Thursday thirteen: 13 stories of giving

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

Dr. Suess was a smart guy and he knew that each and every one of us carries something in our hearts that surpasses the ordinary of our daily lives.

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At the Aramingo Diner in Philadelphia a mystery couple started a chain reaction by picking up the check for another table of diners. For the next five hours dozens of other patrons got into the holiday spirit and paid the favor forward!

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Drivers filling up at a Tennessee gas station got an unexpected holiday gift at the pump. A local resident, Don Reed, bought gas for 80 strangers, and then sent them on their way with a smile.

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Jeff Shinabarger and his wife, Andre, had a theory: there's at least one unused gift card in everyone's wallet or purse at any given time. That was the inspiration for their charity, Gift Card Giver, which accepts unused gift cards and passes them on to needy people and worthy projects.

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A 6-year-old girl with leukemia saw her wish come true on December 2 when she spent 10 minutes with President Obama in the White House. Brooklyn resident Jasmina Anema met Obama in the Oval Office, where he gave her a box of M&Ms and a yo-yo, both emblazoned with the presidential seal. She was later given a tour of the East Wing, where she made a wish at the holiday tree.

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6-year-old Justin Martin is on a mission to make sure every child has a teddy bear — by building them himself. It has become a movement that translates to 2,000 bears over the last 2 years.

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After Teanne Harris' fiance called off their wedding just 6 days before the scheduled date, she learned that she wouldn't get her reception deposit back.

It was then that Harris, at one of the worst moments of her life, decided to turn the situation into a blessing for others. She donated a free party to the residents of a retirement home across the street from the banquet hall near Chicago.

More than 300 seniors, some in costume, enjoyed Harris' Halloween-themed reception. Harris even attended the party and placed her bridal bouquet in the home's chapel.

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She knew her goal was "really big," but that didn’t stop five-year-old Phoebe Russell from running a can drive to raise $1,000 for the San Francisco food bank.

What Phoebe didn’t expect was the overwhelming response from friends, family and strangers, helping her raise $3,736.30 in just a few weeks.

With the matching donations from the food bank, Phoebe’s donation represented $33,624 worth of food – enough to feed 17,971 people!

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Two hospitals in Washington, DC paired 26 people in the world's largest kidney swap and saved 13 lives!

These procedures are like putting together a puzzle. It starts with one altruistic donor who wants to give a kidney to a sick patient, but who isn't a match. So doctors match them with another patient, who also has an incompatible, but willing donor. Pay it forward, kidney style. In this case, it happened thirteen times.

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In Knoxville, TN a good Samaritan put a gold coin worth about $300 into a Salvation Army kettle!

Similar coins have turned up in Salvation Army kettles this year in Indiana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois and Iowa.

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When a Vermont mom passed out in the bathtub after a minor car accident, it was her 5-year-old daughter's call to 911 that saved her! Little Nevaeh Lawrence received a plaque honoring her heroic actions.

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Author Stephen King donated $12,999 to transport Army National Guard troops home for Christmas. Approximately 150 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry travelled by bus to Maine from Indiana, where they are currently training for an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan in January.

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When Linda Cohen's father passed away she decided to honor him by performing 1000 mitzvahs, or good deeds.

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Starbucks launched their campaign against AIDS in Africa by putting together singers from 156 countries in one video performing The Beatles’ song All You Need is Love.

Here's to more of what we really need in 2010.


"Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have" ~ Jim Rohn