This week Awesome Stories brings you helping hands, wonder, free food, building peace and cool music.
Ready Willing & Able
Ready Willing & Able is the brainchild of George McDonald. He started The Doe Fund after being touched by the plight of the homeless and how they were treated in New York City. For years, George had been feeding the homeless downtown, but he often had to fight the bureaucracy as well as the cultural norm to ignore them. He realized many of them were willing and able to work and simply wanted an opportunity, not a handout. The Doe Fund offers residency programs where people are offered room and board while working to rebuild their life and skills. They also have non-residency programs with counseling, training and veteran support. The underlying theme is offering people a chance to rebuild their life. It’s a touching story how George and his wife Harriet met, and later married, in large part due to their shared passion to help the homeless.
Simple Wonder
Rick Hanson reminds us that life is a miracle with so many opportunities to be amazed and full of wonder. Wonder has the ability to open our hearts, relieve stress and lift us above the daily drudgery. Rick states “Perhaps most deeply, being amazed brings you into a relationship with the inherent truth, mysteries and overwhelming gifts of existence.” Sometimes I fall into this wide open state when watching children play, stars twinkling or flowers blooming. What helps you fall into wonder and amazement? Here is a poem I wrote about awe called Starry Nights.
Free Go
What a wonderful idea. A Belgium charity has installed and stocked two public fridges filled with food to help feed the needy. The fridges are open and available to people to take free food 24/7.
Seeds of Peace
Eva Armour helps build peace, one person at a time. She is a coordinator with the service group called Seeds of Peace. They bring together teens from conflict regions to inspire and equip them with the relationships, understanding, and skills to advance peace. She has been doing this work for over 14 years and admits that change is slow, but critical to helping individuals transform to build the framework for future peacekeeping efforts. I love how they bring together teens for open and honest dialog to build understanding and connection. Often the teens become friends and even consider themselves “family” after they go through the process together. To peace!
Native American Music
This group promotes the best of Native American music in order to spread wisdom, spirit and brotherly love. Their music and videos routinely stir my soul. I find the music, costume, dance and photography in this one are beautiful and mesmerizing. This video portrays the shifting nature of form as reflected in the creative way it was filmed. What do you think?
writing to freedom 
Where do you find these stories? I came across the last one somewhere on Facebook but it was nice to know about the others. 🙂 Feels happy to know that people do care and share their love even if the other person is a stranger.
I see that you have a complete series of such posts. Not today, but i’m sure when i read them, i will feel more happy and inspired.Thanks for sharing such stories.
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You’re welcome. I find them online, social media, blogs, email subscriptions, etc. I read a lot each week and pull the most inspiring and interesting stories to share.
Yes, this is a weekly series that I’ve been doing for about 2 years so there are many to read! 🙂
Thanks for joining in the community and conversation. blessings, Brad
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🙂
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Another mood-lifting week — Hard to choose my favorite. Loved the Mesmerizing Native American dance — but have to go with Harriet & George. I LOVE the notion that a happy relationship was the culmination of two benevolent souls merging… What a perfect example for this “Month of Love”… 💞
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Well, I have to keep my star cheerleader happy! XD As captivating as the dance is, I would agree that love is the winner, especially one that binds two happy souls in work and passion. As a single guy, it’s easy to become jaded about relationships and love. Thanks for reminding me to see the beauty! 🙂
blessings my friend.
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I know I always sound so repetitive, but thanks for the uplift!!! Great way to start the week. The world needs more inspiration to help pull it out of despair. Blessings…VK 🙂
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I’m delighted that my stories can uplift you and others to start the week! I agree that we all would benefit from sharing and focusing more on the good that happens. Thanks for sharing in the community. 🙂
blessings shared!
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I really appreciate the work of George McDonald and The Doe Fund. It is really “easy” to provide cash to a homeless person, or to buy them a meal. It takes a much stronger commitment to invest time in not only providing for these people, but giving them an opportunity to provide for themselves, to provide a clean slate and fresh start to their lives. Truly awesome story indeed, Brad, thank you for sharing 😉
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I agree Dave. Their long term commitment to helping, teaching and empowering the homeless is very inspiring. blessings my friend 🙂
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I do not know how you manage to find so many of your amazing uplifting stories Brad… And the fridge on the street is again showing how many are in need.. Even here in the UK there are now many food banks which people donate food for those who can not afford much..
And thank you Brad for your visit… I am focusing 🙂 as I know you are..
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Finding the stories keeps me inspired and engaged to share with our wonderful community. Thanks for being part of it Sue. Yes, hunger is a pressing issue here too. blessings,
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