Spreading helpful acts of kindness

Here is how you can be part of the ThanksGiving Project:

Go to five friends, family members, work collegues or aquaintances and tell them about the ThanksGiving Project. Ask them what favor you could do for them, a helpful act of kindness. Make arrangements how you will fulfill that promise to them and ask them to go to five people to offer them a helpful act of kindness as well.

The inspirational story of Helen Keller's dedicated teacher:

"How do you account for your remarkable accomplishment in life?" Queen Victoria of England asked Helen Keller. "How do you explain the fact that even though you were both blind and deaf, you were able to accomplish so much?"
Ms. Keller’s answer is a tribute to her dedicated teacher. "If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown."
According to speaker Zig Zigler, "Little Annie" Sullivan, as she was called when she was young, was no stranger to hardship. She was almost sightless herself (due to a childhood fever) and was, at one time diagnosed as hopelessly "insane" by her caregivers. She was locked in the basement of a mental institution outside of Boston. On occasion, Littlie Annie would violently attack anyone who came near. Most of the time she generally ignored everyone in her presence.
An elderly nurse believed there was hope, and she made it her mission to show love to the child. Every day she visited Little Annie. For the most part, the child did not acknowledge the nurse’s presence, but she still continued to visit. The kindly woman left cookies for her and spoke words of love and encouragement. She believed Little Annie could recover if only she were shown love.
Eventually doctors noticed a change in the girl. Where they once witnessed anger and hostility, they now noted an emerging gentleness and love. They moved her upstairs where she continued to improve. The day finally came when this seemingly "hopeless" child was released.
Anne Sullivan grew into a young woman with a desire to help others as she, herself, was helped by the kind nurse. It was she who saw the great potential in Helen Keller. She loved her, disciplined her, played with her, pushed her and worked with her until the flickering candle that was her life became a beacon of light to the world. Ann Sullivan worked wonders in Helen Keller’s life, but it was a loving nurse who first believed in Little Annie and lovingly transformed an uncommunicative child into a compassionate teacher.
"If it had not been for a kind and dedicated nurse, the name Helen Keller would not be known. And so it goes. Just how far back does the chain of kindness extend, and how far forward will it lead?
Those you have sought to reach, whether they be in your family or elsewhere, are part of a chain of love that can extend through the generations. Your influence on their lives, whether or not you see results, is immeasurable. Your legacy of dedicated kindness and caring can transform lost and hopeless lives for years to come. You can never overestimate the power of your love. It is a fire that once lit, may burn forever.

This story has been kindly shared with us by Reverend Sue Borg.


The idea of "Pay it forward"
"Pay it forward" is a book written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and it is also an idea. It is an action plan within a work of fiction. But does it have to be fiction? We're hoping not. In fact, since the book was released in January of 2000, a real-life social movement has emerged, not just in the U.S. but worldwide. What began as a work of fiction has already become much more.
The movie "Pay it forward" is based on the book and teaches us that sometimes the simplest idea can make the biggest difference as a young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance.
For additional information visit
The "Pay it forward" Foundation at www.payitforwardfoundation.org
The movie "Pay it forward" at www.payitforward.warnerbros.com/Pay_It_Forward

The idea of "Random acts of kindness"
A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by kind people to either help or cheer up a random stranger, for no reason other than to make people happier. Either spontaneous or planned in advance, random acts of kindness are encouraged by various communities.
"Random acts of kindness are those sweet or lovely things we do for no reason except that, momentarily, the best of our humanity has sprung into full bloom. When you spontaneously give a stranger the bouquet of red carnations you had meant to take home to your own dinner table, when you give your lunch to the guitar-playing homeless person who makes music at the corner between your two subway stops, when you anonymously put coins in someone else's parking meter because you see the red "EXPIRED" medallion signaling to the meter maid -you are doing not what life requires of you, but what the best of your human soul invites you to do." (from the book Random Acts of Kindness, by Dawna Markova, Conari Press)
For additional information visit
The "Random Acts of Kindness" Foundation at www.actsofkindness.org

When putting these two ideas together:
Imagine this: You are going to one of your famliy members or a dear friend and ask them, what you could do for them as an act of kindness that would be helpful to them. Now they might come up with something like doing some yardwork or watching their kid, so they can go shopping or doing a task around their house. Something nice and helpful to the person. You got it!
Okay, then as you both agree on how this is going to happen, ask them to do the same thing as you did with someone else to create the ripple effect. That person will go forward to the next person and so on and so on.

Please help us spread the message and encourage others to be part of the Thanksgiving Project - spreading helpful acts of kindness.