Faces of Good
Posted August 19, 2011
PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS doing some kind of good. And thanks to our readers, we hear lots of stories about the kind acts and inspiring work taking place throughout our communities. Perhaps it is a young man who devotes all his extra time to charities for the homeless when he can no longer play football. Or a group of ladies who take their entire lunch breaks to knit hats for children in need. Or even a couple of brothers who built a Christmas light show and gave all their donations to a hospital. With our new feature, “Faces of Good,” we’re showcasing the people who star in these stories. Just click on their photos below to read all about them.
A special note: Each of these 6 stories were “A Good Year” contest winners.
If you think you or someone you know has a story worth sharing in “Faces of Good,” please send an email with the subject line “Faces of Good” to editor@seethegood.com.
Click a photo to see it bigger and read more about it:
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Trudy Mayoros likes having something to do with her hands. Each Spring and Fall, she leads a knitting and crocheting group at her Regions office in Birmingham, Ala., called Hats for Tots. They take their lunch breaks to knit caps for a variety of different causes, including warmupamerica.org and savethechildren.org. Some of the hats have even made it all the way to Africa. “You can always do something good, even if you don’t have much,” says Trudy. “Every willing gesture adds something.”
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When times were hard for Tricia Heng, someone reached out to help her. This generous act inspired her to create A Place in Time Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization that provides monthly food boxes and other necessities to people in need. She now inspires countless others, including one of her longtime friends, a Regions associate named Frank Silva. “She has made a positive contribution to my life simply by being herself,” he says. “We used to work together. I was in the mailroom, and she helped me work my way up. She was always a mentor. I’ve seen her always remain herself and always do the right thing, and that has inspired me.”
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Brooks (left) and Brandon Clark (right) were into Christmas lights. . . really into Christmas lights. The brothers built a massive display at their house in Kelso, Missouri, that was synchronized to music on a local radio station. They began collecting donations from visitors who drove in from all around and opened a savings account for the donations they received at their local Regions branch. And they gave all that money—every nickel and dime of the over $12,000 collected—to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
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Susan Anderson’s 11-year-old daughter, Cecily, is a junior Girl Scout, which can only mean one thing: Cookies! Susan spread the word at her Regions office in Birmingham, Ala. One of her fellow associates decided to donate his cookies (6 boxes of Thin Mints) to a solider. However, instead of giving them to an organization that sends them to be distributed to a group, another associate mentioned a connection to a specific soldier serving in Afghanistan. Inspired by the donation, Cecily decided to make the shipment even more personalized by adding a few more boxes and writing a special note thanking the solider for his service.
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Mike Simpson (right) is always happy. He’s positive. Energetic. You can hear him laughing all the time. “He brings out the joy in everyone,” says co-worker and Regions associate Wanda Govan. Beyond being perpetually in a good mood, Mike also gives. Wanda tells a story about how Mike went out of his way to help her granddaughter meet a school fundraising goal. “If he hears about kids in need, he jumps in and helps,” she says. True to form, Mike spends a great deal of time volunteering with the Memphis Ronald McDonald house as pictured here with fellow Regions associate Gene Columbus (left). “He’s just that type of person,” says Wanda.
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After some injuries, 16-year-old Aaron Shaffer (left) was no longer able to play football. The young man redirected his energy into giving back to the community. Having seen a close relative end up homeless, he developed a strong passion for helping those in need. For example, when Aaron discovered that his school was throwing away excess food items, he made arrangements to take the food to a local safe house for women and children.These acts of kindness inspired his father, Bobby (right), a Regions associate in Knoxville, Tenn., to set up at his office a winter clothing donation box for the homeless.
comments (3)
No matter how busy we are, we can always give to others. Whether we give time, money, skills, or just listen, it does make a difference. The individuals featured here are to be applauded for their generosity to others. Everyone comes to a point in their lives where they need some to lean on. May they be blessed coming in and going with God as their guide.
Judy BatesThese stories were the extra push I needed to start being of service to the needs of people in my community
mary berlinI see each one of these people as some of God's favorite creations on earth. It is so great to hear how people will reach out to help in any way needed. You all will be rewarded.
Ms. Pam