Feel Good February: 3 Short Inspiring Stories

By Connor Iadevaia

A New Hampshire town helping neighbors who lost their home in a fire: 

On February ninth, an apartment building had set on fire and many neighbors lost their homes. A neighbor that heard about the fire posted on Facebook for several donations. Although this person thought they weren’t going to get any, a post later on by them said donations were no longer needed because so many people had sent them in so quickly. It may have been a small thing to donate some warm clothes or food, but it really made a huge difference for the people who woke up that morning having lost everything.

Behind school doors:

In the start of February, a school that is unknown had a kid that didn’t want to go to school. This kid was very little but was having a breakdown as the teacher was trying to get the class into the classroom. A teacher that was walking down the hall saw the issue and instantly jumped into the action. This teacher laid on the floor with the little kid and started explaining that sometimes he doesn’t want to go to school, but he still does because it’s fun to learn new things. These are the things that happen behind school doors that parents and the community don’t see. Teachers go the extra mile to make these kids feel safe and loved in any school. Let’s start building each other up instead of tearing each other down. They learn from example. Be the leader you want your child to be!

A knitting project that keeps going: 

On February first, a mother of 3, Leann Leedom, had her third child in the middle of the pandemic in August and her name was Aida. After having Aida Leanns mother in law Ann, showed her what she learned from her friends mother in an art class she attended. Ann showed her a loom and how to knit a scarf. She also showed Leann one stitch and gave her a small loom with her half done project. Sometimes Leann had some extra time and enjoyed making some scarfs so she purchased a full loom set and tons of yarn and started to make beanies since it was winter. Leann realized that the homeless population in Southern California really needed some warm weather clothes. If it got in the low 30s in the winter she started to give away some hats to people who needed them. Leann’s oldest son got involved in the project and made a hat as well. She found out that there was a non profit donation place up the way from her that made masks for farm workers and they were asking for winter warm weather gear donations. She made over a dozen beanies and gave them to hand out to farm workers. Leann then made beanies for everyone in my husband’s family for Christmas gifts, and gave beanies to all her neighbors she was close too for their families. There was a new family that moved in down the street and Leann did not know them very well but she said, ¨Why not break the ice with some handmade gifts?¨ So she made a beanie for the mom and 1 yr old baby. Leann knocked on the door and handed the gifts over and Liz, Leann’s neighbor and was so happy to receive them. Since moving to Leann’s neighborhood she has been isolated and was happy to have a friend. She then told Leann that she crochets, and makes blankets for babies at the hospital who pass away. They give the Blankets to the mothers of the babies who don’t pull through. Leann thought that was such an amazing thing to do! Leann is very grateful for her healthy baby, but she could not imagine if Leann lost her before I got to really know her. It must be so hard for those families. She hopes that when they receive a gift from an unknown person in the community that helps bring them a little love. Leann now knows what her next project is going to be….