Entire Town Staged 'Cash Mob' For Beloved Store Owner Going Through Tough Times

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Levittown, New York came together to be there for a man who was always there for them.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> Avi Gandhi, 63, originally from India, came to Levittown, New York about ten years ago and took over Center Lane Stationery, a convenience store. He became a beloved member of the community while working at his shop. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, the store owner announced earlier this year that he may have to close the store.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/10/residents-strangers-rally-to-save-ny-mom-and-pop-shop/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e49400; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">The economy is hurting me</a>," Gandhi told ABC News. "I don’t know what is going to happen ... It is that bad. Business has gone down 75 percent in the last five years."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> But Craig and Celeste Hamilton Dennis, customers and friends of Gandhi, weren't ready to give up on the man who meant so much to their town. Back in June, with the help of Gandhi's customers, they organized a "cash mob," where people flooded the store to boost its business. They also documented the event in a short film, "Cash Mob for Avi," in hopes of helping him to continue running his store.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "Avi took in the whole scene and was just shocked and humbled. He kept insisting that this was not just an honor for him, but for all small business owners who work hard every day but never receive any acclaim," Liz Morrison, director of the short film, told The Huffington Post in an email.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt="flash mob" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2217586/thumbs/o-FLASH-MOB-570.jpg?6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.zackdelaune.com/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e49400; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Zack DeLaune</a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> The project, which was put together through a Facebook event and took about a month and a half to plan, was kept a complete secret from Gandhi. When the cash mob began, Gandhi was confused as to why so many people were coming into his shop, and was bit flustered by the booming business. After it was revealed to him what was going on, and he stepped outside to a crowd of supportive customers, Morrison says he was overjoyed.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "They escorted Avi out to the cheering crowd, and he just was blow away. He raised his fists and proclaimed that he wanted to 'serve them until his last moment,'" she said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt="cash mob for avi" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/2217614/thumbs/o-CASH-MOB-FOR-AVI-570.jpg?6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.zackdelaune.com/" sl-processed="1" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e49400; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_hplink">Zack DeLaune</a></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> While the gesture was a grand one, Celeste said that Gandhi definitely deserved it.</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> "He knew the names of everyone who came in, who their family was, what their disappointments were, the dreams they had. He would frequently joke, offer sage advice, let people pay him back if they were hard up, listen intently, and make people feel like they mattered," Celeste told HuffPost. "He was like family to many of his customers."</div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; direction: ltr; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; vertical-align: baseline;"> While his business is still struggling, and may close by December, the 63-year-old is staying positive, and seeing it as an opportunity to spend more time with his wife, Bharati, and cut back on work hours. His community has continued to stand by him, in support of a man who Morrison says, "works tirelessly every day to serve his customers."</div> </div>

Entire Town Staged 'Cash Mob' For Beloved Store Owner Going Through Tough Times

Levittown, New York came together to be there for a man who was always there for them. Avi Gandhi, 63, originally from India, came to Le...

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A letter to young people everywhere

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My Dear Jewels of Inestimable Value,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The thought of you makes me look to the future with confidence. Yes, when I look at you my heart leaps with joy because your worth is beyond imagination. Can anyone truly guess all that will come out from you in this life for the good of humanity? Am I wrong to say that may be you are that leader who will arise to bring joy to your country, your people and those whom you will have responsibility over? There is nothing about you today to suggest that you cannot rise from where you are right now, no matter how you or anyone else may choose to describe your present situation, to that place of fulfillment. And I am saying this with every sense of responsibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">               <img alt="Hints for Learning a Foreign Language Fast" src="http://cdn.womanitely.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Hints-for-Learning-a-Foreign-Language-Fast.jpg" /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The mistake of many nations, cities, communities, and homes is the failure to provide an enabling environment and the needed discipline for their young minds to dream good dreams and engage in positive inquest so as to get what it takes to release their potentials for the good of humanity.</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Isn't</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> it somewhat amazing that you may at this time in your life feel outrageously flattered by what you are hearing? Or it is possible that you may be feeling unnecessarily patronized. Whatever the case, it is my hope that you will give me a little of your time to hear what I have to say. When I say that you are wiser, greater, smarter, and more intelligent than you agree with and worth much more than you look, your present condition notwithstanding, please believe me.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Your looks today and at whatever time do not and cannot reveal the fullness of the glory in you. Never forget that!<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">My Dear, it is possible that, saying that you are going through very trying and difficult times will be saying the least. You may be going through what Sharon had to go through at a young age. She had gained admission to study Medicine and Surgery but nearly missed the opportunity because of lack of funds. From her first month in school everything seemed to work against her. She could not fit into several social circles because of her very poor background. Coming from a very poor home, she knew and kept her limits and though she desired to be able to get her hands on several things that several other students her age took for granted, she just </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">couldn't</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As if her financial challenges were not enough for a young person of her age she carried the burden of having a near-invalid mother at home, a tirelessly working father who could barely put food on the table and two other siblings who had to drop out of school to enable her keep her dream of becoming a Medical Doctor alive. Her father had sold their choice piece of land to enable her start off at school. The siblings now engage in every available menial job to help their father provide the minimum medical care which their mother needed and to send the remaining to keep Sharon at school. They were just satisfied to carry on with near empty pockets and empty food store at home. This was the burden which young Sharon had to carry as she studied hard to make it through college. But, her dream nearly came to an abrupt end. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was just another day, with the birds welcoming everyone into a day that began with brightness, thereby hiding the soon to happen and evil news that will leave many devastated, including Sharon. Since entering college Sharon has won the envy of her fellow students and the respect of her teachers through hard work. The college library staffs have all fallen in love with her because of her way of life and good use of the library. So, this day, she was in the library looking up some books and some medical journals so as to gather information for her turn to do presentation in physiology class. Having spent just about thirty minutes she wondered why she was feeling uneasy and wanted, more than anything, to go back to her room. It was at this point that one of the library staff came close to her and requested to have some time with her. On getting to her desk she met an unusual gathering of some of her class mates and few friends and immediately she knew something was wrong. It was the library staff - with whom she had built a kind of mother-daughter relationship - that broke the news to her. </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The mention of death sent Sharon gasping for air and needed to be given first Aid. Sharon’s father had been hit by a drunk driver the night before and died in the early hours of the day. It </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">wouldn't</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> be enough to say that Sharon was devastated rather it will be better to say that she ‘slumped into devastation’, so deep that the hope of recovery was dim. In less than two hours Sharon had lost consciousness twice and needed to be resuscitated. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Sharon had </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 19px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">dreamed</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> of becoming a Medical Doctor not just for money but to give the best care to her mother and help her siblings get back to school. She wanted more than anything to end the misery that was so clearly written over the father’s face. A misery she had known all through her young life. Now, the candle which was providing her the little flickering light as she was navigating the torturous path of life into which she was born was gone. Her world crumbled! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">...to be continued</span></span></div> </div>

A letter to young people everywhere

My Dear Jewels of Inestimable Value, The thought of you makes me look to the future with confidence. Yes, when I look at you my heart ...

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Inspirational: Good Deeds, Kind Hearts, Caring People

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">5 Friends Get $10K to Travel US, Spreading Kindness to Strangers</span></span></h1> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_28992" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; margin: 6px auto; max-width: 100% !important; text-align: center; width: 570px;"> <div style="text-align: left;"> <a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ARK-Project-Now.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><img alt="ARK-Project-Now" class="wp-image-28992 size-full" height="326" src="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ARK-Project-Now.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100% !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 570px;" width="560" /></span></a></div> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="font-style: italic; padding: 5px 0px 15px; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The ARK project gave a shopping spree to two children whose family was stuck in Iowa for weeks at a hospital while their ill baby was being treated.</span></span></div> </div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Thanks to a $10,000 grant from Kind Snacks, five friends are hitting the streets this summer, spreading acts of random kindness to strangers around the country through a nonprofit organization called ARK Project Now.</span></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">They’ve traveled 6,000 miles in an RV, left care packages for homeless people, bought coffee for strangers, and cooked dinner for families visiting sick relatives.</span></span></div> <div> <br /></div> </h1> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Diner Leaves $1,000 Tip, Waiter Shares It With Entire Staff</span></span></h1> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/reciept-small-1000-buck-tip.jpg" style="text-decoration: none !important;"><img alt="reciept-small-1000-buck-tip" class="alignright size-full wp-image-29047" height="342" src="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/reciept-small-1000-buck-tip.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-left: 21px; margin-top: 6px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="280" /></a>A diner who was celebrating his birthday at The Ginger Man in Albany, N.Y., last week tipped server Michael Shafts $1,000, along with the message, “Pay it forward. My birthday present to me!” ABC News reported.</span></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And pay it forward he did. Shafts shared his gratuity with all the staff members who had worked that night.</span></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The tip was 10 times the amount of the entire bill.</span></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong>- READ</strong> the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/1000-tip-server_n_5610623.html" style="text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">story from Huff Post</a></span></span></div> <div style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><strong>- WATCH</strong> the short video below from ABC)<br /><iframe height="360" src="http://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=24661304" style="border-style: none; max-width: 100%;" width="640"></iframe></span></span></div> <div addthis:title="Diner Leaves $1,000 Tip, Waiter Shares It With Entire Staff " addthis:url="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/diner-leaves-1000-tip-waiter-shares-entire-staff/" class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" style="font-weight: normal;"> <a class="addthis_button_facebook at300b" href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/diner-leaves-1000-tip-waiter-shares-entire-staff/#" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: none !important;" title="Facebook"><span class=" at300bs at15nc at15t_facebook" style="background-image: url(http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/widget060_32x32.gif) !important; background-position: 0px -2592px !important; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat !important; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 32px !important; overflow: hidden; width: 32px !important;"></span></a></div> </h1> <div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Teacher Adopts ‘Holy Terror’ Student No One Else Wanted</span></span></h1> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/chalk-board-student-at-school-Aaron_Tait-640px.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); outline: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="chalk-board-student-at-school-Aaron_Tait-640px" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-28911" height="390" src="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/chalk-board-student-at-school-Aaron_Tait-640px.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 6px auto; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /></span></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cruz Riojas came from a troubled home: He was reportedly beaten by his stepfather, lived in a decrepit one-room lean-to with six other family members, and wore the same clothes to school every day.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">His anger flared up in classrooms where he was known as a “holy terror.” Teachers loathed him.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Linda Hooper, a teacher who first encountered Cruz in the early ’80s, when he was 12 years old, came to love him.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He began coming for visits at her home, and eventually stayed.</span></div> <div> <br /></div> <br /> <br /> <header style="margin-bottom: 12px; position: relative; top: -16px;"><h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">This Blind Man Tutors Young Readers, An Example to All</span><span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> (WATCH)</span></span></h1> </header><div addthis:title="This Blind Man Tutors Young Readers, An Example to All (WATCH) " addthis:url="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-blind-man-tutors-young-readers/" class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style "> <a class="addthis_button_facebook_like at300b" fb:like:layout="button_count" href="" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; padding: 0px 2px;"><div class="fb-like fb_iframe_widget fb_iframe_widget_fluid" data-action="like" data-font="arial" data-href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-blind-man-tutors-young-readers/" data-layout="button_count" data-ref=".U9eIXycsf5Q.like" data-send="false" data-show_faces="false" data-width="90" fb-iframe-plugin-query="action=like&app_id=&font=arial&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodnewsnetwork.org%2Fthis-blind-man-tutors-young-readers%2F&layout=button_count&locale=en_US&ref=.U9eIXycsf5Q.like&sdk=joey&send=false&show_faces=false&width=90" fb-xfbml-state="rendered" style="height: auto; 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background-image: url(data:image/png; background-position: 0px -114px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; box-sizing: content-box; display: block !important; float: left; font-weight: bold; height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 3px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 4px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none !important; transition: none; width: 34px !important;" target="_blank" title="View more services"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">19</span></span></a><div class="atclear" style="clear: both;"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/blind-volunteer-Jeff-Balek-in-classroom-reading-YMCAvideo.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); outline: none; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="blind-volunteer-Jeff-Balek-in-classroom-reading-YMCAvideo" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29148" height="416" src="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/blind-volunteer-Jeff-Balek-in-classroom-reading-YMCAvideo.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 6px auto; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" width="644" /></span></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Jeff Balek was born blind, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing one of his favorite past-times – teaching children who can see how to read.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With no transportation of his own, getting to the program is a labor of love, but Balek says volunteering through the YMCA in Charlotte, NC to help children overcome their reading barriers has enriched his life in ways he never imagined.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> </div> <div class="alignleft" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-right: 21px; margin-top: 6px;"> <ins id="aswift_1_expand" style="border: none; display: inline-table; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; visibility: visible; width: 250px;"><ins id="aswift_1_anchor" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: none; display: block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; visibility: visible; width: 250px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="250" hspace="0" id="aswift_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="aswift_1" scrolling="no" style="left: 0px; max-width: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0px;" vspace="0" width="250"></iframe></ins></ins></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Balek is a reading buddy in the Y Readers Program, designed to help children in grades K-3 who currently read below grade level to improve their literacy skills and self-confidence.</span><br /> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Each week, Jeff follows the readers along in braille. For the kids, he’s living proof that any obstacle can be overcome.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He’s one of 500,000 YMCA volunteers across the country – of all ages and backgrounds – who are working with Ys in their communities to help people learn, grow and thrive.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(<strong>WATCH</strong> this special reading buddy below)</span></div> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JRNubd8oNHQ" style="height: 377.4px; max-width: 100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span><br /> <div addthis:title="This Blind Man Tutors Young Readers, An Example to All (WATCH) " addthis:url="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-blind-man-tutors-young-readers/" class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style"> <a class="addthis_button_facebook at300b" href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-blind-man-tutors-young-readers/#" style="cursor: pointer; 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padding: 4px 2px 4px 10px;"> <ul class="td-tags clearfix" style="list-style: none; margin: 6px 0px 3px !important; padding: 0px; position: relative;"></ul> </div> </div> </footer><div class="clearfix" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; widows: auto;"> </div> <br /> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: 10px 0px 7px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Texans Give to Border Refugee Children</span></span></h1> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/900px-charity-boxes-for-homeless-immigrant-children-FB-Cindy_Cole-.jpg" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); outline: none;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="900px-charity-boxes-for-homeless-immigrant-children-FB-Cindy_Cole" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29203" height="442" src="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/900px-charity-boxes-for-homeless-immigrant-children-FB-Cindy_Cole-.jpg" style="border: 0px; clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 6px auto; max-width: 100%; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" width="900" /></span></a></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Dallas grandmother has organized a grassroots effort to provide care packages for children caught at the border.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cindy Cole said she was tired of seeing the protests and politicians arguing about the influx of unaccompanied minors at the border.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cole, who is a nurse, created a Facebook post asking for volunteers to help. She thought she might be able to fill 50 boxes, but donations and offers to volunteer exploded.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She had to move the operation to a local church, says CBS News, because her house couldn’t hold all the deliveries full of supplies mailed from around the country and world.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">600 boxes and backpacks were delivered this week to Catholic Charities for distribution to the children, who Cindy says “have nothing.”</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 21px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">She continues to organize for these refugee children at the Facebook Page called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/OperationMatthew25/" style="text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">Operation Matthew 25</a>. She is using donations for dozens of children’s books and wants to send 200 backpacks to the San Antonio location.</span></div> <div> <br /></div> </div>

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