Rachel's Challenge Project
Submitted by Tina on Sun, 04/19/2009 - 10:58.
Tomorrow, April 20, 2009, marks the 10th year anniversary of the Columbine Shootings. Instead of focusing on the horrors of that day, I recommend you take a look at what Darrell Scott and his family are doing to take such a tragic event and use it as a tool to teach kindness and compassion.
Rachel’s message of Chain Reaction Kindness is so important and powerful to us, that we chose to donate the first hundred String-Rings manufactured to the non-profit foundation set up in her honor.
Acts of Kindness
I come from a huge family- two parents who had four kids while they were together; they divorced and my mom got two stepdaughters and my dad got two stepdaughters, a stepson, and a daughter with his second wife. Both of my step-parents passed away and my parents remarried each other a few years later. Life has not been without its challenges, but my parents wer determined to be good people and instill goodness and respectfulness into their girls. My mom was easily the most generous person I've ever met. She was always buying food and clothes for people in need, making dinner, taking care of kids and elderly folks, and she actually went so far as to invite a homeless family to live with us for a short while until the husband was able to get a job and provide for his family. Generosity was in her blood. It's not so easy for me all the time, but when I behave in a kind and generous manner, it feels good to me and to the recipient of the kindnesses. Mom taught me to live a generous life, and I have... because you never know when you will need someone else's generosity.
She died in August of 2008, somewhat unexpectedly and because I had just visited her days before and also because there was a huge tropical storm spinning over the state of Florida, I was unable to afford to get back to SC and also, I couldn't drive because of the severe weather.
Upon hearing of my troubles, the people in my office quickly pulled together and bought me a very expensive plane ticket... had it not been for them I might have missed my mother's funeral. Since Mom's death, one of my sisters has had some trouble with her family and I am trying to arrange for her children to live with me for a while. I don't have a huge income but I do have a big heart, and I want to provide what I can for them. People keep telling me that they admire me for wanting to take on such a huge responsibility, but the truth is I could not do it without all the kind, generous, wonderful people I've come into contact with since this situation presented itself. I needed a crib, carseats for a 2 year old and a 1 year old, baby clothes, toys, beds for tween girls, and some furniture to make my new house a home for four children who are currently in foster care.
A friend of a friend spent a full day cleaning out his garage and packed his car with a crib, two car seats, two double strollers, and a single stroller... and no thrift store or consignment shop would take it! He asked my friend if she knew anyone who could use these items. She immediately said yes, and proceeded to tell all their friends at a dinner party my story, and every one of them donated baby items, clothes, toys, and crib bedding, and they are still collecting items for us at this time. I had to move to a larger home to accomodate the kids and myself, and upon hearing what a huge expense it was for me, two of my employers took out their checkbooks and wrote checks for large sums of money so that I wouldn't be financially overburdened. Two more friends hired a young man to help me move so that I wouldn't have that added expense. A stranger in the gift shop overheard me giving a status update to a friend, and she said, "I have several of the items that you need. Let me have your number and I will arrange to get them to you." A friend from work gave me a couch and her parents gave me another couch free of charge and they helped me move it. Another friend from work pitched in with her neighbor to buy me a washer and dryer and her husband brought them to me and hooked them up for me. My home is completely furnished thanks to the generosity of others.
Things could not have fallen into place any better than they have, and because of the kindness and love and generosity of friends and strangers alike, four sweet little kids have a chance at a happier, healthier life. I have lived my life striving to be kind to others, and I believe that even the smallest of kindnesses are rewarded in big ways. The things that have happened to me in the past months are evidence of that, but also, they make me want to do even bigger, better things to make this world a great place to live in.