Teens who are interested in journalism can interview the elderly in assisted living communities or nursing homes and write their stories/family history down for them to pass on to younger members.They could then present it to the person they were working with as a soft covered journal--what a lovely gift!

We've seen a lot of snow in the Northeast recently. Cutbacks in city spending have meant that roads are plowed, but not as well as in past years. Many daycare centers are in the middle of cities and towns, with small or non-existent drop off areas. The mounting snow forces parents to offload their children on the driver's side in traffic. Yesterday, I took 30 minutes and shoveled out the area by the curb in front of my daughter's daycare. If you know of a daycare, school, or senior center in your area, take a moment and see if they need a hand too!

One of the customers where I work - Mike - lives in his car and his heater broke. He was really cold (Vermont). Since I live in poverty myself, I asked my dad to foot the bill for a cigarette-lighter-plug-in heater for Mike. The man was so delighted to have someone think of him. It doesn't take much to help someone in need!

Casady YAC members (Youth and Adult Advisory and Action Council) are helping train ten 2nd-4th graders on Tuesdays for the Oklahoma City Memorial Kids' Marathon.  The group must walk or run 25 miles before May 1, 2011 when they will join the Kids' Run to Remember for the last mile of the marathon. We had our first session last week. This is a great way to get kids outside and exercising! Check out pictures from our training event here.

With lots of hard work throughout the year and intense end-of-the-year scarfing, Handmade Especially for You reached our goal of distributing 10,000 comfort scarves on December 6, 2010. We provided scarves to every shelter for abused women in Los Angeles County, 4 shelters in Orange County, and 4 shelters in San Diego County. It was a great achievement. We couldn’t have reached it without the contributions of every volunteer, donor, and yarn company who participated in our project. Building on the successes of 2010, we have started 2011 with a huge burst of energy. We had so many scarves to process that we had to have two wrapping parties to get them all ready! In January, we donated 815 comfort scarves to 22 shelters, another great accomplishment.

I know that whenever I receive flowers from someone - friend or even a stranger - my day is always brighter. I go around smiling more, laughing more, just feeling brighter and happier the entire day. You don't always need a reason to give someone flowers, other than to see them smile and know that, at least for a little while, their day is that much more cheerful. You don't need to give - or receive - expensive or exotic flowers to feel that warmth grow inside; daisies and carnations and roses work just as well! So buy a bunch of flowers, and pass them out to the people you see at work, at school, on the playground, in the coffee shop or grocery store. Give one to a friend, another to an acquaintance, and maybe even hand some to a stranger you pass on the way. Give someone a smile any day of the year, not just during RAoK Week.

Make an extra sack lunch one day a week, package it up like you would for a special friend, then hand it to someone asking for money/food on the way to work. No recognition or thank you necessary, just sharing the earth's resources with your brothers and sisters. :)

We did this last year on our college campus. We passed out little treat bags with Hershey's Hugs & Kisses in them & a little heart-shaped note that had information about heart disease on it. We would ask those passing by if they would give us a hug in exchange for a heart. We got a great response! First off, people liked that they got something for free & Second, almost everyone loves hugs! Most people responded by hugging 2 or 3 of us, even though they would only get 1 heart. This can be adapted & used in anyway - even if you just pass out heart stickers for a hug! :)

This July, I had to rush to the neighbourhood drugstore to pick up some medicines for my Dad. As I parked my bicycle outside the store, I spotted a tiny little kitten; bleeding from the neck and all soaked in the rain. Without a second thought, I just lifted her up and put her in a basket to bring her home. After we cleaned up her bruises, we put a little anti-bacterial ointment to soothe it down. One could not help but notice the gratitude in her little, sparkling eyes. Motivated with the expression of gratitude; we went to sterilise a dropper with Dettol solution, washed it with warm water and then fed her with luke warm milk, drop by drop. Oh, it was a sight. She lapped it up all and fell asleep in the ball of cotton we had wrapped around her. We decided to name her 'Sparkle' and keep her with us till she chose to stay. Her bruises healed up in no time at all. A week ago she delivered 3 adorable kittens and turned into a MOM, herself. So, friends that was my little story. Try doing something similar and I'm sure you'll love it. God Bless & Love to All. Payal.

Write a letter to someone you see who is mad are sad and try to make them fell better.