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Posts Tagged ‘Maria D’

Day 49 – John D.

Posted in Savings, tagged , , , , on March 7, 2011| 2 Comments »

Blog post by Maria D., a Kindness Investor from Washington, DC.

A 6 foot 2, mid-forties man walks around the living room, adorned in tattered army fatigues and tennis shoes.  He looks tired and antsy as his eyes quickly jet around the room.  He just finished sweeping the floor and talks to the staff person on duty.  “Yeah, okay. I’ll take out the trash.”
It’s Sunday and chore time for all the residents (about a dozen) at this house – an adult home for the mentally ill in Pacthogue on Long Island, New York.  I wanted to help, but got the feeling chores are part of the structure and not to disturb it.  I later found out that “John” (he declined to provide his name or be photographed) is a Gulf War I veteran from NY who had a breakdown and never recovered.  His parents live nearby and visit him fairly often, which isn’t always the case in the adult home.  Some residents only have each other as friends and family.
I wasn’t going to be there long, so I decided to just go for it and ask John if he’d accept the $10 for the Year of Giving project.  “Well, I dunno,” was his initial response.  But upon assurance from the staff person Rita, John agreed to accept the money. When asked what he plans to do with the money, he was reluctant.  “Well, I’m not sure yet, why, what does it matter?  Well, I might save it, might give it to my mom.”  It seemed like a lot of money to him and he didn’t want to blow it all at once.
In terms of what he needs or what people could give him, John didn’t feel comfortable with that.  So I guess what I would offer is that you don’t dismiss people right away if they seem a little different – you never know their story.  A little tolerance can go a long way.  And if you are so inclined, there are many adult homes around the states who are underfunded and in need of volunteers, not to mention various veterans’ causes.

And thanks, it’s been an interesting experience being a Kindness Investor!

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Day 48 – Griffin

Posted in Savings, tagged , , , , , on March 5, 2011| 3 Comments »

Blog post by Maria D., a Kindness Investor from Washington, DC.

 

Say hello to the ambitious and thrifty Griffin!  He’s a young New Yorker who has called Long Island his home for eleven years of life. I got the chance to meet him while down at my Aunt’s local library and decided, why not give the $10 to a young person. Children are our future, right?? So with his mom’s approval, of course, I told Griffin about Reed’s Year of Giving, what it stands for and asked him if he’d be my recipient of the day.
Right off the bat it was clear that Griffin has a value for money and that it is important to him to save for a rainy day.  His parents have a family owned business that he hopes to be part of in the future.  As such, he decided to save the money by putting it into the bank.  “It’s important to me to put the money away so I can have money for the future.”
Griffin’s family also engages in philanthropic activities and fundraising is another value that has been instilled in him.  “When we’re making money, then we can help other people too.  That’s something my parents tell me is important to do.”
And there you have it, folks – he’s young, wise, and looking to do good in his adult years.  Good luck Griffin!

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Day 47 – Emma

Posted in Donation, tagged , , , , , on March 4, 2011| 1 Comment »

Blog post by Maria D., a Kindness Investor from Washington, DC.

 

Greetings to Emma, from Takoma Park, MD.  She’s lived in the area her whole life and loves the community she shares with others. She had a big dose of skepticism though and declined to be photographed or exchange contact information.  She decided to give the $10 to her friend Marilyn’s business as a donation.  “She’s in financial strain and I know she could use the money.”

 

When asked if we could do anything for her, she rummaged through her bags (luckily before the bus came) to find her friend Marilyn’s flyer.  “If you could get the word out, that’d be great.  She’s a really deserving person and just needs a break right now to help her with her family expenses piling up.”

 

Marilyn sells health products through her website portal: www.MarilynCooper.FreeLife.com.  So if you have time, check it out. Maybe you’ll find something you need and can help support a mom looking to take care of her family.  Thanks for the brief but encouraging encounter, Emma!

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Day 46 – Jay

Posted in Transportation, tagged , , , , , , , on March 3, 2011| 10 Comments »

Blog post by Maria D., a Kindness Investor from Washington, DC.

 

Give a warm welcome to Jay. He’s a 22-year old born and raised in the District who currently works at Washington Sports Club.  Jay considers himself to be currently underemployed, like so many of us, and has aspirations of being a mechanic. “I’m going to go into the Coast Guard.  They gave me an offer to be a mechanic, which will put me on my way to pursuing my longtime dream of having my own mechanic business.”

 

Jay has been the first person I met so far who knew about the Year of Giving and Reed.  “Hey, wasn’t that guy in the newspaper, I think Street Sense? His story was really inspiring.”

 

How so, I asked. “Well here was this guy who had a great job, then lost it, and was unemployed but handing out money to people.  I especially remember the story on the tall, black homeless guy with long white dreads and a staff.  Yeah, that story was really inspirational to me.”

 

And what will Jay be doing with the $10?  “You know, Metro’s getting pretty expensive, so that’s where it’s going to go.” But Jay was also concerned with how I’d be able to give him the money. I’m budgeting for it, by giving up lunches out this week.  “Well now I feel bad, are you sure?”  Ha, YES! Somebody take the money, please!! But a sweet sentiment, nonetheless.

 

A few things I took away from this encounter are 1) It’s amazing how much money I waste all the time that I could be saving for a rainy day, giving to others, etc. and being underemployed helps put things in perspective; 2) It’s exciting to meet people like Jay who have aspirations and are finding the path and taking the steps to lead them to their goals; 3) Reed is kind of a big deal…  Looking forward to tomorrow!

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Day 45 – Asrat

Posted in Gave the money back, tagged , , , , , , on March 2, 2011| 10 Comments »

Blog post by Maria D., a Kindness Investor from Washington, DC.

Tadiyass! (that means hello in Amharic)

Well friends, I had the pleasure of meeting Asrat last weekend and would like to introduce him to you all. I have only taken a cab 3 or 4 times since moving to the DC area in October 2010. Serendipitously, out of the few times I have hailed a random cab, I’ve had the good fortune to ride with Asrat twice! Each time I was feeling low but both time we cheered each other up by chatting about topics ranging from national politics to Neti pots.  That is to me what being human is all about – connecting with one another.

 

Anyway,  Asrat is originally from Ethiopia and has resided in the DC/MD area for the past 8 years.  He has some family here but most are still in Ethiopia and it has been a long time since Asrat has seen them.  He sends money and other things home and works incredibly hard everyday as a cab driver in order to take care of himself and others.  In fact, both times I have met him, he’s just started a second shift after a brief nap at home.
Asrat’s life can be rough at times, but he did have some advice for those currently un- or underemployed, “Work hard to find a job.  You don’t have to wait, it’s not easy, but you don’t need to depend on others.”
It was this hard work ethic that may have lead him to do what he did with the $10 I handed over.  “I’ll give it back to you, thank you.”  It was a kind gesture, but not surprising coming from a kind man.  Even though Asrat thoroughly enjoys engaging with others on the job, he is often concerned for his safety.  As such, what would Asrat want or need from us?  A safer job.  Not too much, if you ask me…

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Day 44 – Marilyn J.

Posted in Gave the money back, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2011| 2 Comments »

Blog post by Maria D., a Kindness Investor from Washington, DC.

Say a big hello to Mrs. Marilyn J. If you’re going to sit down and chat with her, get ready to laugh your head off because Marilyn epitomizes what it’s like to be young, flirty and fresh at ANY age.  This grandma had taken a roughly hour and a half journey by bus and Metro to get to the Kennedy Center to see the ever-shocking, totally filthy red-headed comic Kathy Griffin.  When asked why she traveled so far alone to the show, she replied, “Are you kidding me! I’m not just gonna rot at home. And this just sounded like fun! So I’m here!”  In fact, she laughs at her kids when they ask her about being older.  “I wouldn’t trade my age for any other in the world.  I’m totally satisfied.”

This beautiful Canadian gem gave me all kinds of advice on topics from career and love to life and fashion (she was sporting a very lovely dress, by the way, purchased for $5 at Burlington Coat Factory).  When she heard I was an under/unemployed lawyer, she had some ideas. “Well honey, get involved in immigration law.  That was one hell of a struggle for me and my husband when we came here. Sheesh!”
Marilyn’s husband passed away 6 years ago, but she’s still going strong in her job as a Parks and Services Manager at an RV store in Cherry Hill Park.  Marilyn fell into the job on account of her husband and she absolutely loves it.  “I love what I do, lemme tell you.  I sure get paid too much to be so happy!  But don’t tell my boss that, shhh….”
When I asked what she’d be doing with the $10, she replied, “Hmm well I tell you what.  I’m going to be giving it to a budding lawyer.  Because she needs it a heck of a lot more than I do!”  As I handed her the $10 and she promptly handed it back to me she noted, “Now you make me proud!  I want to know what happens to my investment!”
I’ll sure do my best, Marilyn.

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