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ALEXANDRA "ALEX" SCOTT

This young girl left her mark by starting a lemonade stand that changed the world.  ... listen >

THE JUDGE

I was hired after my very first interview. I would be wearing a suit and tie every day. Well, I was flat broke and had no clothes suitable.  ... read >

I CAN'T FORGET AND I WON'T IGNORE

When I decided to volunteer for this program it was not my intention to attempt to find a solution for poverty. I wanted to help some homeless people, feel good about myself, even a little self-righteous, and move on, content that I had done my part.  ... read >

WHAT I LEARNED FROM CARL

The occupant of the seat next to the one I was going for was an older man in a grey suit, well-worn dress shoes, and a black hat like I always pictured reporters wearing, but without the little press card.  ... read >

LEARNING A VALUABLE LESSON

It was harvest time near Quincy, Florida, picking season for hundreds of migrant workers.  ... read >

SUNSHINE ON A RAINY DAY

I expressed my downcast state to my mother, hoping for some pity. Instead, she said, "I heard Jamie was having a difficult day too. Why don't you make her some cookies and we'll take them to her this afternoon?"  ... read >

GOLDEN RULE

Three years ago I was invited to join a group of individuals that were of diverse faiths. These wonderful people each have different beliefs and worship individually according to their faiths traditions.  ... read >

TOOTHLESS GRIN

I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand.  ... read >

LOVE AND CHARITY

My 3-year-old showed me just how good it feels to give to others when we went to the store for our 'treat day' (Fridays).  ... read >

RIGHT PLACE - RIGHT TIME

A few years ago when my youngest son Matthew was about 8 or 9 years old, we were getting things together to take to the Salvation Army at Christmas time.  ... read >

LEARNING TO GIVE

The town in which we stayed, Satu Mare, was filled with gypsies begging on tile streets. The road we traveled on the two hour bus ride to the village was lined with small two-room houses which house entire families.  ... read >

A SMALL FIRE

When I got there, the roof was in flames, four fire engines were at work, and there were people standing around, watching.  ... read >

GIFT OF HOPE

This wasn't a normal thrift store, though; it was linked to a community organization that helped to give people with disabilities hope for a better future.  ... read >

FOOD IN THE WORLD OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Nearly a year ago now, I had been unemployed for 3 months, No income, no food! Mother and 11 year old daughter. My landlady to whom i could not pay rent either decided to make a commitment to us. She said "I will not let you go without until you are settled again!".   ... read >

HELPING OR HURTING

Years ago my husband and I were walking in the city when a man approached us asking for money...  ... read >

SHARING

When I heard the doorbell ring, I went promptly to the door. As I opened it I saw a young man, about 24 years of age, standing there quietly.  ... read >

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

Married with two children at thirty-eight, I grew restless. I was unhappy with my job and felt exhausted at the end of the day. I wanted to do something creative with my life. “Life begins at forty” became my mantra.  ... read >

THE PARKING METER BANK

My mother gave me a gift that day that will last a lifetime.  ... read >

NURSES MATTER

She will never know how much that mattered and it has been 25 years later now.  ... read >

CHILDHOOD INSPIRATION

One day, I offered to help her out in all of her errands, purchases and general upkeep of her house, but on one condition: that she did not corrupt me with payment in cash or kind.  ... read >

NINTH WARD TREASURE

I was itching to go back on active duty with the US Coast Guard, especially to go back to the Gulf Coast of the United States. I had been ordered down to Gulfport, Mississippi the night after Hurricane Katrina hit.  ... read >

ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE

Only a minute after I stopped on the side of the road, a semi pulled up behind me to see I needed help. I explained to him that I had to make my appointment, and that I was to deliver any day now.  ... read >

SHARING THE FEELING

A bowl of curd rice, a promise, and a valuable lesson learned.  ... read >

A REAL CHRISTMAS TREE

We’d always wanted a real Christmas tree—a tall, lavishly decorated one, like other families had. It would have had singing lights, silver tinsel, blown-glass ornaments, and icicles dressing its snow-tipped branches.  ... read >

FINE EXAMPLES

My mother through her fine example instilled within me the desire to help others. She taught me to notice those whom others ignore  ... read >

IN THIS MOMENT, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT?

Today in the moments of frustration, ask yourself the question, "In this moment, what is most important?"  ... read >

THE GRACE OF SMALL KINDNESS

Just like I knew that Ryan would be fine, I knew that I would be fine, because love and peace aren't just in heaven, they are in every one of us. They were in the people who packed and painted. They were in the people who entertained Ryan in the hospital. They were in the people who reminded me to eat. They were in the people who had moved us. They were in the people who had arranged for hospice. I knew that just as I had needed Ryan to tell me a joke when I was down; I had needed those people, and they had wanted to be there for me.  ... read >

BEAUTIFUL

I realized at that moment that no matter how I was feeling, it was what I was doing that was important.  ... read >

KINDNESS

Before the day of the assembly, I had been trying to better myself by simply being kind to others. After the assembly, I got the idea of just saying thanks to the wonderful staff at my high school.  ... read >

SUNDAYS WITH JESSE

The principal had put me down for watching over Jesse. Jesse was like any other 4th grade boy except for one thing: He was profoundly autistic.   ... read >

A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE

That Christmas Eve, however, as usual, my father left the house dressed as Santa Claus. He knew that even though our Christmas would be hard, he could not disappoint the other kids in the neighbourhood.  ... read >

THE OLD LADY IN THE WORN BROWN COAT

After a short while, my father had the heater up and running, making great heat for their cold home. I followed my dad upstairs where the lady asked my dad in poorly spoken English how much she owed him for fixing the heater. My dad looked around the house and said that he had to go out to the truck and write the bill.  ... read >

GUESTS FROM THE CLUB

Despite our financial hardship, though, every year during the holidays the best memories were made. Most of those grand memories take me back to December 25th, when Dad would announce to us after breakfast that he was going downtown to bring home guests for dinner.  ... read >

A GIFT TO ALL - BUT THE GIFT WAS IN THE GIVING

In 1994, the year after my father-in-law died, I planned a surprise for my husband on our anniversary. My husband didn't know where we were going, only that we were flying to see someone he loved.  ... read >

FROM SPARK TO FLAME

When my now 19 year old daughter was in Grade 3, all of Mrs. Mathews’ students were given a small pot with a bean seed to plant. Green string beans it seems are pretty hardy and the perfect seed to use when promoting green thumbs in young children. That same plant was also a most unexpected source of understanding and insight for me.  ... read >

A BIRTHDAY TO REMEMBER

One of the men wanted to go to a restaurant for his birthday with a few of his friends and housemates. We were all having a great time, eating and joking and just having fun.  ... read >

GOING TO THE ELEVEN

My family was getting ready to sit down to dinner. My son was hopping on one foot and counting to ten. He had me count three times. 1, 2, 3, ...10. He stayed balanced each time. Then he tried his left foot. 1, 2, 3, ...10. He did it again. Then he paused... "This time Mommy. let's go to the..." He thought about it for a long time, "to the eleven." At first I laughed. What great inspired things kids say.  ... read >

ONE STRANGER'S KINDNESS

While doing some caving in Southern Missouri a few years ago, we came out of a cave only to find a flat tire on our van. I was with three or four of my buddies and we were covered in mud and not the most clean-cut group. We were way out in the country and we stumbled across a "mutton feed.” We were told that there was a gentleman who might be able to help us.  ... read >

THE GIFT OF SELF

I was a very young mother of two, when my husband of nearly ten years died very suddenly. Bob, who had just turned 34, had, had a fatal arrhythmia in his sleep. I was 31, with a thirteen month old baby and four year old–both girls.  ... read >

HELPING THE ELDERLY

To live in a hard-knock place, and see that there are still values that people believe in and live up to, is so rare.  ... read >

SHARING IS CARING

So working at camp has taught me so many, many things—especially working at a camp for kids coming from low-income families and neighborhoods. One thing it has taught me is that these kids are not short of kindness and happiness, they just show it differently.  ... read >

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

I have come a long way from riding on the back of a donkey as a child in Portugal in the 50's and 60's, where I grew up. My family was poor; in fact, I recall times when my courageous mother had to literally beg for food to feed four hungry boys.  ... read >

OFFICE ANGELS

I had recently started working at my new job in January 2008 when I started getting these terrible headaches almost every day, among other symptoms. I couldn’t figure out what was causing them. Then it dawned on me, my dentist had been bugging me to get my wisdom teeth removed for a good 3 years and now they were posing a serious threat.  ... read >

TWO AMAZING PEOPLE

I recently read a wonderful account of an incredible act of kindness. It involved the country singer, Jan Howard, and it occurred back in the early or mid 1950's.  ... read >

MICHAEL AND ST. THERESA

I have been suffering from severe depression for quite a while now, so when my partner suggested we take a day trip to Dublin on the ferry I reluctantly said yes. We arrived in Dublin and while he went to meet a friend I strolled down O'Connell Street just looking at shops and people watching.  ... read >

HOLDING DOORS CAN SOMETIMES MEAN MORE THAN YOU THINK

We were cutting it close on time and our coach is very into punctuality—meaning we would be punished severely if we were late. As we rushed to the double doors leading to the University Center, I saw an elderly woman, walking very, very slowly, but almost to the doors.  ... read >

DELIVERING SMILES

My name is Destinee. I am 11 years old. I have a friend name Shelby. Shelby and I have set up a small organization with my Mom. It is called Delivering Smiles.  ... read >

SERVING THE UNDERSERVED

My story is about an individual who truly represents servant leadership and community betterment. As a college student, I was fortunate to be hired as an intern for an international community development organization.  ... read >

THE STRANGER

The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friend's hand and said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"  ... read >

GUM

Today I was out shopping with my mom at a store. While a lady in front of us in the checkout line, I spied a kid that looked 2 years younger than me. He was trying to get some gum but probably was out of money, because he just stared at the dispenser with sad eyes.  ... read >

HELPING SOUTH FLORIDA

Helping South Florida's homeless... one bag at a time.   ... read >

DAYDREAM

One boy really can make a difference!  ... watch >

VOLUNTEERING WORK

Here is an example of hundreds of people coming together to serve their community.  ... watch >

CU BOULDER CREED AWARD WINNERS

Last year, members of the University of Colorado at Boulder held an awards dinner in honor of students doing exceptional things, both on campus, and around the world. These are their stories.  ... watch >