HELPER SPOTLIGHT: (by bfitzinAR)
This story was submitted to me by bfitz prior to her banning. I was planning on using it last week but did a different type of diary...I submit it now.
My senior high English teacher was interested in her students, in their lives not just their behavior in class or their grades. Mentored them when that was appropriate. Took groups to various functions ranging from the annual festival at the Greek Orthodox Church to traveling companies of African Dancers (I was a student in her class that attended both of those particular functions). Taught us about the family relationship of all peoples using English literature. I kept in touch with her after I graduated from high school and over time I graduated from student to former student to friend.
She had a 20-year hiatus from teaching while she was caregiver for her parents (and the 5 years after they died it took her to get back into the educational job market). She didn't really like teaching 8th grade as much as she had 12th grade - but she didn't stint the kids. And she visited the homes of every single one of her students, most of whom were Hispanic. This red-hair fading to white blue-eyed Irish woman did the families the sort of courtesy they definitely deserved but most definitely did not expect. And the kids started looking out for her. When she was walking through the neighborhoods if she was heading some place it was a really bad idea she go to, the kids would show up and take her somewhere safer. If the neighborhood "tough guys" started to head her way, the kids would show up and say "That's Mrs. Ragsdale" (in Spanish - which I don't remember enough of to say it correctly) and the tough guys would either back off - or stop being tough guys and become older kids happy to meet her. I can't say she never had failures - everyone does - but she was dealing with a demographic who had a really high dropout rate and hers all went on to high school, even if they didn't all make it all the way through.
Humans helping humans:
Share tables in elementary schools are being created to help in the reduction of food waste and to help those at the school who are hungry. At the end of th day, his food is disbursed to homeless shelters or sent home with students.
Nurses sneak dog into hospital to say goodbye. Hospital nurses worked with the family to bring this fur baby into the hospital to say goodbye.
TCU donates leftover food after football games to homeless shelter run by the Union Gospel Mission. They also deliver leftovers from the dining halls twice a week.
This is some good customer service.
Love me some “staffies” and ducks. Doesn’t everybody?
Who’s cuddling who?
Some ‘feel good’ animal stories to put a smile on your face:
Animals helping humans in critical situations
Five stories of animals saving humans
Real life stories of animals helping each other out
Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others.