Heather’s
Comments
(group member since Nov 25, 2011)
Heather’s
comments
from the Helping Hands group.
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Barbara wrote: "Excellent ideas! A friend of mine has a nonprofit that donates her books to hospitals. She also has characters that visit too. A page in memory of a boy who did of Childhood Cancer shares how they ..."Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Barbara! I responded to your message.
Hey! You went back to this antiquated group and read a post dated from 8 years ago! Thank you BTW. 😊
I thought of a topic for us. There are times when I get down, on myself, on society, on humanity in general. Sometimes I get out there and do what I can, but sometimes I have to 'heal' me. Music is a large part of my life, so I'm want to share some that lifts my spirits and invite anyone who pleases to do the same!
Go! :)
Hi everyone! Anyone still here? I'm so sorry I have been a stranger to this, my own, group! I hope we can have some more action here, especially some experiences and ideas from times other than the holidays. Of course, holidays count, too, so if you have anything you would like to share about Christmas, or any other holiday celebrated in December, please share! It doesn't have to be just this year, it can be from any time. Something you've thought of, something you've witnessed, or any ideas you've heard. Please share!I'd love to hear from you and please forgive me for being absent! I don't have much of an excuse over such a long period of time, I just want to apologize.
Again this last summer, 2018, I went to the dollar store and bought some coloring books and crayons. I dropped them off to my local hospital for the children's unit. I didn't know where to go and it was evening so the volunteer desk at the front was vacant.
I went to the ER front desk and asked if I could leave them there. They wouldn't let me take the books and crayons to the unit but called a nurse to pick them up. They seemed surprised! In fact, the man at the ER desk didn't know what to do at first. He called someone to ask if I could go myself and was told no so that is when he called a nurse from that unit.
I didn't stay for the nurse to arrive and I don't know when (or if) they were taken to the children's unit but I am glad I did it.
Those are just a couple of experiences I've had. Anyone have anything to add?
I don't know if I've already posted this in another thread, but I thought I'd start its own thread.I collect books, I have 6 bookshelves full right now. Four of them are in my front room full of hard back books that just look good on display (of course, I have read many of them, too). I have a shelf in my office for random books, and a shelf in my bedroom for paperbacks.
I don't read a lot of fiction anymore, but I used to. So I went through my paperback books and found many fiction books that I've already read and don't really plan to read again. I actually created a medium sized moving box full! I was surprised I had that many!
I started at the psychiatric hospital because I figured the patients there with psychiatric illnesses like depression or bipolar illness do have a mind to be able to comprehend (I hope that didn't sound derogatory towards other with different illnesses!).
I called to see what the stipulations were for which books to donate. Of course they have to be paperback, not horror, porn, etc. So I filled a box with my paperback, fiction books and took it down there. The front desk was so excited! Apparently they don't have many books to choose from and I would think that the days there could be boring and just drag by. Some might be in there and bored to death and some fiction books can take them away from the thoughts of their own situation.
Because of the excitement of the front desk, I felt really good. I hope the books are used and appreciated by the patients there. I will never know, but again, it's the thought that counts!
This idea came from me from another group who shares ideas about donating the books to prisons and jails. Why not hospitals? Has anyone had any experiences donating something to the hospital in your area?
Then one other time in the fall of last year, 2018, it rained for several days. I work at Home Depot and we were having a sale on those large golf umbrellas for $5 each. These umbrellas are huge! So I bought five of them and drove around town. I only managed to find 3 people outside and gave them an umbrella. Again, I found a homeless Hispanic man, this time he looked middle-aged crouching behind a bus stop wall. I didn't know the word for umbrella in Spanish and again, he didn't speak much English. So I showed it to him and asked if he wanted it. He smiled really big and was happy to have it.
The others to whom I gave the other two umbrellas were a bit leery about me wondering who I was and why I was giving them an umbrella. One lady was hesitant just to come to the car door. She was also homeless with another, older lady. Of course, the umbrella was big enough for the two of them so I decided to save the other ones for other people. She kind of nodded and took the umbrella. Again, it's the thought that counts.
Just because of that one man by the bus stop, I felt great satisfaction in giving out the umbrellas. I still have two left and I plan to do that again. Unfortunately, I have procrastinated and haven't been out and about since then, but the intention is there and I hope to do it.
Anyone else have any ideas or experiences? Even if it wasn't you who did it, please share your ideas or something you've seen someone else do!
This same summer of 2018, while I was giving out the water (as noted above), I met an older Hispanic man who was sitting at a bus stop with his backpack and probably all his belongings inside. I stopped and gave him some water. He didn't speak much English and my Spanish is a bit rusty but I understood a little bit of what he was saying.After I gave him the water he asked if I had a blanket he could have. I actually had a spare blanket I keep for emergencies in my trunk. So I gave it to him. He asked if I had another one because it gets cold at night and he sleeps in the parking lot of the older, now abandoned homeless shelter. I live in the desert and though it is hot during the day, it does get to in the 50s at night and I can see how he would get cold. I didn't have another one to give him. I felt badly about that.
His name was Miguel. He was really sweet and I vowed that I would get a heavier blanket and try to find him again.
I went down to the second-hand store and got a great deal on a heavy comforter and bought a pillow. I carried that around, wrapped with a couple of bungee colds so he could carry it on his back, in the back of my car. For several days I drove to where he said he slept and never found him. I drove all around town for several days, too.
Needless to say, I never found him again and couldn't give him the comforter. It makes me sad for him and I know there are many other people out there in need of warmth in the evenings. Especially now that it is winter here, I think of those people.
I know it's the thought that counts, but I hope he is surviving alright. That experience was sort of bitter/sweet.
This past summer of 2018, it was particularly hot. The weather was in the upper 90 degrees (F) and to me, that's a bit warm to be outside!I took a cooler and filled it with two bags of ice cubes from the convenience store and a couple of 24 pack bottles of water. I drove around town and gave out the cold water to anyone I saw walking around outside that day.
I did start at the homeless shelter because I know in the rules there, the residents are made to go outside during the day and can only sleep there at night. So needless to say, there were a lot of people sitting around in the heat. So I gave out my water.
I still had plenty left so I drove anywhere I found myself and just handed these bottles to everyone I saw. Some were really grateful and said "God bless you" or something to that effect, of course others acted like it was nothing big, or they gave me the impression that they thought they were 'entitled' to the water, like it was their 'right' to take cold water from anyone giving it away. I admit that left a bad taste in my mouth, but I shouldn't think that way. If they felt they wanted it, I was there to give it to them. And there were a few people who actually declined the water. And that's okay, too.
But at the end of my journey, I felt happier for having done that. It wasn't a big deal, ice and water are relatively cheap, a little gas, but the good feelings I had afterward are well worth it!
I had had a bad day that day, I was actually sitting in my trailer, on the couch crying and having my own pity party of one. So that's when I came up with the idea, and it really helped me. :)
Now, I do not want to sound like I'm boasting or blowing my own horn, I just have a couple of experiences to relate that really helped me out in my life at these times. They may be doing something for someone else, but in the end, I am the one who benefits, have you seen that in your life, too?
It’s been a little while since we’ve gotten together and now the holidays, the usual time for people to be more charitable, are over.Does anyone have any experiences they would like to share? Something that YOU did for someone else? Something someone did for you? Something you witnessed as an act of kindness from one fellow human being to another?
Let’s share!
Hi Amber! I know we’ve messaged recently and I’m happy to be friends! I told you I was going to try to get this group going again but wasn’t sure how to go about this. Then I realized that I wrote you a PM and never commented here!
I thought this was such a great gesture and wonderful idea! You told me how it went, would you like to share your experience with the group? Maybe we can get some people peeking in again to see what’s going on.
I plan to have new posts and ideas coming soon! I didn’t want this group to dissolve after the holidays yet it kind of did, but the holidays are here again so why not share some more ideas everyone?!?!
come on back, I miss you all!
“I slept and I dreamed that life is all joy. I woke and I saw that life is all service. I served and I saw that service is joy.”― Kahlil Gibran
Stephen wrote: "I hope we all do more volunteering in any area that interests us. For me kids and autism are at the top of the list."Hi Stephen!
Thank you for your post! Volunteering for those interests that are important to us matter the most, in my opinion. One can give their heart and soul and it can be a joyful experience. What kind of volunteer work do you do with autistic people? Or were you referring to them separately?
This upcoming year I would like to acquire at least a few of the following habits. I do some of these already, but I want to make them habitual, without a second thought.I want to...
*Always hold the door open for anyone
*Always say thank you for any little nice thing that someone says to me or does for me. Show gratitude with sincerity!
*When I'm having a bad day, I do NOT want to ruin someone else's day! So if I have to be out in public, I will try extra hard to keep a half-smile on my face (instead of a scowl) and be extra courteous and friendly to those with whom I am in contact
*When in the grocery store parking lot, look for someone whose cart I can return for them when they have packed their groceries. And, if they will let me, I could help pack their car, too!
These are just on the top of my head at the moment as I sit here, not premeditated. I want to add more as I think of them.
They are little things, but you never know if it could have some impact on someone someday. You might never find out, but I feel that if I appreciate something someone does for me or says to me, other people might appreciate it, too!
"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you"
