Stories of Kindness from Around the World

I am a social worker and substance abuse counsellor. I wanted to tell everyone about my very dear friend and mentor who passed away a few months ago.

I met him many years ago while doing my internship in the county correctional facility. He was directing a program he had designed to help inmates with their drug and alcohol problems. He was always coming up with novel ways to bring hope and help to these men and their families.

One of his favorite events was the toy drive he would run every Christmas for the children of the inmates. He did this for twenty years until his sudden death. As last Christmas approached I decided that this tradition HAD to be carried on, for the children as well as the memory of my friend.

But the file where he kept the names of the people who had helped him over the years had gone missing. I had to start from scratch and with very little time! I started making phone calls, explaining about the project and my predicament. I prayed every night that the event would, somehow, be worthy of my friend.

Individuals, churches and businesses began to come on board and, eventually, I had enough toys to give to all the children of the inmates with some left over for the local community as well!

I run an organization that provides supportive housing services for people with substance abuse problems. I used some of these facilities as "drop" spots for the toys. The clients in the facility asked if they could volunteer their time to sort through the toys and help distribute them.

When Christmas Eve finally arrived I heaved a sigh of relief, thinking I had done all I could do and reflecting on what an honor it had been for me. I was bagging up the remaining toys wondering if there was anyone left who might like them. Then my phone rang.

It was my daughter, explaining about a woman she knew in Kentucky who had five children, one seriously ill, no husband, no heating in the home, and no toys!

Ohh… how could we not?

My daughter and I drove all night, from New York to Kentucky, and those children woke up in a nice warm house with plenty of toys!

My friend’s spirit of kindness lived on that year, reaching all the way to Kentucky!