for love, not hate. By sharing stories of that love choice, it’s my hope we will all be inspired to make a similar choice in our own neighborhoods and communities.

The Christian Science Monitor is featuring a list of 10 favorite MLK quotes today. One quote talks about “good neighbors” so I had to share it here:

“The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers.” – Strength to Love

What are your favorite MLK quotes? Share them with us! Also, if you are doing anything in honor of today – like participating in a special service event, or just your own special action – please share that, too.

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