Deed 7
Lastly, this one is only a small one, yesterday I was in the public toilets at my local park when I overheard two girls talking about how they needed plasters because their shows has given then blisters, me being very over prepared had a pack in my bag, so I gave them both plasters. After doing most of these things it made me feel happy that I had something nice fore someone else, that even if it wasn't particularly life changing that it did make someone else's day a little brighter
Editor's NOTE: Yep I'm a dumb American and I'm not what plasters is, I"m thinking plaster like the art stuff and I'm pretty sure that's not right.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Megan Day 6
Deed 6
I go on Youtube A LOT and recently I've been commenting on the video I watch saying, that was really good, or thank you this video made me smile, or other things like that.
EDITOR'S NOTE: As a blogger comments mean the world to me. They are like my life blood. It's amazing what one quick comment can do for a writer or a web content creator.
I go on Youtube A LOT and recently I've been commenting on the video I watch saying, that was really good, or thank you this video made me smile, or other things like that.
EDITOR'S NOTE: As a blogger comments mean the world to me. They are like my life blood. It's amazing what one quick comment can do for a writer or a web content creator.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Megan Day 5
deed 5
Me and my Mum argue quite a lot, because I'm quite a messy person, I've tried to be neater and help more around the house.
Me and my Mum argue quite a lot, because I'm quite a messy person, I've tried to be neater and help more around the house.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Megan Day 4
Deed 4
In England it's become a place where when you walk down the street you look down and don't speak to people (or in my area at least), so over the last month I tried to smile and say Good Morning to people as they walked past, I had a few odd looks from people but some, usually the elderly, smiled back and said 'Have a good one'.
Editor's note:
INTERNATIONAL NICENESS!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Megan Day 3
deed 3
I always try to leave my boyfriend notes telling him I love him, so have tried to do that more too.
Editor's note:
Again something easy and it makes such a huge difference in someone's day.
I always try to leave my boyfriend notes telling him I love him, so have tried to do that more too.
Editor's note:
Again something easy and it makes such a huge difference in someone's day.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Megan Day 2
Deed 2
I also sorted out my clothes and gave all the ones I didn't want to charity.
Editor's note:
This is one of the easiest and best ways to help someone out. You feel productive because you can SEE what you've done. The tricky part for me is driving to the donation center.
I also sorted out my clothes and gave all the ones I didn't want to charity.
Editor's note:
This is one of the easiest and best ways to help someone out. You feel productive because you can SEE what you've done. The tricky part for me is driving to the donation center.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Megan Day 1
Deed 1
I try to be nice as much as I can, but I realize sometimes it's just not that easy, I have however tried very hard over the last month.
The day I started Project Nice 2.0 I made a video for video volunteers advertising a Woman's charity called Rosa.
Here's the link to the video if you want to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt7vEBI-Uho
I try to be nice as much as I can, but I realize sometimes it's just not that easy, I have however tried very hard over the last month.
The day I started Project Nice 2.0 I made a video for video volunteers advertising a Woman's charity called Rosa.
Here's the link to the video if you want to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt7vEBI-Uho
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Jenny day 7
Made a video for the Ningmaster Tom collab
Date: 03/03/2010
I haven’t been a Nerdfighter all that long, but the community has become a big part of my life. After all, that’s how I found Project Nice! Like all the other Nerdfighters, I was greatly saddened to hear of Ningmaster Tom’s accident, and jumped at the chance to do something for him when I found out about the video collab. I made a short video and uploaded it, crossing my fingers that it would be in time. Thankfully it was! (The video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u5BHJlAIQM&annotation_id=annotation_499972&feature=iv (I’m the slightly ginger British girl about 6 minutes in!))
Reactions: You only have to look at the comments on the video. It feels great to be a part of this and give something back to someone who’s done so much for our community.
Would I do it again? Indeed I would.
Cost: Nothing.
Effort: Very little. I was happy to do it!
Time: Ten minutes to make and upload. Much more on the video-maker’s part!
Date: 03/03/2010
I haven’t been a Nerdfighter all that long, but the community has become a big part of my life. After all, that’s how I found Project Nice! Like all the other Nerdfighters, I was greatly saddened to hear of Ningmaster Tom’s accident, and jumped at the chance to do something for him when I found out about the video collab. I made a short video and uploaded it, crossing my fingers that it would be in time. Thankfully it was! (The video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u5BHJlAIQM&annotation_id=annotation_499972&feature=iv (I’m the slightly ginger British girl about 6 minutes in!))
Reactions: You only have to look at the comments on the video. It feels great to be a part of this and give something back to someone who’s done so much for our community.
Would I do it again? Indeed I would.
Cost: Nothing.
Effort: Very little. I was happy to do it!
Time: Ten minutes to make and upload. Much more on the video-maker’s part!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Jenny day 6
Put money in a charity box
Date: 26/02/10
You know those people you see on the street and in shops, collecting money for charity? I pass them by every time. But as I was on a nice outing already, I decided to put some money in for once. It was a cancer charity, and there’s really no arguing with the work they do. So I emptied purse and put all my spare chage in.
Reactions: A brief thankyou.
Would I do it again? Next time I see the guy who sells the Big Issue outside the supermarket I’m going to buy it, so yes!
Cost: My spare change, maybe £2?
Effort: Nothing.
Time: A few seconds.
Date: 26/02/10
You know those people you see on the street and in shops, collecting money for charity? I pass them by every time. But as I was on a nice outing already, I decided to put some money in for once. It was a cancer charity, and there’s really no arguing with the work they do. So I emptied purse and put all my spare chage in.
Reactions: A brief thankyou.
Would I do it again? Next time I see the guy who sells the Big Issue outside the supermarket I’m going to buy it, so yes!
Cost: My spare change, maybe £2?
Effort: Nothing.
Time: A few seconds.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Jenny day 5
Fed the ducks with a friend
Date: 26/02/10
A friend and I went into town for lunch, and I suggested we feed the ducks in the park. So we went to buy some bread, and did just that! Neither of us was having a particularly good day and it seemed like a nice thing to do. Mainly I wanted to take her mind off things.
Reactions: They’re ducks, and I doubt they know the meaning of gratitude. But they seemed happy enough, and I think – I hope – it cheered my friend up.
Would I do it again? I have done so already!
Cost: Under a pound for the bread.
Effort: None, really. It was fun.
Time: 20 minutes or so.
Date: 26/02/10
A friend and I went into town for lunch, and I suggested we feed the ducks in the park. So we went to buy some bread, and did just that! Neither of us was having a particularly good day and it seemed like a nice thing to do. Mainly I wanted to take her mind off things.
Reactions: They’re ducks, and I doubt they know the meaning of gratitude. But they seemed happy enough, and I think – I hope – it cheered my friend up.
Would I do it again? I have done so already!
Cost: Under a pound for the bread.
Effort: None, really. It was fun.
Time: 20 minutes or so.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Jenny day 4
Making tea
Date: 15/02/10
I’m well aware how much my parents do for me – pretty much everything, in fact. I help out when I’m asked, but I’m not very good at making the first move. On this day, when I got home, I decided to say I would cook that night as Mum had had a long day at work.
Reactions: Well, the curry tasted okay! More importantly, Mum was able to concentrate on other things, and have a bit of a rest, which I think she liked. And I was thanked for taking the initiative.
Would I do it again? I have done so already!
Cost: Nothing.
Effort: Not much; it wasn’t a difficult meal.
Time: About an hour.
Date: 15/02/10
I’m well aware how much my parents do for me – pretty much everything, in fact. I help out when I’m asked, but I’m not very good at making the first move. On this day, when I got home, I decided to say I would cook that night as Mum had had a long day at work.
Reactions: Well, the curry tasted okay! More importantly, Mum was able to concentrate on other things, and have a bit of a rest, which I think she liked. And I was thanked for taking the initiative.
Would I do it again? I have done so already!
Cost: Nothing.
Effort: Not much; it wasn’t a difficult meal.
Time: About an hour.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Jenny day 3
Smile
Date: 11/02/10
I am, by nature, a very shy person. When I walk down the street I stare at the floor with my hands in my pockets. I find it difficult even to make eye contact with anyone. So while I was out doing my previous act I decided to try to smile at every person I passed. As a belated addition I made sure I had the exact change at the train station, as I know most people use notes and that annoys them.
Reactions: In the end I passed very few people, some of whom were doing my usual avoiding-eye-contact routine. But I did manage to greet and smile at a couple of people, who seemed surprised but smiled back. A few days later someone smiled at me on the street and it really made my day, so I like to think I made some sort of a difference. And I got no real reaction from the man in the ticket office, but that’s only to be expected, really. They’re so busy.
Would I do it again? Yes, when I can muster the confidence!
Cost: Nothing.
Effort: Only what it took me to get over my fear of people.
Time: A few seconds.
Date: 11/02/10
I am, by nature, a very shy person. When I walk down the street I stare at the floor with my hands in my pockets. I find it difficult even to make eye contact with anyone. So while I was out doing my previous act I decided to try to smile at every person I passed. As a belated addition I made sure I had the exact change at the train station, as I know most people use notes and that annoys them.
Reactions: In the end I passed very few people, some of whom were doing my usual avoiding-eye-contact routine. But I did manage to greet and smile at a couple of people, who seemed surprised but smiled back. A few days later someone smiled at me on the street and it really made my day, so I like to think I made some sort of a difference. And I got no real reaction from the man in the ticket office, but that’s only to be expected, really. They’re so busy.
Would I do it again? Yes, when I can muster the confidence!
Cost: Nothing.
Effort: Only what it took me to get over my fear of people.
Time: A few seconds.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Jenny day 2
Bookcrossing
Date: 11/02/10
I have neither the time nor the words to explain Bookcrossing in any great detail, but the basics can be found here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/home
On this occasion I bought two books, Mrs Dalloway and The Picture of Dorian Gray, from a charity book sale (double whammy of nice!), then registered and released them.
Reactions: None for these particular books as of yet. It can take a while, and only about 25% of books that are released are journaled by the finder. But I like to think somebody enjoyed them, even if they didn’t let me know they found them.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Cost: About £2 for the books, which went to charity.
Effort: Very little, as I released them on my way to the train station.
Time: Negligible time buying books, 15 minutes to register, 5 minutes to release.
Date: 11/02/10
I have neither the time nor the words to explain Bookcrossing in any great detail, but the basics can be found here: http://www.bookcrossing.com/home
On this occasion I bought two books, Mrs Dalloway and The Picture of Dorian Gray, from a charity book sale (double whammy of nice!), then registered and released them.
Reactions: None for these particular books as of yet. It can take a while, and only about 25% of books that are released are journaled by the finder. But I like to think somebody enjoyed them, even if they didn’t let me know they found them.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Cost: About £2 for the books, which went to charity.
Effort: Very little, as I released them on my way to the train station.
Time: Negligible time buying books, 15 minutes to register, 5 minutes to release.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Jenny day 1
To start, a little bit about me. I’m Jenny, I’m 16, and I live in the UK. I found out about this project via the Ning, and started it a little late! I worry pretty much constantly about the way I treat other people – in other words, I worry about being nice. So when I read about Project Nice I thought it’d be a great way to get into the habit of doing nice things for people. And as I’m not the most sociable person ever, I thought it could be a way of working on that. As things worked out most of my good deeds ended up being for my friends, but I think that’s okay. I’m also making more of an effort to be nice to people I meet and spend time with. And at the end of it all, I’ve had a great time, and I’d do it again without hesitation.
So without further ado here are my good deeds!
Books for a friend
Date: 10/02/10
One of my closest friends has gone to Canada for 10 months to improve her French and generally gain life experience. I miss her like mad, but we regularly email each other. Quite a while ago she emailed me and mentioned that she wasn’t really reading very much. For her, this is extremely strange. One of her definitive characteristics is being a bookworm. To remedy the emergency situation I went out and bought her three books – a poetry anthology, The Doubtful Guest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I was going to send them off as soon as I could, to get them there for Christmas. But as I’m a bit of a procrastinator, time went by, and I missed Christmas and New Year. Then I started Project Nice, and remembered the books. I wrote her a quick letter, wrapped them up and sent them off. Although I would have done it even if I hadn’t been doing the project, I’m still counting it because it spurred me on to send them. Otherwise they’d probably still be sitting here!
Reactions:
She was very pleased. I got an email in which she thanked me, and as a sign of gratitude used correct grammar and punctuation throughout the email. She even capitalised her sentences. Just goes to show what a big nerd I am that I really appreciated that!
Would I do it again? I would if another friend was in the same situation. I probably won’t send anything more over to the same person, as she’s coming back this summer.
Cost: About £15 for the books and £5 postage. Expensive, but it’s a special case and, I think, worth it.
Effort: Very little. I like bookshops, so I don’t count that as effort! Some involved in getting to the post office.
Time: About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to buy the books and half an hour for going to post them.
So without further ado here are my good deeds!
Books for a friend
Date: 10/02/10
One of my closest friends has gone to Canada for 10 months to improve her French and generally gain life experience. I miss her like mad, but we regularly email each other. Quite a while ago she emailed me and mentioned that she wasn’t really reading very much. For her, this is extremely strange. One of her definitive characteristics is being a bookworm. To remedy the emergency situation I went out and bought her three books – a poetry anthology, The Doubtful Guest and The Picture of Dorian Gray. I was going to send them off as soon as I could, to get them there for Christmas. But as I’m a bit of a procrastinator, time went by, and I missed Christmas and New Year. Then I started Project Nice, and remembered the books. I wrote her a quick letter, wrapped them up and sent them off. Although I would have done it even if I hadn’t been doing the project, I’m still counting it because it spurred me on to send them. Otherwise they’d probably still be sitting here!
Reactions:
She was very pleased. I got an email in which she thanked me, and as a sign of gratitude used correct grammar and punctuation throughout the email. She even capitalised her sentences. Just goes to show what a big nerd I am that I really appreciated that!
Would I do it again? I would if another friend was in the same situation. I probably won’t send anything more over to the same person, as she’s coming back this summer.
Cost: About £15 for the books and £5 postage. Expensive, but it’s a special case and, I think, worth it.
Effort: Very little. I like bookshops, so I don’t count that as effort! Some involved in getting to the post office.
Time: About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to buy the books and half an hour for going to post them.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
angelia day 2
nice thing two:
i thanked a custodial person for all the work that he did. he said thank you but never looked up and kept doing work. i think he thought i was patronizing him, i felt so embarrassed.
i thanked a custodial person for all the work that he did. he said thank you but never looked up and kept doing work. i think he thought i was patronizing him, i felt so embarrassed.
Friday, June 4, 2010
angelia day 1
nice thing one:
i tried to pay for five people with my meal plan card in the lunch room at my college. i got through three people before i was told that was against the rules. for the three people i did do it for, they looked at me like i was weird and averted their eyes but took the free meal. one guy did smile in a strange way and said cool and took the meal.
i tried to pay for five people with my meal plan card in the lunch room at my college. i got through three people before i was told that was against the rules. for the three people i did do it for, they looked at me like i was weird and averted their eyes but took the free meal. one guy did smile in a strange way and said cool and took the meal.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
CIndy Day 10
TITLE: Bark if you want treats! Animal Control Part Two
Date: 4 Feb 2010
Explanation of the act:
Last time I went to the animal control they were busy which is fabulous! The people looked like they work hard. They also informed me of what types of supplies they needed. I decided to go to Walmart and buy: cat toys, bag of cat food, 6 pack of wet dog food, 5 bags of dog treats, and 5 dog rope toys. I also decided that the people who work there need treats too! I made a super easy chocolate cake – the same one I made for the security guards. The 5 dog toys and 5 bags of dog treats got put in gift bags with the following label.
Thank you for adopting a dog that needs a good home. Here are a few treats to get you started! Enjoy!
Courtesy of the Do Gooders from Project Nice
http://projectnice2.blogspot.com/
Along with the cake I included the following note:
Thank you for taking care of Howard County’s neglected, homeless, and abused animals. Your service to them is greatly appreciated! Enjoy some treats for you in addition to the treats for the animals.
~Cindy
Project Nice Do Gooder
http://projectnice2.blogspot.com/
For allergy purposes
Cake contents: chocolate box cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, skim milk, cocoa power
Frosting contents: powered sugar, vanilla, butter, skim milk, chocolate chips
Event:
Erinn and I made a date to take all the stuff over. Luckily they weren’t too busy. There was one other person there “reclaiming” her pet. There was an adorable well-behaved, attentive dog hanging out behind the desk.
Reactions:
They said thanks but weren’t overly enthusiastic (they haven’t tasted the cake yet). They did get my address so they could send a Thank You note.
Would I do it again?
Sure but probably not to that extent. I am thinking monthly donations.
Cost: $40 – I know it sounds like a lot but think of the number of animals and people that benefit from this. 5 adoption gift bags, 6 cans of dog food, at least 24 cat toys, many many servings of dry cat food, and all the people that get to eat cake. Probably less than $1 per animal (be it human, dog, or cat).
Effort: Delivering was minimal, cake is pretty easy, purchasing at Walmart was easy
Time:
1hr or so for cake and icing prep
30 min at Walmart (my line was pretty slow and I was doing comparison shopping, if I knew my brands ahead of time it would be much shorter)
15 min to drive from my house to the adoption center
CIndy Day 10
TITLE: Bark if you want treats! Animal Control Part Two
Date: 4 Feb 2010
Explanation of the act:
Last time I went to the animal control they were busy which is fabulous! The people looked like they work hard. They also informed me of what types of supplies they needed. I decided to go to Walmart and buy: cat toys, bag of cat food, 6 pack of wet dog food, 5 bags of dog treats, and 5 dog rope toys. I also decided that the people who work there need treats too! I made a super easy chocolate cake – the same one I made for the security guards. The 5 dog toys and 5 bags of dog treats got put in gift bags with the following label.
Thank you for adopting a dog that needs a good home. Here are a few treats to get you started! Enjoy!
Courtesy of the Do Gooders from Project Nice
http://projectnice2.blogspot.com/
Along with the cake I included the following note:
Thank you for taking care of Howard County’s neglected, homeless, and abused animals. Your service to them is greatly appreciated! Enjoy some treats for you in addition to the treats for the animals.
~Cindy
Project Nice Do Gooder
http://projectnice2.blogspot.com/
For allergy purposes
Cake contents: chocolate box cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, skim milk, cocoa power
Frosting contents: powered sugar, vanilla, butter, skim milk, chocolate chips
Event:
Erinn and I made a date to take all the stuff over. Luckily they weren’t too busy. There was one other person there “reclaiming” her pet. There was an adorable well-behaved, attentive dog hanging out behind the desk.
Reactions:
They said thanks but weren’t overly enthusiastic (they haven’t tasted the cake yet). They did get my address so they could send a Thank You note.
Would I do it again?
Sure but probably not to that extent. I am thinking monthly donations.
Cost: $40 – I know it sounds like a lot but think of the number of animals and people that benefit from this. 5 adoption gift bags, 6 cans of dog food, at least 24 cat toys, many many servings of dry cat food, and all the people that get to eat cake. Probably less than $1 per animal (be it human, dog, or cat).
Effort: Delivering was minimal, cake is pretty easy, purchasing at Walmart was easy
Time:
1hr or so for cake and icing prep
30 min at Walmart (my line was pretty slow and I was doing comparison shopping, if I knew my brands ahead of time it would be much shorter)
15 min to drive from my house to the adoption center
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Cindy Day 9
ITLE: Thank you! I hope you get lucky!
Date: 23 Feb 2010
Explanation of the act:
Our secretaries work really hard. They know everything about the school. They have to be super organized and change what they are doing on the fly. While they don’t have the take home work of a teacher they are working super hard from start to finish each day. I wanted to say THANKS!
Event:
I had a few thank you cards already. In each card I wrote a personalized thank you note highlighting things that were great about that person and their contribution to the school. I included a scratch off lottery ticket in each one with the phrase “I hope you get lucky!” These cards were unsigned
Reactions:
I have no idea. I didn’t sign them and haven’t heard about them inquiring about it. I would think that at least for a few minutes they would have a warm fuzzy feeling and hopefully someone won a few dollars
Would I do it again? Sure!
Cost: $5
Effort: The effort was in making sure I was writing something sincere in each one.
Time: About 1 minute at the lotto kiosk and about 30 minutes writing
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Cindy Day 8
ITLE: Don’t forget the animals!
Date: 16 Feb 2010
Explanation of the act:
All this Project Nice stuff is going to make a person’s day what about the animals? Project Nice coordinator Erinn had to put her cat down due to cancer. She was very sad and for the sake of her 2 year old daughter wanted to get all of the cat items out of the house quickly. I have a cat so she gave me a big bag of dry cat food and some wet food. My cat doesn’t like the wet food so I decided to give it to the Howard County Animal Control . I went out to Petsmart to get another bag of dry food, my cat seemed interested in the new food so I would feel bad taking it away, and some cat toys. After purchasing I went right over to the Animal Control.
Event:
It was really nice to see the long line of people there to look at these animals. I didn’t mind waiting my turn. When I was called I went up and handed the officer everything I had brought and asked what they need to have donated. For your reference they need: dry cat food, dog biscuits, canned dog food, and cat toys.
Reactions:
The officer seemed surprised and thankful that I brought over items. Do they not get many donations?
Would I do it again?
Absolutely! I am thinking about doing a once a month donation. I also have a follow up idea! Stay tuned!
Cost: About $12 (but for many cats)
Effort: Minimal, it’s actually pretty relaxing to see all those nice animals
Time: Minimal just needs to be planned into the day to go to the store and then to the shelter. 1hr tops depending on traffic and how fast you shop. I like to look at the animals in the store
Monday, May 31, 2010
CIndy Day 7
TITLE: Two positives made a negative
Date: 20 Feb 2010
Explanation of the act:
The awesome Project Nice coordinator Erinn explained she couldn’t drink any beer because she was going to donate blood the next day while we were out at a bar. I expressed how wonderful I thought it was that she was doing that. She went on to say that she was a bit nervous about all of it and she had never given blood before. I explained I was free the next day and would go if she wanted company and I would even be a good person and donate too! Erinn immediately eased up about the situation. Nice Deed Part 1 done!
Event:
Erinn, her hubby, and adorable kid picked me up so that I wouldn’t have to drive. Her hubby and kid toured the mall a few times while we went to the blood drive. We got in line and won some prizes for trivia! Good karma already! Erinn and I each go back to our information gathering person who decides if we are suitable for blood donation. Well I noted and issue with my heart which took about 30 minutes, 4 phone calls, and 6 people to say that I could donate blood. I really should have taken this as a warning sign. I figured by now Erinn was already giving blood by herself and I was feeling really guilty that I wasn’t there. Alas they let me go with paperwork to donate and Erinn was still waiting in the donation room. I felt better. We get two chairs next to each other. They work on Erinn first and come to find out her veins are too small! The needle is bigger than her veins and she couldn’t donate. My veins were fine and I could but they made Erinn leave, donors only were allowed in the area. So I listened to my iPod and one handed texted to her for the 7 or so minutes it took. I felt fine so I was released to the snack table where I enjoyed some pretzels, water, and juice. A success right? I helped save someone’s life!
Reactions:
Erinn was disappointed she couldn’t give and my hubby was so proud of me for giving. You would think it would end here right? Wrong! No good deed goes unpunished that’s for sure. I woke up at 2am and 6am puking! I called the number and the women on the other end explained that sometimes first time female donors have a bit of a reaction and that I may need to go to the ER for some fluids if I don’t improve. At 10am I still felt bad, called the nurse mother-in-law and within 45 minutes was sitting in the ER and stayed there for the next 9 hours…
Would I do it again?
Nope! I didn’t realize that donating blood dehydrates you (yes I should have known) and my medical conditions make me very suseptiable to dehydration. I will have to find other ways to help. Unless it is for a family member or close friend I will not be a vampire donor, sorry Edward!
Cost:
$40 for the ER visit
If you are healthier than me then it costs you nothing
Effort:
Not too much
Time:
The donation process is time consuming especially if they are busy. Be sure to block out 2-3 hours. I had the added time of an ER visit
Sunday, May 30, 2010
CIndy Day 6
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINDY!!!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!! Or at least in the top ten!!!!
TITLE: Shaken Not Stirred
TITLE: Shaken Not Stirred
Date: 20 Feb 2010
Explanation of the act:
I go to the same Starbucks several times during the week. They know me and my order. I get the venti unsweetened black ice tea. Starbucks advertises their ice tea to be shaken which means that ice, water, and concentrated tea go into what looks like a martini shaker. It get shaken and poured into the glass. It is delicious! Well several baristas just put everything in the cup and give it to you. It doesn’t have quite the same taste. The shaken is way better!
Event:
Today I decided to make a special point to thank my barista for shaking the tea. So I said upon receiving my tea “Thanks so much for actually shaking it. Not everyone does and it tastes so much better.”
Reactions:
Smile from barista and “I agree it tastes so much better and you get that nice little froth at the top. Have a good day!”
Would I do it again?
Absolutely!! How hard is it to thank people for doing a good job. We complain when people don’t do what they are supposed to but don’t thank or point out those that are doing it because “it’s their job” or “they get paid to do that.” Everyone likes to be thanked and acknowledged even if it is for doing what they are supposed to do.
Cost:
Nothing! I was buying a drink anyway
Effort:
Minimal – it was a natural conversation topic
Time:
30 seconds (if that)
Saturday, May 29, 2010
CIndy Day 5
TITLE: Tried to pay for lunch
Date: 30 Dec 2009
Explanation of the act:
Spontaneous event. Pay for someone’s lunch. After Project Nice coordinator was on TV we decided to go to the best salad place in all of Washington D.C., Chop’t.
Event:
I was paying for my salad at one register and the girl next to me was paying too. She only had a Discover Card and Chop’t doesn’t take Discover. She didn’t have any other credit card to use. I offered my Visa card without skipping a beat. It was only going to cost under $15 no big deal. I told them to swipe my card for both meals. The girl wouldn’t hear of it. I tried to insist. Project Nice coordinator was just on TV for nice things this was the least I could do to try and be as awesome as her. The cashier said she would take care of it, I think this kind of thing must happen fairly regularly. It did seem as though they were going to make sure the girl got her lunch and that was what mattered. No one should miss out on a Chop’t salad lunch!
Reactions:
The girl thanked me many times for the nice offer. I tried to explain that we just left the TV studio for nice things but I was so flustered that I don’t think it came out very intelligibly . One the plus side I think it may have made her day that someone offered. That’s the goal right?
Would I do it again? Sure!
Cost: $0 but if successful would have been about $15
Effort: The effort was in trying to convince them to take my credit card!
Time: About 3 minutes
Friday, May 28, 2010
CIndy Day 4
TITLE: Let them have the shorter line
Date: December 2009
Explanation of the act:
Spontaneous event. I am not in a hurry and my line is going to move faster so let the person in the in the other line jump into my line.
Event:
My grocery line had a person with a couple items and the other line had someone with many items. The second person in line stood behind the person with lots of items. My person was getting ready to pay so I offered up my line. The person was thankful but then STRIKE my line paid with a CHECK! Who pays with checks still?! Well that slowed things down considerably and the other line finished first. Crap! The idea wasn’t for me to check out first but for them since I wasn’t in any sort of hurry. I apologized and offered back the original line.
Reactions:
The lady laughed and was totally nice about it and wasn’t in a hurry either. She appreciated my effort. So a sort of win for showing niceness…
Would I do it again? Maybe, but assess the situation more closely
Cost: Nada
Effort: Minimal
Time: A few minutes
Thursday, May 27, 2010
CIndy Day 3
TITLE: Disney World Fast Pass to the Tower of Terror
Date: 12 Jan 2010
Explanation of the act:
In Disney World they have this fabulous system called Fast Pass. You get a ticket and come back at the specified time and you move to the front of the line. You can get a new one approximately every 2 hours. The idea was to give someone our Fast Pass tickets.
Event:
We were getting ready to leave Hollywood Studios for Epcot. We got some Fast Pass tickets for the Tower of Terror that were usable in an hour or so. I approached a couple people heading there asking if they wanted them since we were leaving (even though I had deliberately procured the tickets.) The said no they would just go on the ride now. Strike! Really?! This is the best ride in the park, we try to ride it as many times as possible! I saw an middle age couple with “Happy Anniversary” buttons. Perfect! I approached them and offered them the tickets with a “Happy Anniversary” worked in.
Reactions:
They were appreciative. Hopefully this added to their anniversary trip.
Would I do it again?
Sure! This was easy enough. Next time I would get the tickets and hold onto them until it was the appropriate time and then approach someone who was in the regular line at that time so they could skip ahead. I may also choose a ride that has a longer line like the Toy Story Mania ride. Those Fast Pass tickets are a hot commodity and sell out within a couple hours of the park opening!
Cost:
Nothing, it’s included with our park admission
Effort:
Not much but next time I should be more strategic
Time:
About 5 minutes
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
CIndy Day 2
ITLE: Free Bagel Coupon
Date: 30 Jan 2010
Explanation of the act:
We had a coupon from the internet for a free bagel and “smear” at Einstein Brothers. Who doesn’t love a free bagel?! We were planning to use it ourselves and printed out an extra to give away.
Event:
Well it was another snowy Saturday! Driving to the Einstein Brothers was a slow event. We got there and the place was packed! Awesome lots of potential people, although many of them already had their food, darn. The line was a few people deep. The lady in front of us seemed nice. I asked if she was getting a bagel and cream cheese. She said she was getting a box of bagels. Strike! So I still offered her the coupon indicating it wouldn’t expire until the next day.
As an additional note I made many copies of the coupon and left them in the staff room at school.
Reactions:
She took the coupon, thanked me and stuffed it into her purse. It probably didn’t get used. Personally I am always happy to just have the coupon even if I end up not using it. She wasn’t overly thrilled but thanked me. It is hard when people are already there for a specific purpose.
I saw several staff members excited for the coupon. I guess it makes more sense to give it to people who haven’t gone yet.
Would I do it again?
Sure who doesn’t like a good coupon. I do need to work on my strategy of how I approach people.
Cost: printer ink an paper (5 cents maybe..)
Effort: not much I was going for myself too. More effort was in the driving there and back
Time: 1 min to print and 30 sec to talk
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
CIndy Day 1
Edit from Erinn: Cindy got extra days... why? Not just because she's been my number 1 cheerleader, or featured in many of my own good deeds, but because she was hospitalized because of one of her good deeds. AND she's still friends with me.
So yeah, she got a few extra days, deal with it.
Hello everyone out there in Blogger-land. I am kind of new to this whole blogging thing. I did just in the past 2 months set up my own blog. You can read it at http://mathmediablog.blogspot.com/ . It’s about using technology in a math classroom or my experiments with it. So anywho I teach across the hall from Project Nice coordinator and cheered her on when she first began the be nice to a stranger project. I try to always be nice to people so I thought this wouldn’t be so hard. I have learned that my unplanned attempts at being nice go much smoother than my planned ones! I hope you will find some comic relief in the account of my attempts at being overly nice. Happy Nice Blogging!
TITLE: Dessert for the security guards
Date: 6 Feb 2010 aka Snowpocalypse weekend
Explanation of the act:
Our little community has a guard shack at the entrance. These guys have to deal with people who can’t use a call box and keep out those who shouldn’t be in the neighborhood. They don’t get paid much and always have a wave when you are entering and exiting the community. We are currently snowed in with 3ft of snow! They are stuck here in an 8 by 8 room (if its even that big). I decided they needed some dessert.
Event:
Prior to the snowpocalypse I got the ingredients at the store – chocolate cake mix, chocolate cook and serve pudding, containers. While snowed in I made the dessert. It is super simple – make the cook and serve pudding according to the directions then mix in the dry cake mix, stir and put on a sheet pan. I then made a buttercream icing and mixed in mini chocolate chips. Once the cake was cool I cut it in half, spread the icing on one half, sandwiched them together. The tough part was not the making but the travel to the guard shack! That took way more effort to go the ¼ to ½ mile there in 3 feet of snow. I met a few of my neighbors along the way which was nice. One lady was impressed and gave me some sodas to take them as well! Spreading the nice!
Reactions:
When I eventually got there two guards were pretty engrossed in conversation. They opened the door and I explained I brought them dessert to thank them and that someone else donated the sodas. They thanked me and that was that. They weren’t overly excited (but that’s because they hadn’t tasted them yet!)
Would I do it again?
Sure! When snowed in I have nothing but time so an hour to make the food and the trek over there (30 min or so) was not a big deal and I got quite the cardio workout! Everyone likes to be appreciated.
Cost: About $5-$7 because I had a few ingredients already at home
Effort: More effort was in the walking over than the baking
Time: About an hour with the cake, cooling, another hour for walking there and back and socializing with neighbors along the way.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Emily Day 8 BONUS!!!!!
Day 8: Made blankets for sick kids.
I don’t know if you’ve heard of Project Linus, but it’s a great program. Participants donate a blanket to Project Linus, and they give the blanket to a very sick child at a hospital who could use some comfort, and lets them know that someone cares.
Event: My mom had bought some big squares of fleece a while back, to make into blankets for Project Linus, but we never got around to it. So, with new enthusiasm, I located the fleece, and my mom, my brother, and I made three blankets out of the material.
Reaction: We just dropped them off at the fire station, (The Project Linus donation box is there.) so I won’t get to see the recipient’s reaction to the blanket. I wish I could, though!
Would I do it again? Yes! It was actually pretty fun making the blankets.
Cost: My mom bought the fabric so long ago. I don’t remember how much it costs.
Effort: My fingers were a little stiff when I finished, but nothing too strenuous.
Time: About an hour.
I don’t know if you’ve heard of Project Linus, but it’s a great program. Participants donate a blanket to Project Linus, and they give the blanket to a very sick child at a hospital who could use some comfort, and lets them know that someone cares.
Event: My mom had bought some big squares of fleece a while back, to make into blankets for Project Linus, but we never got around to it. So, with new enthusiasm, I located the fleece, and my mom, my brother, and I made three blankets out of the material.
Reaction: We just dropped them off at the fire station, (The Project Linus donation box is there.) so I won’t get to see the recipient’s reaction to the blanket. I wish I could, though!
Would I do it again? Yes! It was actually pretty fun making the blankets.
Cost: My mom bought the fabric so long ago. I don’t remember how much it costs.
Effort: My fingers were a little stiff when I finished, but nothing too strenuous.
Time: About an hour.
Emily Day 7
Day 7: Tried to pay for other people’s library fines.
Personally, I think the library is pretty awesome. Where else can you go for a huge selection of free books, movies, and music?
On the other hand, paying fines is not-so-awesome.
Event: I went to the library, armed with $10 and some slips of paper The idea was that the $10 would pay for the next few people’s fines, and the librarian could give them a slip of paper that explained about Project Nice and suggested that they try do something nice for someone else. Is this what happened?
No.
After I explained to the librarian what I wanted to do, he said that he couldn’t because it would be unfair to the people who’s fines weren’t covered by the $10. I could see where he was coming from, but I was still annoyed that this wasn’t going the way I had hoped. The librarian did tell me that I could donate the $10 to the library, so that’s what I did instead.
Reaction: The librarian seemed kind of irritated that I didn’t know I couldn’t pay for other people’s fines. Hopefully, whatever that $10 went towards makes someone else happy, though.
Would I do it again? Probably not. I don’t want to anger librarians more than necessary.
Cost:$10
Effort: Not much.
Time: 1 minute for me to explain my vision, and another minute for the librarian reject the idea.
Personally, I think the library is pretty awesome. Where else can you go for a huge selection of free books, movies, and music?
On the other hand, paying fines is not-so-awesome.
Event: I went to the library, armed with $10 and some slips of paper The idea was that the $10 would pay for the next few people’s fines, and the librarian could give them a slip of paper that explained about Project Nice and suggested that they try do something nice for someone else. Is this what happened?
No.
After I explained to the librarian what I wanted to do, he said that he couldn’t because it would be unfair to the people who’s fines weren’t covered by the $10. I could see where he was coming from, but I was still annoyed that this wasn’t going the way I had hoped. The librarian did tell me that I could donate the $10 to the library, so that’s what I did instead.
Reaction: The librarian seemed kind of irritated that I didn’t know I couldn’t pay for other people’s fines. Hopefully, whatever that $10 went towards makes someone else happy, though.
Would I do it again? Probably not. I don’t want to anger librarians more than necessary.
Cost:$10
Effort: Not much.
Time: 1 minute for me to explain my vision, and another minute for the librarian reject the idea.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Emily Day 6
Day 6: Gave the mailman brownies.
Mailmen in general are pretty great, and yet, we seem to take them for granted. They ensure we get our letters and bills (Though I’m sure many people wish they didn’t.) and magazines, regardless of snow, sleet, hail, rain, and so on. They’re probably freezing in the winter, and sweltering in the summer because their car (Is it a car? I really don’t know.) has that open door thing so they can put the mail in the mailboxes. So, I decided to show him my appreciation.
Event: Baked some brownies, and put some in a nice bag with a note that thanked him for making sure we got our mail even with all this snow. In the morning, I put the bag of brownies and the note into my mailbox.
Reaction: I checked the mailbox after I came home from school, and the brownies were gone.
Would I do it again? Definitely.
Cost: Nothing. I found the brownie mix at the back of my cupboard, and the bag was in my basement.
Effort: I had to make the brownies, and walk down to the mailbox. So difficult.
Time: 20 minutes to make the brownies.
Mailmen in general are pretty great, and yet, we seem to take them for granted. They ensure we get our letters and bills (Though I’m sure many people wish they didn’t.) and magazines, regardless of snow, sleet, hail, rain, and so on. They’re probably freezing in the winter, and sweltering in the summer because their car (Is it a car? I really don’t know.) has that open door thing so they can put the mail in the mailboxes. So, I decided to show him my appreciation.
Event: Baked some brownies, and put some in a nice bag with a note that thanked him for making sure we got our mail even with all this snow. In the morning, I put the bag of brownies and the note into my mailbox.
Reaction: I checked the mailbox after I came home from school, and the brownies were gone.
Would I do it again? Definitely.
Cost: Nothing. I found the brownie mix at the back of my cupboard, and the bag was in my basement.
Effort: I had to make the brownies, and walk down to the mailbox. So difficult.
Time: 20 minutes to make the brownies.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Emily Day 5
Day 5: Gave pens to the Emergency Room.
Before my dad was admitted to the hospital, predictably, he had to fill out fifty billion forms. He didn’t have a pen on him, so he borrowed one from the front desk in the ER, and was given one that had a plastic spoon taped to the top so that people wouldn’t accidentally take them. Plastic spoons did not seem like the best possible choice for pens, and I figured hey, why not give them nicer pens?
Event: I unearthed some artificial flowers, and taped them to the pens with this floral tape (I’m not sure if that’s what the tape is actually called. All I know is that it is sticky and green.). Then I placed the pens in this cute little flower pot I found, and gave it to the people at the front desk when I went to visit my dad.
Reaction: I loved the woman at the front desk’s reaction. She looked so tired and hassled when I walked in, and when I gave the pens, she got this huge smile on her face. She asked me my name, and then as I was walking out the door, I heard her say to the other woman at the desk, “Look what Emily gave us!” I never would’ve guessed that pens could make someone so happy.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: I found all the materials in the basement.
Effort: The hardest part was digging for the supplies.
Time: Ten minutes at most.
Before my dad was admitted to the hospital, predictably, he had to fill out fifty billion forms. He didn’t have a pen on him, so he borrowed one from the front desk in the ER, and was given one that had a plastic spoon taped to the top so that people wouldn’t accidentally take them. Plastic spoons did not seem like the best possible choice for pens, and I figured hey, why not give them nicer pens?
Event: I unearthed some artificial flowers, and taped them to the pens with this floral tape (I’m not sure if that’s what the tape is actually called. All I know is that it is sticky and green.). Then I placed the pens in this cute little flower pot I found, and gave it to the people at the front desk when I went to visit my dad.
Reaction: I loved the woman at the front desk’s reaction. She looked so tired and hassled when I walked in, and when I gave the pens, she got this huge smile on her face. She asked me my name, and then as I was walking out the door, I heard her say to the other woman at the desk, “Look what Emily gave us!” I never would’ve guessed that pens could make someone so happy.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: I found all the materials in the basement.
Effort: The hardest part was digging for the supplies.
Time: Ten minutes at most.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Emily Day 4
Day 4: Wrote my mom an encouraging note.
For the past week, my dad has been not feeling well. He went to the doctor, and after a ton of blood tests, it was determined that he was anemic. For those of you who, like me, are not a medical practitioner, that means that his red blood cell and hemoglobin counts are low, along with a bunch of other chemicals that I can’t pronounce, let alone spell. The doctors monitored his red blood cell and hemoglobin counts, and they became very low, like I’m-shocked-you’re-able-to-stand low. He was hospitalized today, and is getting a blood transfusion as I am writing this. Needless to say, my mom is extremely stressed out and very worried about her husband.
Event: I wrote my mom an encouraging note that reminded her that my brother and I love her and we have amazing friends and family who will help her through this whole situation.
Reaction: My mom was touched that I took the time to reassure her while everything was so hectic.
Would I do it again? Definitely.
Cost: It was free.
Effort: It was pretty easy.
Time: About 3 minutes. It wasn’t a terribly long note.
For the past week, my dad has been not feeling well. He went to the doctor, and after a ton of blood tests, it was determined that he was anemic. For those of you who, like me, are not a medical practitioner, that means that his red blood cell and hemoglobin counts are low, along with a bunch of other chemicals that I can’t pronounce, let alone spell. The doctors monitored his red blood cell and hemoglobin counts, and they became very low, like I’m-shocked-you’re-able-to-stand low. He was hospitalized today, and is getting a blood transfusion as I am writing this. Needless to say, my mom is extremely stressed out and very worried about her husband.
Event: I wrote my mom an encouraging note that reminded her that my brother and I love her and we have amazing friends and family who will help her through this whole situation.
Reaction: My mom was touched that I took the time to reassure her while everything was so hectic.
Would I do it again? Definitely.
Cost: It was free.
Effort: It was pretty easy.
Time: About 3 minutes. It wasn’t a terribly long note.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Emily Day 3
Day 3: Gave out heart necklaces to my students.
As a hobby/job, I student-teach two and three year olds at my dance studio. They are adorable (Most of the time, anyway. Their cuteness diminishes once they start screaming and crying because they got a purple sticker when they wanted a pink one.) and I thought, hey, why not give them a little something for Valentine’s Day?
Event: I went to the store to buy some heart necklaces, and gave one to all of my students.
Reactions: The kids liked the necklaces, and definitely appreciated any kind of present. The teacher smiled and told me that that was a nice thing to do. What made me laugh was that my two fellow student teachers actually were more excited about the necklaces than the kids. Apparently, they both can’t resisted shiny, red hearts.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: About $8.
Effort: The hardest part was deciding what I should give the kids.
Time: 10 minutes (The shopping took the longest.).
As a hobby/job, I student-teach two and three year olds at my dance studio. They are adorable (Most of the time, anyway. Their cuteness diminishes once they start screaming and crying because they got a purple sticker when they wanted a pink one.) and I thought, hey, why not give them a little something for Valentine’s Day?
Event: I went to the store to buy some heart necklaces, and gave one to all of my students.
Reactions: The kids liked the necklaces, and definitely appreciated any kind of present. The teacher smiled and told me that that was a nice thing to do. What made me laugh was that my two fellow student teachers actually were more excited about the necklaces than the kids. Apparently, they both can’t resisted shiny, red hearts.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: About $8.
Effort: The hardest part was deciding what I should give the kids.
Time: 10 minutes (The shopping took the longest.).
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Emily Day 2
Day 2: Gave hot chocolate to a firefighter.
My dad was driving me home from my ballet class, and we stopped at a Starbucks. In the Starbucks lot, there was a fire truck parked there. The fireman was helping a little girl climb into the passenger seat and showing her all the interesting aspects to a fire truck. I thought this was so nice of him, to take the time to let this little kid explore his truck.
Event: Gave the firefighter a cup of hot chocolate from Starbucks.
Reactions: At first, the fire fighter thought I wanted to sit in the fire truck too. Once I told him that I brought him hot chocolate, he thanked me with a big smile. The little girl’s family, who was there during this whole exchange, awww-ed (One of the hazards of being under eighteen and doing random acts of kindness. Adults tend to think it’s cute.).
Would I do it again? Sure.
Cost: About $3.
Effort: Minimal. It was more work for the person making the hot chocolate.
Time: 3 minutes.
My dad was driving me home from my ballet class, and we stopped at a Starbucks. In the Starbucks lot, there was a fire truck parked there. The fireman was helping a little girl climb into the passenger seat and showing her all the interesting aspects to a fire truck. I thought this was so nice of him, to take the time to let this little kid explore his truck.
Event: Gave the firefighter a cup of hot chocolate from Starbucks.
Reactions: At first, the fire fighter thought I wanted to sit in the fire truck too. Once I told him that I brought him hot chocolate, he thanked me with a big smile. The little girl’s family, who was there during this whole exchange, awww-ed (One of the hazards of being under eighteen and doing random acts of kindness. Adults tend to think it’s cute.).
Would I do it again? Sure.
Cost: About $3.
Effort: Minimal. It was more work for the person making the hot chocolate.
Time: 3 minutes.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Emily Day 1
My name’s Emily, I’m 14 and I live in Maryland. I chose to do Project Nice because it honestly seemed like a great idea. How many times to you lose faith in humanity when someone sticks gum at the bottom of a table at a restaurant, or when someone borrows a pen from you and just walks off with it? Imagine how much better the world would be with more people doing nice things for one another.
Day 1: Shoveled my neighbor’s walkway.
In Maryland, we are very ill-equipped for snow. If it snows six inches, the whole county all but shuts down. So, when it snowed twenty to thirty inches (The worst blizzard ever recorded in Maryland to date.), like it did yesterday, everyone was stocking up on food, buying shovels, and generally preparing for an Ice Age.
Arguably, the worst part of a snow storm is having to shovel your driveway afterwards. Shoveling a driveway, porch and walkway blanketed with twenty inches of ice and snow is no mean feat, and practically impossible for the elderly couple who live across from me. Especially considering that the husband has a serious staph infection and had to go to the hospital last week.
Event: My dad, two other neighbors, and myself shoveled their two car driveway, walkway, and porch.
Reactions: The woman who lived there opened the window and thanked us profusely, telling us how much she appreciated us taking the time to help them out.
Would I do it again? Definitely. If we hadn’t, I have no idea how the couple would’ve been able to get out of their house.
Cost: It was free!
Effort: A lot. I can’t remember the last time I was this tired.
Time: An hour and a half, but it was worth every minute.
Day 1: Shoveled my neighbor’s walkway.
In Maryland, we are very ill-equipped for snow. If it snows six inches, the whole county all but shuts down. So, when it snowed twenty to thirty inches (The worst blizzard ever recorded in Maryland to date.), like it did yesterday, everyone was stocking up on food, buying shovels, and generally preparing for an Ice Age.
Arguably, the worst part of a snow storm is having to shovel your driveway afterwards. Shoveling a driveway, porch and walkway blanketed with twenty inches of ice and snow is no mean feat, and practically impossible for the elderly couple who live across from me. Especially considering that the husband has a serious staph infection and had to go to the hospital last week.
Event: My dad, two other neighbors, and myself shoveled their two car driveway, walkway, and porch.
Reactions: The woman who lived there opened the window and thanked us profusely, telling us how much she appreciated us taking the time to help them out.
Would I do it again? Definitely. If we hadn’t, I have no idea how the couple would’ve been able to get out of their house.
Cost: It was free!
Effort: A lot. I can’t remember the last time I was this tired.
Time: An hour and a half, but it was worth every minute.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Lauren Day 7
Be the match!
The National Bone Marrow Donor Program, also known as Be The Match, describes their cause thusly (from their website): "We help patients afford transplant, find a matching donor and build a future as we advance medical research." You can actually take the first steps to joining the registry as a potential donor online.
Event: It's quite simple: you provide the relevant medical information they need to make sure you qualify to be a bone marrow donor, and if you do, they send you a kit in the mail for swabbing cheek cells. You follow the instructions in the kit and send it back. Having done this, I should be in the registry within five to six weeks. Once I'm listed, if I appear to be a match for someone in need of a transplant, I will go in for more tests to make certain. Once it's proven that I'm a match, I'll make the donation.
Reactions: Well, clearly there haven't been any yet from those directly affected, as I've only just signed up; however, I would like to mention that I find it kind of funny (also a little frightening) that everyone I've told thus far has seen fit to make certain I know how much this is supposed to hurt. Yes, I know. Thank you for reminding me.
Would I do it again? Ah, well, that's not really an option. I'd totally sign up to be an organ donor or to donate blood. Same thing? Sort of?
Cost: Free!
Effort: It certainly wasn't taxing.
Time: I'd say, all told, about an hour.
The National Bone Marrow Donor Program, also known as Be The Match, describes their cause thusly (from their website): "We help patients afford transplant, find a matching donor and build a future as we advance medical research." You can actually take the first steps to joining the registry as a potential donor online.
Event: It's quite simple: you provide the relevant medical information they need to make sure you qualify to be a bone marrow donor, and if you do, they send you a kit in the mail for swabbing cheek cells. You follow the instructions in the kit and send it back. Having done this, I should be in the registry within five to six weeks. Once I'm listed, if I appear to be a match for someone in need of a transplant, I will go in for more tests to make certain. Once it's proven that I'm a match, I'll make the donation.
Reactions: Well, clearly there haven't been any yet from those directly affected, as I've only just signed up; however, I would like to mention that I find it kind of funny (also a little frightening) that everyone I've told thus far has seen fit to make certain I know how much this is supposed to hurt. Yes, I know. Thank you for reminding me.
Would I do it again? Ah, well, that's not really an option. I'd totally sign up to be an organ donor or to donate blood. Same thing? Sort of?
Cost: Free!
Effort: It certainly wasn't taxing.
Time: I'd say, all told, about an hour.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Lauren Day 6
Nice roulette
Chatroulette, if you have never heard it of, is a website that connects you to random strangers with whom you can chat (via video with audio, video without audio, or just plain text). It is a dangerous and scary place to which many find themselves unable to resist returning.
Event: I decided to improve as many chatroulette experiences as possible by getting on there and just being nice. It is sort of the virtual equivalent of giving a random stranger a compliment. Reactions: This was not my best idea. Aside from the disturbing sights to which one will inevitably be exposed on this website, there are three things you are most likely to find: guys looking for ladies, drunk people looking for laughs, and bored people also looking for laughs. This meant that if I did manage to maintain a conversation with someone, my display of kindness was fairly likely to be mistaken for flirting. It's really not the right environment for this sort of project. Still, one must report both successes and failures, for the good of future generations.
Would I do it again? Probably not.
Cost: None.
Effort: Quite a bit.
Time: A couple of hours, at least.
Chatroulette, if you have never heard it of, is a website that connects you to random strangers with whom you can chat (via video with audio, video without audio, or just plain text). It is a dangerous and scary place to which many find themselves unable to resist returning.
Event: I decided to improve as many chatroulette experiences as possible by getting on there and just being nice. It is sort of the virtual equivalent of giving a random stranger a compliment. Reactions: This was not my best idea. Aside from the disturbing sights to which one will inevitably be exposed on this website, there are three things you are most likely to find: guys looking for ladies, drunk people looking for laughs, and bored people also looking for laughs. This meant that if I did manage to maintain a conversation with someone, my display of kindness was fairly likely to be mistaken for flirting. It's really not the right environment for this sort of project. Still, one must report both successes and failures, for the good of future generations.
Would I do it again? Probably not.
Cost: None.
Effort: Quite a bit.
Time: A couple of hours, at least.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Lauren Day 5
Help Haiti Heal
Nerdfighters probably already know about the Harry Potter Alliance's Help Haiti Heal project. Basically it was the most awesome way one group of people could possibly go about helping another. Details here: http://www.thehpalliance.org/haiti/
Event: I donated. Reactions: I really have a knack for choosing goods deeds that don't allow me to see any of the reactions.
Would I do it again? You bet!
Cost: Thirty dollars. I am also good at breaking the five dollar limit... Effort: It was quite simple.
Time: Perhaps ten minutes or so.
Nerdfighters probably already know about the Harry Potter Alliance's Help Haiti Heal project. Basically it was the most awesome way one group of people could possibly go about helping another. Details here: http://www.thehpalliance.org/haiti/
Event: I donated. Reactions: I really have a knack for choosing goods deeds that don't allow me to see any of the reactions.
Would I do it again? You bet!
Cost: Thirty dollars. I am also good at breaking the five dollar limit... Effort: It was quite simple.
Time: Perhaps ten minutes or so.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Lauren Day 4
A sudden change of mind
I went in with every intention of paying for the drink of the person behind me at a coffee shop. (This was before Project Super Nice, or I would have followed through with that.) As I was standing in line, I started to think about all of the stories my sister had told me about her experiences as a former barista. Pretentious college students, arrogant professionals who treat the staff like their own personal servants at best, people who cut in line and demand to be served first because they feel they are just that important, people who throw their money at the barista carelessly rather than taking two seconds to hand it to them... the list goes on and on. Of course, every customer service job involves these kinds of incidents. It's just that I found myself thinking more about the baristas than the customers just then.
Event: I took the money I had planned on using and put it in the tip jar instead.
Reactions: I snuck it in, so I don't know.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: Ten dollars.
Effort: Minimal.
Time: Maybe ten seconds.
I went in with every intention of paying for the drink of the person behind me at a coffee shop. (This was before Project Super Nice, or I would have followed through with that.) As I was standing in line, I started to think about all of the stories my sister had told me about her experiences as a former barista. Pretentious college students, arrogant professionals who treat the staff like their own personal servants at best, people who cut in line and demand to be served first because they feel they are just that important, people who throw their money at the barista carelessly rather than taking two seconds to hand it to them... the list goes on and on. Of course, every customer service job involves these kinds of incidents. It's just that I found myself thinking more about the baristas than the customers just then.
Event: I took the money I had planned on using and put it in the tip jar instead.
Reactions: I snuck it in, so I don't know.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: Ten dollars.
Effort: Minimal.
Time: Maybe ten seconds.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Lauren Day 3
Coffee for Soldiers
Almost every store, be it the supermarket or a bookstore or gas station, has some kind of charity they're supporting. Usually at the checkout counter there will be a sign out asking you to donate to their cause. I am forever telling myself I will donate next time.
Event: While checking out at a Borders, I was given the chance to buy a pound of coffee for troops. My automatic inner dialogue of procrastination started up, but then I remembered that this was the month of Project Nice. This is when the whole point to the project (for me, anyway) really sank in: if you find yourself thinking, "I should really do this", just do it. Forget about the reasons not to. It's that simple. Reactions: Either the woman at the register was just really good at faking enthusiasm, or she really believed in this cause. She seemed pretty happy about it.
Would I do it again? Most definitely!
Cost: About eight dollars. Effort: None!
Time: Maybe an extra minute to the checkout, if that.
Almost every store, be it the supermarket or a bookstore or gas station, has some kind of charity they're supporting. Usually at the checkout counter there will be a sign out asking you to donate to their cause. I am forever telling myself I will donate next time.
Event: While checking out at a Borders, I was given the chance to buy a pound of coffee for troops. My automatic inner dialogue of procrastination started up, but then I remembered that this was the month of Project Nice. This is when the whole point to the project (for me, anyway) really sank in: if you find yourself thinking, "I should really do this", just do it. Forget about the reasons not to. It's that simple. Reactions: Either the woman at the register was just really good at faking enthusiasm, or she really believed in this cause. She seemed pretty happy about it.
Would I do it again? Most definitely!
Cost: About eight dollars. Effort: None!
Time: Maybe an extra minute to the checkout, if that.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Lauren Day 2
Free soda
Sometimes, the smallest bit of luck/random kindness can just completely make your day.
Event: I left money in a vending machine so that someone could enjoy a free beverage. Obviously, the cost of a soda is negligible- it's the surprise that was meant to bring cheer. Reactions: Once again, I wasn't around to see the reaction on this one.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: A dollar. Effort: Minimal.
Time: About two seconds.
Sometimes, the smallest bit of luck/random kindness can just completely make your day.
Event: I left money in a vending machine so that someone could enjoy a free beverage. Obviously, the cost of a soda is negligible- it's the surprise that was meant to bring cheer. Reactions: Once again, I wasn't around to see the reaction on this one.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Cost: A dollar. Effort: Minimal.
Time: About two seconds.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Lauren Day 1
Lauren is a Nerdfighter. Which means she is awesome!
Thank you to a stranger
I love people who are curious. I love people who see random graffiti, dropped notes, abandoned shirts, and so on, and wonder about them.
Event:
To show my appreciation of such people, I left a thank you card on the subway. It read: "Thank You... for being curious enough to read the inside of this card. Continue to be awesome. DFTBA" I then signed it Project Nice. I really hope someone curious found it... Reactions: No idea! Hopefully good?
Would I do it again? Yes!
Cost: Nothing. I already had the cards. Effort: Having the idea was the hardest part.
Time: Less than a minute.
Thank you to a stranger
I love people who are curious. I love people who see random graffiti, dropped notes, abandoned shirts, and so on, and wonder about them.
Event:
To show my appreciation of such people, I left a thank you card on the subway. It read: "Thank You... for being curious enough to read the inside of this card. Continue to be awesome. DFTBA" I then signed it Project Nice. I really hope someone curious found it... Reactions: No idea! Hopefully good?
Would I do it again? Yes!
Cost: Nothing. I already had the cards. Effort: Having the idea was the hardest part.
Time: Less than a minute.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Danielle Day 7
Day 7 – FairyGodmother Project
Donated three dresses and a pair of shoes to the FairyGodmother Project – 3.5.10
Like most people my age, I’ve been to several weddings in the past few years. I’ve also had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in three of my good friends’ weddings and therefore own three bridesmaid dresses. Now, let’s be honest – I’m not going to wear them again. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very pretty dresses and I was happy to buy them and wear them for the wedding. But I cannot imagine an occasion when I’m ever going to wear them again. So I started thinking that the dresses could have a second life as prom dresses.
I would like to state, for the record, that I think that proms are overrated. I skipped my junior prom because a good friend of mine was having her birthday party that night. I did go to my senior prom, but was unimpressed – it was just like a school dance with fancier food and a much bigger price tag. But some people really enjoy the whole prom experience and I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it would be to want to go and not be able to afford something to wear.
Event:
I did some Internet research and found the FairyGodmother Project (http://www.fairygodmotherprojectofma.org), which provides gently used formal dresses, shoes and accessories to financially disadvantaged girls. Perfect. My dresses could have a second life and some girls will be able to go to their proms.
None of the drop-off locations on the website were near where I live or work, so I emailed them to find out if there were alternate locations. Someone wrote back and gave me a PO Box where I could send them. So I packed up the three dresses and a pair of shoes (that I only wore once because they killed my feet) and sent them on their way.
Reactions:
None that I’ve heard.
Would I do it again? Sure
Cost: Almost $5 for postage. I had boxes and packing supplies on hand.
Effort: Minimal
Time: About 15 minutes for packing and going to the Post Office.
Donated three dresses and a pair of shoes to the FairyGodmother Project – 3.5.10
Like most people my age, I’ve been to several weddings in the past few years. I’ve also had the privilege of being a bridesmaid in three of my good friends’ weddings and therefore own three bridesmaid dresses. Now, let’s be honest – I’m not going to wear them again. Don’t get me wrong, they’re very pretty dresses and I was happy to buy them and wear them for the wedding. But I cannot imagine an occasion when I’m ever going to wear them again. So I started thinking that the dresses could have a second life as prom dresses.
I would like to state, for the record, that I think that proms are overrated. I skipped my junior prom because a good friend of mine was having her birthday party that night. I did go to my senior prom, but was unimpressed – it was just like a school dance with fancier food and a much bigger price tag. But some people really enjoy the whole prom experience and I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it would be to want to go and not be able to afford something to wear.
Event:
I did some Internet research and found the FairyGodmother Project (http://www.fairygodmotherprojectofma.org), which provides gently used formal dresses, shoes and accessories to financially disadvantaged girls. Perfect. My dresses could have a second life and some girls will be able to go to their proms.
None of the drop-off locations on the website were near where I live or work, so I emailed them to find out if there were alternate locations. Someone wrote back and gave me a PO Box where I could send them. So I packed up the three dresses and a pair of shoes (that I only wore once because they killed my feet) and sent them on their way.
Reactions:
None that I’ve heard.
Would I do it again? Sure
Cost: Almost $5 for postage. I had boxes and packing supplies on hand.
Effort: Minimal
Time: About 15 minutes for packing and going to the Post Office.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Danielle Day 6
Day 6 – Take My Seat
Gave up a seat on a crowded train – 2.27.10
I wasn’t initially going to count this one, but one of my pet peeves is how selfish people can be on public transit. I’m not sure if it’s specific to the Boston area or if people ridiculously rude elsewhere. So I’m including this more to make a point than anything else.
When riding public transit, I usually try to drown out humanity with my iPod and a good book. But that day, while riding the commuter train, I was knitting and people-watching. The closer we got to the city, the more crowded the train became. I’ve taken this train on a Saturday before and don’t recall it being this crowded. I blame it on the Celtics game (at least half the folks on the train were wearing Celtics garb). I watched people have to ask fellow passengers to move bags off empty seats so they could sit. I watched people climb over passengers in aisle seats because they wouldn’t move over. And I noticed that several people were standing in the back of the car.
Event:
A mother and young son came onto the crowded train and walked towards the back of the car looking for a seat. There were none to be had. As the train started moving, the little boy (he looked to be about 3 or 4) announced that he wanted to sit down. At about the same time, both the girl next to me and I offered our seats.
Reactions:
The mom was hesitant at first, but when we both got up and insisted that she take the seats, she and her son thanked us and sat down.
On a side note, the little boy cracked me up – he was showing off his Celtics jersey to all of the passengers and was climbing all over the seat so he could look out the window.
Would I do it again? Of course. I always give up my seat when other people need it more. Besides, I was getting off at the next stop anyway.
Cost: None
Effort: None
Time: Just a few seconds.
Gave up a seat on a crowded train – 2.27.10
I wasn’t initially going to count this one, but one of my pet peeves is how selfish people can be on public transit. I’m not sure if it’s specific to the Boston area or if people ridiculously rude elsewhere. So I’m including this more to make a point than anything else.
When riding public transit, I usually try to drown out humanity with my iPod and a good book. But that day, while riding the commuter train, I was knitting and people-watching. The closer we got to the city, the more crowded the train became. I’ve taken this train on a Saturday before and don’t recall it being this crowded. I blame it on the Celtics game (at least half the folks on the train were wearing Celtics garb). I watched people have to ask fellow passengers to move bags off empty seats so they could sit. I watched people climb over passengers in aisle seats because they wouldn’t move over. And I noticed that several people were standing in the back of the car.
Event:
A mother and young son came onto the crowded train and walked towards the back of the car looking for a seat. There were none to be had. As the train started moving, the little boy (he looked to be about 3 or 4) announced that he wanted to sit down. At about the same time, both the girl next to me and I offered our seats.
Reactions:
The mom was hesitant at first, but when we both got up and insisted that she take the seats, she and her son thanked us and sat down.
On a side note, the little boy cracked me up – he was showing off his Celtics jersey to all of the passengers and was climbing all over the seat so he could look out the window.
Would I do it again? Of course. I always give up my seat when other people need it more. Besides, I was getting off at the next stop anyway.
Cost: None
Effort: None
Time: Just a few seconds.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Danielle Day 5
Day 5 – Scarves for Charity
Knitted scarves for a shelter – 2.9.10 – 2. 21.10
I learned how to knit over Christmas break. At the moment, I only know one stitch and the only useful things I know how to knit are scarves. I made several scarves for friends and relatives and thought that perhaps someone else could use it more. My friend’s mother works at a shelter for women recovering from substance abuse and their children so, naturally, it sounded like a good fit.
Event:
I knitted two scarves – one was burgundy, knitted with a thin yarn and size 10 needles, and the other was charcoal grey, knitted with a thick yarn and size 17 needles. I even added fringe to the burgundy scarf – it was my first attempt at fringe. I dropped off the scarves with my friend, who gave them to her mom to bring in to work.
Reactions:
Unknown
Would I do it again? I’ll probably do it again next winter. Maybe by then I’ll know how to make hats and mittens, too.
Cost: $4 for yarn – I bought it on sale.
Effort: Not as much as one would think. It’s gotten to the point where I can do the basic knit stitch without thinking, so I knit in the car (while my husband is driving) or while watching TV or while hanging with my in-laws, etc. It keeps my hands occupied and allows me to zone out.
Time: The burgundy one took maybe 8 or 10 hours. I don’t know exactly because didn’t do it all at once – I knitted it for an hour or so a day over the course of a couple of weeks. The grey one only took about 3 hours – I knitted it in one day while watching TV.
Knitted scarves for a shelter – 2.9.10 – 2. 21.10
I learned how to knit over Christmas break. At the moment, I only know one stitch and the only useful things I know how to knit are scarves. I made several scarves for friends and relatives and thought that perhaps someone else could use it more. My friend’s mother works at a shelter for women recovering from substance abuse and their children so, naturally, it sounded like a good fit.
Event:
I knitted two scarves – one was burgundy, knitted with a thin yarn and size 10 needles, and the other was charcoal grey, knitted with a thick yarn and size 17 needles. I even added fringe to the burgundy scarf – it was my first attempt at fringe. I dropped off the scarves with my friend, who gave them to her mom to bring in to work.
Reactions:
Unknown
Would I do it again? I’ll probably do it again next winter. Maybe by then I’ll know how to make hats and mittens, too.
Cost: $4 for yarn – I bought it on sale.
Effort: Not as much as one would think. It’s gotten to the point where I can do the basic knit stitch without thinking, so I knit in the car (while my husband is driving) or while watching TV or while hanging with my in-laws, etc. It keeps my hands occupied and allows me to zone out.
Time: The burgundy one took maybe 8 or 10 hours. I don’t know exactly because didn’t do it all at once – I knitted it for an hour or so a day over the course of a couple of weeks. The grey one only took about 3 hours – I knitted it in one day while watching TV.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Danielle Day 4
Day 4 – Cookies!
Baked Cookies for my husband’s co-workers – 2.21.10
Earlier in the week, my husband’s boss, who raises chickens, gave us a dozen eggs – he does that from time to time. I don’t know what he feeds these chickens, but the eggs are huge and very, very good. As soon as I saw the eggs I thought – ooh, I gotta bake some cookies (I also thought – ooh, egg salad – but that’s beside the point).
I love to bake. And I love baked goods. And I think that pretty much everyone loves cookies. I mean, what’s not to love, right? And what could be better than using the eggs that hubby’s boss gave us to make some cookies for hubby’s office?
Event:
I baked up a batch of oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chip cookies on a Sunday evening and my husband brought them to work on Monday. Well, he brought half of them to work – I made a double batch so we could have some at home.
Reactions:
I got a thank you email from one of my husband’s co-workers – she wrote, “Thanks for the cookies!!! You are too sweet.” Another co-worker was joking around with my husband and asked if I was trying to bribe them so they’d help my department with anything we want (my husband and I work in the same university – I’m in the e-learning department and he’s in the technology department).
Would I do it again? Sure. I do love to bake. And I like it even better when baked goods leave the house so I don’t eat them all.
Cost: I could probably break down the cost of all of the ingredients . . . but it would probably take more effort than making the cookies. I already had all of the ingredients in house, so it didn’t really cost anything extra.
Effort: Average
Time: About an hour (I have a double oven, so that really cuts down on the bake time)
Baked Cookies for my husband’s co-workers – 2.21.10
Earlier in the week, my husband’s boss, who raises chickens, gave us a dozen eggs – he does that from time to time. I don’t know what he feeds these chickens, but the eggs are huge and very, very good. As soon as I saw the eggs I thought – ooh, I gotta bake some cookies (I also thought – ooh, egg salad – but that’s beside the point).
I love to bake. And I love baked goods. And I think that pretty much everyone loves cookies. I mean, what’s not to love, right? And what could be better than using the eggs that hubby’s boss gave us to make some cookies for hubby’s office?
Event:
I baked up a batch of oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chip cookies on a Sunday evening and my husband brought them to work on Monday. Well, he brought half of them to work – I made a double batch so we could have some at home.
Reactions:
I got a thank you email from one of my husband’s co-workers – she wrote, “Thanks for the cookies!!! You are too sweet.” Another co-worker was joking around with my husband and asked if I was trying to bribe them so they’d help my department with anything we want (my husband and I work in the same university – I’m in the e-learning department and he’s in the technology department).
Would I do it again? Sure. I do love to bake. And I like it even better when baked goods leave the house so I don’t eat them all.
Cost: I could probably break down the cost of all of the ingredients . . . but it would probably take more effort than making the cookies. I already had all of the ingredients in house, so it didn’t really cost anything extra.
Effort: Average
Time: About an hour (I have a double oven, so that really cuts down on the bake time)
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Danielle Day 3
Day 3 – Gave a Gift Card to a Homeless Man
Gave a gift card to a homeless man – 2.17.10
Around Christmastime my husband bought Dunkin Donuts gift cards for everyone in his office. Of course, he based the number of gift cards off of the number of desks . . . and counted himself. So he gave me the extra gift card and I figured that I’d give it to someone who could really use it. I put it in the back pocket of my purse (so I wouldn’t have to dig for it), planning on giving it the first homeless person I saw.
Event:
I was walking through Porter Square (Cambridge, MA) and saw a homeless man selling the Spare Change newspaper (it’s a local street paper to benefit the homeless – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_Change for more info). Now, I do buy Spare Change from time to time, but I often don’t carry cash on me, as was the case that evening. Instead, I offered him the Dunkin Donuts gift card.
Reactions:
He smiled and thanked me. “No problem,” I told him. I started to walk away and he called me back. “How much is on the card?” he asked. “Five dollars. Sorry, it isn’t much.” He thanked me again and I went on my way.
On a side note, I felt a little guilty as I was walking away because I was heading to a café in a local bookstore to buy a $5 chai soy latte, whereas he was standing out in the street trying to collect money so he can eat.
Would I do it again? Sure
Cost: Technically, the gift card was worth $5. But I didn’t pay for it.
Effort: None, really
Time: A couple of seconds
Gave a gift card to a homeless man – 2.17.10
Around Christmastime my husband bought Dunkin Donuts gift cards for everyone in his office. Of course, he based the number of gift cards off of the number of desks . . . and counted himself. So he gave me the extra gift card and I figured that I’d give it to someone who could really use it. I put it in the back pocket of my purse (so I wouldn’t have to dig for it), planning on giving it the first homeless person I saw.
Event:
I was walking through Porter Square (Cambridge, MA) and saw a homeless man selling the Spare Change newspaper (it’s a local street paper to benefit the homeless – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spare_Change for more info). Now, I do buy Spare Change from time to time, but I often don’t carry cash on me, as was the case that evening. Instead, I offered him the Dunkin Donuts gift card.
Reactions:
He smiled and thanked me. “No problem,” I told him. I started to walk away and he called me back. “How much is on the card?” he asked. “Five dollars. Sorry, it isn’t much.” He thanked me again and I went on my way.
On a side note, I felt a little guilty as I was walking away because I was heading to a café in a local bookstore to buy a $5 chai soy latte, whereas he was standing out in the street trying to collect money so he can eat.
Would I do it again? Sure
Cost: Technically, the gift card was worth $5. But I didn’t pay for it.
Effort: None, really
Time: A couple of seconds
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Danielle Day 2
Day 2 – Free Parking
Fed expired parking meters – 2.16.10
As someone who has paid my fair share of parking tickets to the city of Cambridge, MA, I know how they can totally ruin your day. Especially when the weather’s crappy.
It was a snowy day and I had a meeting on the other end of campus (I work at a university in Cambridge, MA and, no, it isn’t Harvard or MIT). After my meeting, on the way back to my office, I walked down Mass Ave and put quarters in expired meters.
Event:
I found 4 meters that had ran out of time and put $1 in each of them, bringing the time up to an hour.
Reactions:
Unknown. Though if I came back to my car and saw that someone had put money in my meter I’d be super happy. Actually, I’m pretty psyched any time I come back to my car and I don’t have a parking ticket.
Would I do it again? I see no reason why not
Cost: $4
Effort: Not much. I even stuck the quarters in my coat pocket so I wouldn’t have to take off my nice warm gloves.
Time: My total walk time was about 10 minutes and it didn’t really take more than a few seconds to pop quarters in a few expired meters.
Fed expired parking meters – 2.16.10
As someone who has paid my fair share of parking tickets to the city of Cambridge, MA, I know how they can totally ruin your day. Especially when the weather’s crappy.
It was a snowy day and I had a meeting on the other end of campus (I work at a university in Cambridge, MA and, no, it isn’t Harvard or MIT). After my meeting, on the way back to my office, I walked down Mass Ave and put quarters in expired meters.
Event:
I found 4 meters that had ran out of time and put $1 in each of them, bringing the time up to an hour.
Reactions:
Unknown. Though if I came back to my car and saw that someone had put money in my meter I’d be super happy. Actually, I’m pretty psyched any time I come back to my car and I don’t have a parking ticket.
Would I do it again? I see no reason why not
Cost: $4
Effort: Not much. I even stuck the quarters in my coat pocket so I wouldn’t have to take off my nice warm gloves.
Time: My total walk time was about 10 minutes and it didn’t really take more than a few seconds to pop quarters in a few expired meters.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Danielle Day 1
Quick Bio –
I’m a 31 year-old female who lives in a small town in north central, MA and works in Cambridge, MA. I don’t know that I classify myself as a shy person, but I don’t generally talk to strangers. I prefer to keep to myself and I tend to be quiet around people I don’t know well. I signed up for Project Nice because, well, it sounded like a good idea and I wanted to support my friend in her undertaking.
Day 1 – Helped a Woman Reach Something on the Top Shelf
Helped a woman reach something on the top shelf – 2.13.10
I’m not very tall. In fact, I think I’m pretty much in the middle of the “average” range. But I often have problems reaching items on the top shelf of many stores. I’ve been known to climb the shelves to reach items. Probably not the best idea, I know. But, really, what else am I supposed to do? And why do they put all the good stuff where you can’t reach it?
Event:
I was grocery shopping and noticed a small elderly woman a little ahead of me in the aisle, looking up at the top shelf. Immediately, I thought, “Oh, I bet she can’t reach something,” and walked over to help her. At the same time, she noticed me and asked if I could reach the bottle of peanut oil on the top shelf. “I’ve been waiting for a nice tall person to come along,” she told me. “Well, I’m not tall, but I’ll happily help you,” I replied. Of course, I had to go up on tiptoe to reach the jar, but I was able to grab it and hand it to her.
Reactions:
She gave me a big smile, thanked me, and we joked about how all of the good stuff is always on the top shelf. We parted ways and along with our shopping.
Would I do it again? Of course
Cost: Nothing
Effort: None, really
Time: A few seconds
I’m a 31 year-old female who lives in a small town in north central, MA and works in Cambridge, MA. I don’t know that I classify myself as a shy person, but I don’t generally talk to strangers. I prefer to keep to myself and I tend to be quiet around people I don’t know well. I signed up for Project Nice because, well, it sounded like a good idea and I wanted to support my friend in her undertaking.
Day 1 – Helped a Woman Reach Something on the Top Shelf
Helped a woman reach something on the top shelf – 2.13.10
I’m not very tall. In fact, I think I’m pretty much in the middle of the “average” range. But I often have problems reaching items on the top shelf of many stores. I’ve been known to climb the shelves to reach items. Probably not the best idea, I know. But, really, what else am I supposed to do? And why do they put all the good stuff where you can’t reach it?
Event:
I was grocery shopping and noticed a small elderly woman a little ahead of me in the aisle, looking up at the top shelf. Immediately, I thought, “Oh, I bet she can’t reach something,” and walked over to help her. At the same time, she noticed me and asked if I could reach the bottle of peanut oil on the top shelf. “I’ve been waiting for a nice tall person to come along,” she told me. “Well, I’m not tall, but I’ll happily help you,” I replied. Of course, I had to go up on tiptoe to reach the jar, but I was able to grab it and hand it to her.
Reactions:
She gave me a big smile, thanked me, and we joked about how all of the good stuff is always on the top shelf. We parted ways and along with our shopping.
Would I do it again? Of course
Cost: Nothing
Effort: None, really
Time: A few seconds
Monday, May 3, 2010
Diane Day 7
TITLE: A New Charity
Date: March 3, 2010
Explanation of the act: There is a local charitable organization that I have been interested in getting involved in but have not actually made much of an effort to explore. It is a self-help organization, which provides temporary help for people in financial stress. It has a wonderful reputation and dedicated volunteers.
Event: Project Nice was a good opportunity to make myself familiar with this organization. I went to a local food store and purchased a variety of food their food bank. Then, I bought cookies for the volunteers to show appreciation for all they do for this particular community. I went there thinking that they would be as excited as I was with my gestures.
Reactions: Not what I expected, but poignant nonetheless. When I arrived, clients were already lined up waiting for food and clothes. They were young mothers, men and older women. I was a little uncomfortable sitting in my car observing this and considered going back later. However, a volunteer walked out the door and I decided to ask his advice. He took the food and when I told him the cookies were for the volunteers, he said “Thank you”.
Sometimes when you start out trying to do something for someone else, you learn more about yourself. It was one thing for me to conceptually understand what the organization did; it was another to actually witness it. It humbled me. So much so that I did not care that they did not make a fuss over my donation. Seeing those people standing there waiting for help broke my heart.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! Might even volunteer.
Cost: $40.
Effort: Shopping for the food
Time: 45 minutes to shop. 10minutes to deliver the food.
Date: March 3, 2010
Explanation of the act: There is a local charitable organization that I have been interested in getting involved in but have not actually made much of an effort to explore. It is a self-help organization, which provides temporary help for people in financial stress. It has a wonderful reputation and dedicated volunteers.
Event: Project Nice was a good opportunity to make myself familiar with this organization. I went to a local food store and purchased a variety of food their food bank. Then, I bought cookies for the volunteers to show appreciation for all they do for this particular community. I went there thinking that they would be as excited as I was with my gestures.
Reactions: Not what I expected, but poignant nonetheless. When I arrived, clients were already lined up waiting for food and clothes. They were young mothers, men and older women. I was a little uncomfortable sitting in my car observing this and considered going back later. However, a volunteer walked out the door and I decided to ask his advice. He took the food and when I told him the cookies were for the volunteers, he said “Thank you”.
Sometimes when you start out trying to do something for someone else, you learn more about yourself. It was one thing for me to conceptually understand what the organization did; it was another to actually witness it. It humbled me. So much so that I did not care that they did not make a fuss over my donation. Seeing those people standing there waiting for help broke my heart.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! Might even volunteer.
Cost: $40.
Effort: Shopping for the food
Time: 45 minutes to shop. 10minutes to deliver the food.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Diane Day 6
TITLE: A Small Diversion
Date: February 15, 2010
Explanation of the act: Sometime small diversions can help us cope with some major disappointments. I recently accepted a long-term substitute position for a pre-school teacher who was adopting a baby. Needless to say, she was beside herself with happiness. I met with her two times before she left to observe her classroom style. One of the things we discussed was how to teach a preschooler to cut correctly. In all honesty, teaching that particular skill is a challenge for me. She was going to out of the classroom for 12 weeks. I started one day earlier than expected. The job ended within 4 days.
Event: The teacher returned to the classroom within 4 days because the birth mother decided to keep the child. Needless to say, this teacher was very disappointed. I wanted to do something for her to show her that I valued her, but did not want to overstep my bounds. After all, she only met me twice and I was not part of her “family” of teachers. I thought about our conversation regarding teaching preschoolers to cut paper. I found a workbook that was dedicated totally to that topic. I bought it, wrapped it up, and brought it to her.
Reactions: She loved it! She hugged me and said that she thought the book was wonderful and would be a big help in the classroom. While I know that it was a small gesture and in no way can make up for her loss, for just a moment I think she knew that a stranger did care.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: $10. For the book
Effort: A drive to Barnes and Noble
Time: 45 minutes
Date: February 15, 2010
Explanation of the act: Sometime small diversions can help us cope with some major disappointments. I recently accepted a long-term substitute position for a pre-school teacher who was adopting a baby. Needless to say, she was beside herself with happiness. I met with her two times before she left to observe her classroom style. One of the things we discussed was how to teach a preschooler to cut correctly. In all honesty, teaching that particular skill is a challenge for me. She was going to out of the classroom for 12 weeks. I started one day earlier than expected. The job ended within 4 days.
Event: The teacher returned to the classroom within 4 days because the birth mother decided to keep the child. Needless to say, this teacher was very disappointed. I wanted to do something for her to show her that I valued her, but did not want to overstep my bounds. After all, she only met me twice and I was not part of her “family” of teachers. I thought about our conversation regarding teaching preschoolers to cut paper. I found a workbook that was dedicated totally to that topic. I bought it, wrapped it up, and brought it to her.
Reactions: She loved it! She hugged me and said that she thought the book was wonderful and would be a big help in the classroom. While I know that it was a small gesture and in no way can make up for her loss, for just a moment I think she knew that a stranger did care.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: $10. For the book
Effort: A drive to Barnes and Noble
Time: 45 minutes
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Diane Day 5
TITLE: Saving the Cashier By Being Observant
Date: February 15, 2010
Explanation of the act: Normally, when I am purchasing anything, I bring the merchandise up to the cashier, have it wrung up and be on my way. Do I watch what the cashier is doing? Never. Do I check my receipt? Never
Event: I went into a Hallmark store to buy wrapping paper and a card for a gift I was giving. For some unknown reason, I had a pretty good idea of what the items were going to cost. Probably because I had limited cash in my wallet and at some deep Freudian level I knew I had to be careful about what I was spending. As the cashier was ringing the items up, I noticed that she was not charging me enough. At first, she didn’t believe me, but as she looked closer, she realized she had made a mistake.
Reactions: She was grateful that I pointed it out to her. I’m not sure what would have happened at the end of the day, but at least she was not in a position to have to explain that she undercharged someone. In this economy, store managers are most likely looking at the bottom line carefully.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: If I had not pointed the undercharge, I would have had about 2 extra dollars in my pocket.
Effort: Being observant.
Time: 2 minutes
Date: February 15, 2010
Explanation of the act: Normally, when I am purchasing anything, I bring the merchandise up to the cashier, have it wrung up and be on my way. Do I watch what the cashier is doing? Never. Do I check my receipt? Never
Event: I went into a Hallmark store to buy wrapping paper and a card for a gift I was giving. For some unknown reason, I had a pretty good idea of what the items were going to cost. Probably because I had limited cash in my wallet and at some deep Freudian level I knew I had to be careful about what I was spending. As the cashier was ringing the items up, I noticed that she was not charging me enough. At first, she didn’t believe me, but as she looked closer, she realized she had made a mistake.
Reactions: She was grateful that I pointed it out to her. I’m not sure what would have happened at the end of the day, but at least she was not in a position to have to explain that she undercharged someone. In this economy, store managers are most likely looking at the bottom line carefully.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: If I had not pointed the undercharge, I would have had about 2 extra dollars in my pocket.
Effort: Being observant.
Time: 2 minutes
Friday, April 30, 2010
Diane Day 4
TITLE: Sharing a Book
Date: February 8, 2010
Explanation of the act: For those of us who love to read, sharing our ideas and opinions of books that we have read comes easy. But sometimes sharing the book itself can be difficult. We may not always express it, but in our minds we are telling the person we are lending the book to, to be careful with it. And we really want the book back as soon as possible.
Event: I have a tendency to buy books with the intention of reading them later. As of now, I have about 5 books that I plan to read in the near future. But the other night, I was at a party and someone mentioned that she wanted to read the current book of a particular author. I happened to own the book and have not had a chance to read it. She then mentioned that she had a friend who also wanted to read the book and could not find it in the library. The next day, I gave the person the book, with no strings attached, and told her she could pass it along to her friend and whoever else wanted to read it. No strings, no instructions. Just enjoy the book.
Reactions: She seemed happy not to have to worry about returning the book to me and that she would be able to pass the book around to her friends that were anxious to read it.
Would I do it again? Definitely
Cost: $20. For the book
Effort: Driving to her house to give her the book
Time: 5 minutes
Date: February 8, 2010
Explanation of the act: For those of us who love to read, sharing our ideas and opinions of books that we have read comes easy. But sometimes sharing the book itself can be difficult. We may not always express it, but in our minds we are telling the person we are lending the book to, to be careful with it. And we really want the book back as soon as possible.
Event: I have a tendency to buy books with the intention of reading them later. As of now, I have about 5 books that I plan to read in the near future. But the other night, I was at a party and someone mentioned that she wanted to read the current book of a particular author. I happened to own the book and have not had a chance to read it. She then mentioned that she had a friend who also wanted to read the book and could not find it in the library. The next day, I gave the person the book, with no strings attached, and told her she could pass it along to her friend and whoever else wanted to read it. No strings, no instructions. Just enjoy the book.
Reactions: She seemed happy not to have to worry about returning the book to me and that she would be able to pass the book around to her friends that were anxious to read it.
Would I do it again? Definitely
Cost: $20. For the book
Effort: Driving to her house to give her the book
Time: 5 minutes
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Diane Day 3
3
TITLE: An Elderly Lady Falls
Explanation of the Act: We all lead busy lives. Weekends, especially, seem to be the time that we need to catch up on all the chores that we did not manage to complete during the week. We rush about, then, take a quick break for lunch before we begin again. We rarely stop to focus on others unless something critical happens.
Date: October 2009
Event: As we were leaving a fast food restaurant a few months ago, on our way to a mall to buy something for the house, an elderly lady tripped and fell as she was entering the store. The sidewalk was constructed in such a way that the curb had some valleys in it and if you are not paying attention to the design, anyone could easily lose their footing. This woman went down with a thud. We helped her up, brought her back into the restaurant and sat with her. Needless to say, she was very upset. In a situation like that it’s hard to know what to do. She did not want us to call an ambulance, even though it was apparent she might have broken her wrist. She wanted to speak to the manager and asked us to track him down, which we did. She was hungry so we bought her lunch. We stayed with her until the manager assured us that he would make sure she got medical attention.
Reactions: She was elderly, but still wanted to be able to take care of herself. At first, she refused medical attention, but then realized that there was a good chance that she had broken a bone. We believe she accepted the manager’s offer to call an ambulance. We admired her independence and her spunk even though she was in pain. We discussed whether we should have taken her to a hospital, but when we realized that it was important to her to control her situation, we knew that we did the right thing by giving her support when she needed it and respected her wishes. I’m pretty sure she was not going to sit back and allow a dangerous sidewalk situation go unnoticed.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: About $6.00
Effort: Listening to someone who was really hurt and upset
Time: 30 min
TITLE: An Elderly Lady Falls
Explanation of the Act: We all lead busy lives. Weekends, especially, seem to be the time that we need to catch up on all the chores that we did not manage to complete during the week. We rush about, then, take a quick break for lunch before we begin again. We rarely stop to focus on others unless something critical happens.
Date: October 2009
Event: As we were leaving a fast food restaurant a few months ago, on our way to a mall to buy something for the house, an elderly lady tripped and fell as she was entering the store. The sidewalk was constructed in such a way that the curb had some valleys in it and if you are not paying attention to the design, anyone could easily lose their footing. This woman went down with a thud. We helped her up, brought her back into the restaurant and sat with her. Needless to say, she was very upset. In a situation like that it’s hard to know what to do. She did not want us to call an ambulance, even though it was apparent she might have broken her wrist. She wanted to speak to the manager and asked us to track him down, which we did. She was hungry so we bought her lunch. We stayed with her until the manager assured us that he would make sure she got medical attention.
Reactions: She was elderly, but still wanted to be able to take care of herself. At first, she refused medical attention, but then realized that there was a good chance that she had broken a bone. We believe she accepted the manager’s offer to call an ambulance. We admired her independence and her spunk even though she was in pain. We discussed whether we should have taken her to a hospital, but when we realized that it was important to her to control her situation, we knew that we did the right thing by giving her support when she needed it and respected her wishes. I’m pretty sure she was not going to sit back and allow a dangerous sidewalk situation go unnoticed.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: About $6.00
Effort: Listening to someone who was really hurt and upset
Time: 30 min
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Diane Day 3
3
TITLE: An Elderly Lady Falls
Explanation of the Act: We all lead busy lives. Weekends, especially, seem to be the time that we need to catch up on all the chores that we did not manage to complete during the week. We rush about, then, take a quick break for lunch before we begin again. We rarely stop to focus on others unless something critical happens.
Date: October 2009
Event: As we were leaving a fast food restaurant a few months ago, on our way to a mall to buy something for the house, an elderly lady tripped and fell as she was entering the store. The sidewalk was constructed in such a way that the curb had some valleys in it and if you are not paying attention to the design, anyone could easily lose their footing. This woman went down with a thud. We helped her up, brought her back into the restaurant and sat with her. Needless to say, she was very upset. In a situation like that it’s hard to know what to do. She did not want us to call an ambulance, even though it was apparent she might have broken her wrist. She wanted to speak to the manager and asked us to track him down, which we did. She was hungry so we bought her lunch. We stayed with her until the manager assured us that he would make sure she got medical attention.
Reactions: She was elderly, but still wanted to be able to take care of herself. At first, she refused medical attention, but then realized that there was a good chance that she had broken a bone. We believe she accepted the manager’s offer to call an ambulance. We admired her independence and her spunk even though she was in pain. We discussed whether we should have taken her to a hospital, but when we realized that it was important to her to control her situation, we knew that we did the right thing by giving her support when she needed it and respected her wishes. I’m pretty sure she was not going to sit back and allow a dangerous sidewalk situation go unnoticed.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: About $6.00
Effort: Listening to someone who was really hurt and upset
Time: 30 min
TITLE: An Elderly Lady Falls
Explanation of the Act: We all lead busy lives. Weekends, especially, seem to be the time that we need to catch up on all the chores that we did not manage to complete during the week. We rush about, then, take a quick break for lunch before we begin again. We rarely stop to focus on others unless something critical happens.
Date: October 2009
Event: As we were leaving a fast food restaurant a few months ago, on our way to a mall to buy something for the house, an elderly lady tripped and fell as she was entering the store. The sidewalk was constructed in such a way that the curb had some valleys in it and if you are not paying attention to the design, anyone could easily lose their footing. This woman went down with a thud. We helped her up, brought her back into the restaurant and sat with her. Needless to say, she was very upset. In a situation like that it’s hard to know what to do. She did not want us to call an ambulance, even though it was apparent she might have broken her wrist. She wanted to speak to the manager and asked us to track him down, which we did. She was hungry so we bought her lunch. We stayed with her until the manager assured us that he would make sure she got medical attention.
Reactions: She was elderly, but still wanted to be able to take care of herself. At first, she refused medical attention, but then realized that there was a good chance that she had broken a bone. We believe she accepted the manager’s offer to call an ambulance. We admired her independence and her spunk even though she was in pain. We discussed whether we should have taken her to a hospital, but when we realized that it was important to her to control her situation, we knew that we did the right thing by giving her support when she needed it and respected her wishes. I’m pretty sure she was not going to sit back and allow a dangerous sidewalk situation go unnoticed.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: About $6.00
Effort: Listening to someone who was really hurt and upset
Time: 30 min
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Diane Day 2
TITLE: Return of the White Blouse
Date: February 1, 2010
Explanation of the Act: I am a big fan of dry cleaners. They do a wonderful job of pressing my clothes, which makes me look neat. One of my favorite outfit’s is pair of jeans with nice, crisp white blouse. In spite of what the fashion expert’s say, I send my white blouses to the dry cleaners.
Event: After returning from the dry cleaners today, I realized that the white blouse in my stack of clothes was not mine. A clothing company that has a reputation for producing high quality professional wear made the blouse. Translation: it was an expensive blouse. My blouse, however, was not purchased in such a store. Translation: my blouse was a lot cheaper in cost. I immediately returned to the dry cleaners with said blouse and explained that, while I appreciated the value of this particular blouse, it was not mine and I was pretty sure that the person who owned it would appreciate getting it back.
Reactions: The dry cleaning personnel were very happy to receive the blouse back. It made the job of tracking down the lost blouse when the owner finally realized it was missing, a lot easier. While I do not know when the owner claimed the article of clothing, I know, if it were I, I would be pretty happy.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: 0
Effort: Very little. Just a short drive in the car.
Time: 10 minutes
Date: February 1, 2010
Explanation of the Act: I am a big fan of dry cleaners. They do a wonderful job of pressing my clothes, which makes me look neat. One of my favorite outfit’s is pair of jeans with nice, crisp white blouse. In spite of what the fashion expert’s say, I send my white blouses to the dry cleaners.
Event: After returning from the dry cleaners today, I realized that the white blouse in my stack of clothes was not mine. A clothing company that has a reputation for producing high quality professional wear made the blouse. Translation: it was an expensive blouse. My blouse, however, was not purchased in such a store. Translation: my blouse was a lot cheaper in cost. I immediately returned to the dry cleaners with said blouse and explained that, while I appreciated the value of this particular blouse, it was not mine and I was pretty sure that the person who owned it would appreciate getting it back.
Reactions: The dry cleaning personnel were very happy to receive the blouse back. It made the job of tracking down the lost blouse when the owner finally realized it was missing, a lot easier. While I do not know when the owner claimed the article of clothing, I know, if it were I, I would be pretty happy.
Would I do it again? Yes
Cost: 0
Effort: Very little. Just a short drive in the car.
Time: 10 minutes
Monday, April 26, 2010
Diane Day 1
Erinn's Note: This week is VERY special because Diane is my Mom. Hi Mom! My mom is very shy and it's incredibly hard for her to go out of her comfort zone. Thank you SO much Mom. You are the best!
TITLE: Showing Appreciation for Our Troops
Date: February 3, 2010
Explanation of the act: We ask so much of our young men and women who choose to enlist in the armed services. They enter these services with youthful expectations of education, adventure and a desire to serve. I believe that as they begin to understand what is expected of them, they rise to the challenges and awaken in themselves a confidence and self-respect that can only come from putting yourself on the line for others. They deserve our respect, admiration and loyalty.
Event: I have just recently become addicted to a variety of games on Facebook. As most of you who are reading this already know, in order to increase your levels in the games, you either need a lot of friends or a lot of money. Since my personal friends amounted to all of about 15 (and that includes family), and I had already spent more money than I thought was reasonable on the games, I thought I would venture out into the scary world of finding friends I don’t actually know. I decided that I would read some profiles of people before I asked them to be my friend. I sent each person I chose a little note asking them to be my friend. To my delight, quite a few people responded. One of them was a soldier. After he accepted my invitation, I wrote back to him, thanking him for all that he is doing for our country.
Reactions: His response was, “Thank you for showing that you care”. I cried.
Would I do it again? Absolutely
Cost: 20 minutes searching for friends on Facebook
Effort: His response was well worth pushing past my comfort zone.
TITLE: Showing Appreciation for Our Troops
Date: February 3, 2010
Explanation of the act: We ask so much of our young men and women who choose to enlist in the armed services. They enter these services with youthful expectations of education, adventure and a desire to serve. I believe that as they begin to understand what is expected of them, they rise to the challenges and awaken in themselves a confidence and self-respect that can only come from putting yourself on the line for others. They deserve our respect, admiration and loyalty.
Event: I have just recently become addicted to a variety of games on Facebook. As most of you who are reading this already know, in order to increase your levels in the games, you either need a lot of friends or a lot of money. Since my personal friends amounted to all of about 15 (and that includes family), and I had already spent more money than I thought was reasonable on the games, I thought I would venture out into the scary world of finding friends I don’t actually know. I decided that I would read some profiles of people before I asked them to be my friend. I sent each person I chose a little note asking them to be my friend. To my delight, quite a few people responded. One of them was a soldier. After he accepted my invitation, I wrote back to him, thanking him for all that he is doing for our country.
Reactions: His response was, “Thank you for showing that you care”. I cried.
Would I do it again? Absolutely
Cost: 20 minutes searching for friends on Facebook
Effort: His response was well worth pushing past my comfort zone.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Stacy Day 7
Bracelets for diabetes research:
Good deed: A girl that is represented by the same agency as Morgan designed and is selling these in support of juvenile diabetes research. All proceeds will be donated, so I bought one!
Reaction: The mother of the girl selling them was very grateful for the support of her daughter, and hopefully children with diabetes will benefit from the donations!
Cost/effort: $12, and no effort
http://foreverbracelets.bigcartel.com/product/love-me-or-hate-me-zoe-myers-collaboration
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Stacy Day 6
Coloring book:
background: As parents, we have all been someplace at times, waiting with our children, with absolutely nothing to entertain them…. And you think, “Why did I leave the house without _________ (fill in the blank with any toy that’s ever been invented)!
Good deed: I bought a couple of coloring books complete with crayons and kept them in my diaper bag for whenever I saw a mom or dad in need…. Opportunity struck when I saw a dad waiting for his wife with his, what looked to be about 2 or 3 year old son, outside a store in the mall. The boy was getting impatient and running into “mall traffic”, so I handed the coloring book to Morgan, my four year old, and had her give it to the child.
Reaction: The dad was grateful, and the kid looked (at least for the moment) entertained.
Cost/effort: about $2, and little effort
Friday, April 23, 2010
Stacy Day 5
Smile signs:
Good deed: Sometimes it’s just nice to be complimented, so, with that in mind, I set off to my local Walmart with my compliment signs that I created ahead of time in tow. I placed signs on the mirrors for sale in the beauty section that read things like “Smile! You’re beautiful!” and “Smile! You’re perfect”
Reaction: I don’t know for sure, and I hope some people saw them. When I returned a few days later, all the compliment signs were taken off the mirrors, but I think one or two of them had been bought (hopefully with the signs still attached!)
Cost/effort: Absolutely free, and took just a few minutes to make!
ERINN'S EDITS: I LOVE THIS!!! What a wonderful idea!!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Stacy Day 4
Tiger Closet:
We have many needy students in the school where I teach; nearly 60% of our population is on the free/reduced lunch program. Here at CHS, we have what’s called the Tiger Closet. In it is kept donations of many things that the students and families of our students may need from time to time. Since I sponsor a community service club, I thought that our February project could help restock some of the much needed items that have been depleted. So, I organized a fundraiser that would get the whole school involved. Participating teachers would keep a jar on their desk for two weeks, and the teacher (from each academy) that collected the most money in their jar would have to dress up like a tiger for the day. We raised approx. $270 to replenish the closet, and unfortunately, I will be one of the teachers that has to wear a tiger costume. . . oh yeah, and I contributed money to the cause as well.
Cost/effort: $5 and a couple hours in the planning/implementing
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Stacy Day 3
Make a child smile:
When trying to find inspiration for Project Nice, I came across a website, www.makeachildsmile.org that I simply love. They feature three children at a time, but have a database of many terminally ill children. All they are asking is for you to simply send a card to one of the many children to make them smile. Who doesn’t love to get the good kind of mail, right? So I chose two of the kids that I personally sent cards to, and offered extra credit to my students to choose a child from the website and send a card to. We ended up sending out about 12 cards. This is something I will probably continually do periodically. Such a simple thing, sending someone a smile through the mail!
Reaction: Many of my students were inspired to do good deeds themselves, if that counts as a reaction… I won’t see the reaction of the intended recipient.
Cost/effort: about $3, and a few minutes
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Stacy Day 2
Baked Goods:
Background: I teach in a school where we have many disadvantaged children, and I’ve taught many students that are part of the foster system. There is one home in particular called the Waccamaw Youth Center that has been home to several of my former students. This home houses 16 or so boys.
Good deed: I baked a couple batches of whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, a batch of brownies, and 48 cupcakes and delivered them to the youth center.
Reaction: I did not see the reaction of the boys, but I was received with thanks by the worker on duty.
Cost/effort: probably about $15 and a few hours, but definitely worth it!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Stacy Day 1
When I volunteered for this project, I was excited. I wanted to do something nice for people just to do it. I mean, how often do you consciously do nice things for others? Not your everyday nice like opening doors and saying yes ma’am, but your A-game nice. I put a lot of thought into this project, and I wanted to focus my efforts on a particular group of people… not anyone I knew, but people I could relate to… moms and children. Moms have a tough job. That is not to say dads don’t, but a mom is always on, always juggling, from the moment that baby is born. So, here is my story of how I was nice to 7 random moms and children in the month of February.
Hospital Basket:
Background: When I had my oldest daughter Morgan, I found myself unexpectedly single. My husband had decided at some point during the course of my planned pregnancy (probably when he started his affair a month into it) that this was not the life he wanted. He told me 5 months later. Facing child birth (although he was physically in the hospital at times) and parenthood alone was scary. I am so thankful and proud of that experience, but it was definitely a leap of faith.
Good deed: I gathered up all the baby items that had been given to me when I recently had my youngest daughter but had never been used, plus some extras that I had around the house. These items included a baby picture frame, bottles, baby powder, wipes, and baby wash. I paired that with some chocolates I bought and a travel size cosmetic bag from Bath and Body Works that had been given to me but never used. I placed all the items into a wicker basket, wrote an inspirational note about motherhood and dropped it off at the hospital I had given birth both times. I instructed the nurses to give it to a single first-time mom as sort of an unexpected pick me up.
Reaction: The nurses greeted me with very intimidating expressions, but after I explained my intent, they responded warmly. I did not see the reaction of the intended recipient.
Cost/effort: Approx $4 plus the goodies I already had at the house. I grabbed a thing or two on my usual trip shopping, put it in the basket, and was in and out of the hospital in about 5 minutes.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Meghan BONUS! Asking a friend to help in PN
TITLE: JILLY’S NICE THING – The Emergency Room Adventure
DATE: February 12, 2010
EXPLANATION:
One of Jilly’s co-workers, who is very new to the area, called from Baltimore to say she was very sick and needed to go to the emergency room, but was afraid to go by herself.
EVENT:
Jilly, who was supposed to go out that night, instead packed up her things and drove to Baltimore to take her co-worker to the emergency room. They ended up sitting there for six hours before another friend came by to relieve Jilly.
REACTION:
Jilly’s co-worker couldn’t thank her enough. The whole time, Jilly kept her calm by making her laugh and taking her mind off the whole thing.
WOULD SHE DO IT AGAIN? Of course, that’s what friends are for.
COST: $5.00 for parking
EFFORT: The drive into Baltimore.
TIME: 6 hours – the emergency room was really backed up that night.
DATE: February 12, 2010
EXPLANATION:
One of Jilly’s co-workers, who is very new to the area, called from Baltimore to say she was very sick and needed to go to the emergency room, but was afraid to go by herself.
EVENT:
Jilly, who was supposed to go out that night, instead packed up her things and drove to Baltimore to take her co-worker to the emergency room. They ended up sitting there for six hours before another friend came by to relieve Jilly.
REACTION:
Jilly’s co-worker couldn’t thank her enough. The whole time, Jilly kept her calm by making her laugh and taking her mind off the whole thing.
WOULD SHE DO IT AGAIN? Of course, that’s what friends are for.
COST: $5.00 for parking
EFFORT: The drive into Baltimore.
TIME: 6 hours – the emergency room was really backed up that night.
Meghan Day 7
TITLE: NICE THING #7 – Paying a Toll
DATE: February 27, 2010
EXPLANATION:
I was headed north to Vermont for my writer’s retreat and along the way, there’s a toll for a bridge in New York state. A couple of years ago, while making the same trip north to visit my family in New Hampshire, I got to the toll booth with my dollar out and was told that the person in front of me had paid my toll. It made my day, to think a stranger would do something like that for me.
EVENT:
I paid the Hamilton Fish Bridge toll for myself and the car behind me.
REACTION:
I don’t know, as I didn’t stick around to find out, but the guy at the toll booth smiled and told me I had done a good deed for the day.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Sure!
COST: $2.00 (my car and the car behind me)
EFFORT: None
TIME: Less than a minute.
DATE: February 27, 2010
EXPLANATION:
I was headed north to Vermont for my writer’s retreat and along the way, there’s a toll for a bridge in New York state. A couple of years ago, while making the same trip north to visit my family in New Hampshire, I got to the toll booth with my dollar out and was told that the person in front of me had paid my toll. It made my day, to think a stranger would do something like that for me.
EVENT:
I paid the Hamilton Fish Bridge toll for myself and the car behind me.
REACTION:
I don’t know, as I didn’t stick around to find out, but the guy at the toll booth smiled and told me I had done a good deed for the day.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Sure!
COST: $2.00 (my car and the car behind me)
EFFORT: None
TIME: Less than a minute.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Meghan Day 6
TITLE: NICE THING #6 – Cookies, Cookies, Everywhere
DATE: February 21 & 22, 2010
EXPLANATION:
There are plenty of people in the world who go unappreciated, who never get a “thank you” for the work they do.
EVENT:
I baked cookies and brought half of them to the guys over at The Lube Center in Columbia, where I take my car for service. They always do a great job and my car has been running really well ever since I started bringing it there for oil changes and engine service.
The other half I brought to my former colleagues at the Howard County Police Department’s Research & Planning Section. They do a lot of work for the agency that either goes unnoticed or unappreciated and I thought they deserved a little bit of appreciation.
REACTION:
Both the guys at The Lube Center and the ladies at Research & Planning were surprised and thankful for the cookies. There were lots of smiles.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely – those smiles were a definite highlight in both my Sunday and Monday.
COST: $5.00 for ingredients
EFFORT: Little effort, just baking the cookies.
TIME: About 2 hours – it turned out to be a recipe that made 4 dozen cookies…which I didn’t realize when I started making them.
DATE: February 21 & 22, 2010
EXPLANATION:
There are plenty of people in the world who go unappreciated, who never get a “thank you” for the work they do.
EVENT:
I baked cookies and brought half of them to the guys over at The Lube Center in Columbia, where I take my car for service. They always do a great job and my car has been running really well ever since I started bringing it there for oil changes and engine service.
The other half I brought to my former colleagues at the Howard County Police Department’s Research & Planning Section. They do a lot of work for the agency that either goes unnoticed or unappreciated and I thought they deserved a little bit of appreciation.
REACTION:
Both the guys at The Lube Center and the ladies at Research & Planning were surprised and thankful for the cookies. There were lots of smiles.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely – those smiles were a definite highlight in both my Sunday and Monday.
COST: $5.00 for ingredients
EFFORT: Little effort, just baking the cookies.
TIME: About 2 hours – it turned out to be a recipe that made 4 dozen cookies…which I didn’t realize when I started making them.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Meghan Day 5
TITLE: NICE THING #5 – The Beef Stew Incident
DATE: January 2010
EXPLANATION:
I work with a lot of older guys at my job. The bulk of them are Domestic Violence Unit deputies who don’t always have time to stop for a healthy lunch or even eat something that wasn’t prepared three days earlier and is long overdue on being thrown out. When Jilly is on nights, I have a tendency to make meals that will last us the week, and the one thing I’ve discovered I’m really good at making is Belgian Beer Beef Stew.
EVENT:
I packed an extra plastic container full of enough beef stew for two deputies and when the evening shift rolled in (the guys who basically work through dinner and well into the middle of the night), I handed them the plastic container full of stew and told them to have a good night.
REACTION:
They were so incredibly thankful. These are two guys I don’t often interact with because of their schedule at work so it was nice to do something for a couple of “strangers”. They were all smiles and the next day both of them came into work a few minutes early just so they could tell me how great the stew was and how appreciative they were of my thoughtfulness.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely! Those guys do the ugly work of domestic violence and get very little thanks for it, both from the community and from other law enforcement officers. Beef stew isn’t a public pat on the back, but it’s still a small way of saying thanks for sticking your neck out every day.
COST: $0.00
EFFORT: Packing up the stew that I’d made the night before.
TIME: About 10 minutes – 5 minutes to pack it up in the morning and 5 minutes to explain the point of it when the guys got in that afternoon.
DATE: January 2010
EXPLANATION:
I work with a lot of older guys at my job. The bulk of them are Domestic Violence Unit deputies who don’t always have time to stop for a healthy lunch or even eat something that wasn’t prepared three days earlier and is long overdue on being thrown out. When Jilly is on nights, I have a tendency to make meals that will last us the week, and the one thing I’ve discovered I’m really good at making is Belgian Beer Beef Stew.
EVENT:
I packed an extra plastic container full of enough beef stew for two deputies and when the evening shift rolled in (the guys who basically work through dinner and well into the middle of the night), I handed them the plastic container full of stew and told them to have a good night.
REACTION:
They were so incredibly thankful. These are two guys I don’t often interact with because of their schedule at work so it was nice to do something for a couple of “strangers”. They were all smiles and the next day both of them came into work a few minutes early just so they could tell me how great the stew was and how appreciative they were of my thoughtfulness.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely! Those guys do the ugly work of domestic violence and get very little thanks for it, both from the community and from other law enforcement officers. Beef stew isn’t a public pat on the back, but it’s still a small way of saying thanks for sticking your neck out every day.
COST: $0.00
EFFORT: Packing up the stew that I’d made the night before.
TIME: About 10 minutes – 5 minutes to pack it up in the morning and 5 minutes to explain the point of it when the guys got in that afternoon.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Meghan Day 4
TITLE: NICE THING #4 – Beer Cake for Co-Workers
DATE: February 23, 2010
EXPLANATION:
I was getting ready to leave for a two week writing residency in Vermont and decided to do something nice for the people I work with, especially because I wouldn’t see them again for those two weeks. Plus, my boss had willingly and easily agreed to let me go on the sabbatical – not all bosses would allow an employee to just take off for two weeks in the middle of the busy season.
EVENT:
I made my world famous lemon beer cake and brought it in for everyone in the office.
REACTIONS:
Everyone was super excited to see the beer cake and I received a lot of compliments on how well it had turned out. A few people asked why I’d brought it in and when I said it was just for the heck of it, they smiled and said it had made their day. The cake didn’t last long, either, which was definitely a good sign!
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely. I love baking and the crowd at my office love being used as guinea pigs when it comes to food.
COST: $3.00 (cake mix, pudding mix, and lemons)
EFFORT: Baking a cake and bringing it into the office.
TIME: With preparation and baking, a little over 1 hour.
DATE: February 23, 2010
EXPLANATION:
I was getting ready to leave for a two week writing residency in Vermont and decided to do something nice for the people I work with, especially because I wouldn’t see them again for those two weeks. Plus, my boss had willingly and easily agreed to let me go on the sabbatical – not all bosses would allow an employee to just take off for two weeks in the middle of the busy season.
EVENT:
I made my world famous lemon beer cake and brought it in for everyone in the office.
REACTIONS:
Everyone was super excited to see the beer cake and I received a lot of compliments on how well it had turned out. A few people asked why I’d brought it in and when I said it was just for the heck of it, they smiled and said it had made their day. The cake didn’t last long, either, which was definitely a good sign!
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Absolutely. I love baking and the crowd at my office love being used as guinea pigs when it comes to food.
COST: $3.00 (cake mix, pudding mix, and lemons)
EFFORT: Baking a cake and bringing it into the office.
TIME: With preparation and baking, a little over 1 hour.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Meghan Day 3
TITLE: NICE THING #3 – An Alumni Donation
DATE: February 12, 2010
EXPLANATION:
I graduated from a really small private university in the middle of nowhere Vermont that relies entirely on alumni donations to stay in operation. I was a psychology student there, a member of the School of Social Sciences, and our Department was always broke. The science departments were the money makers and the remainder of the school fed off the scraps left behind.
While I was there, I was mentored by a man named Dr. Milt Hammond (a.k.a. Doc). He became like a second father to me and I remember that he fought long and hard to establish a scholarship fund for the School of Social Sciences. He passed away in 2005, long before he ever had a chance to see the scholarship fund come to fruition.
Recently, the head of the Department sent out requests to alumni asking for donations toward their newly approved $250,000 scholarship fund.
EVENT:
I donated money to the scholarship fund, not just because I was a student there, but because it was something Doc always wanted to see happen and didn’t get a chance to.
REACTIONS:
My hope was that once the fund was in place and working, the School of Social Sciences would see an increase in its number of students. It’ll be awhile before a true reaction is seen.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Yes, but only ever for the School of Social Sciences. With so little assistance from the University, it can use all the outside help it can get.
COST: $20.00
EFFORT: Writing a check and stamping an envelope.
TIME: 1 to 2 minutes, at the most
DATE: February 12, 2010
EXPLANATION:
I graduated from a really small private university in the middle of nowhere Vermont that relies entirely on alumni donations to stay in operation. I was a psychology student there, a member of the School of Social Sciences, and our Department was always broke. The science departments were the money makers and the remainder of the school fed off the scraps left behind.
While I was there, I was mentored by a man named Dr. Milt Hammond (a.k.a. Doc). He became like a second father to me and I remember that he fought long and hard to establish a scholarship fund for the School of Social Sciences. He passed away in 2005, long before he ever had a chance to see the scholarship fund come to fruition.
Recently, the head of the Department sent out requests to alumni asking for donations toward their newly approved $250,000 scholarship fund.
EVENT:
I donated money to the scholarship fund, not just because I was a student there, but because it was something Doc always wanted to see happen and didn’t get a chance to.
REACTIONS:
My hope was that once the fund was in place and working, the School of Social Sciences would see an increase in its number of students. It’ll be awhile before a true reaction is seen.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Yes, but only ever for the School of Social Sciences. With so little assistance from the University, it can use all the outside help it can get.
COST: $20.00
EFFORT: Writing a check and stamping an envelope.
TIME: 1 to 2 minutes, at the most
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Meghan Day 2
TITLE: NICE THING #2 – Flowers for a Co-Worker
DATE: February 4, 2010
EXPLANATION:
A woman I work with just recently had her second child in September and things have been chaotic at home. She had an argument with her husband this particular morning and got to work only to discover databases she needed to use for her job were down and being temperamental. On top of this, she’d been helping me with life stuff, things I didn’t know how to figure out on my own.
EVENT:
I had to go out at lunch to pick up groceries for home and I made the conscious decision to buy my co-worker flowers, both as a thank you for the help she’s given me lately and to also cheer her up a little.
REACTIONS:
She couldn’t believe I’d bought her flowers. She smiled and got a little teary and thanked me.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? In a heartbeat. It was such a small and simple gesture and it made her so incredibly happy, which in turn kind of brightened my day, too.
COST: $3.99
EFFORT: Driving to the grocery store at lunch.
TIME: 15 minutes
DATE: February 4, 2010
EXPLANATION:
A woman I work with just recently had her second child in September and things have been chaotic at home. She had an argument with her husband this particular morning and got to work only to discover databases she needed to use for her job were down and being temperamental. On top of this, she’d been helping me with life stuff, things I didn’t know how to figure out on my own.
EVENT:
I had to go out at lunch to pick up groceries for home and I made the conscious decision to buy my co-worker flowers, both as a thank you for the help she’s given me lately and to also cheer her up a little.
REACTIONS:
She couldn’t believe I’d bought her flowers. She smiled and got a little teary and thanked me.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? In a heartbeat. It was such a small and simple gesture and it made her so incredibly happy, which in turn kind of brightened my day, too.
COST: $3.99
EFFORT: Driving to the grocery store at lunch.
TIME: 15 minutes
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Meghan Day 1
TITLE: NICE THING #1 – Winter Clothing Drive
DATE: January 20, 2010
EXPLANATION:
The Howard County Police Department, which I work for occasionally on a part-time basis, collected coats, boots, hats, gloves, scarves, and sweaters for local families in need. This is the first year they did something like this.
EVENT:
I donated a winter coat, two sweaters, a pair of gloves, and four winter hats.
REACTIONS:
I wasn’t the only person who donated to the clothing drive, but the whole thing went so well they closed their donating period early because they’d run out of room to store the hundreds of coats and sweaters they’d collected.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Yes. No one should ever have to spend the winter worried about whether or not they’ll be warm enough, especially in a county as well off as Howard.
COST: $0.00
EFFORT: None, just a quick drive up Rt. 29 to the Northern District Police Station.
TIME: 10 minutes
DATE: January 20, 2010
EXPLANATION:
The Howard County Police Department, which I work for occasionally on a part-time basis, collected coats, boots, hats, gloves, scarves, and sweaters for local families in need. This is the first year they did something like this.
EVENT:
I donated a winter coat, two sweaters, a pair of gloves, and four winter hats.
REACTIONS:
I wasn’t the only person who donated to the clothing drive, but the whole thing went so well they closed their donating period early because they’d run out of room to store the hundreds of coats and sweaters they’d collected.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? Yes. No one should ever have to spend the winter worried about whether or not they’ll be warm enough, especially in a county as well off as Howard.
COST: $0.00
EFFORT: None, just a quick drive up Rt. 29 to the Northern District Police Station.
TIME: 10 minutes
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Lori Day 7
Title: Thanking the administrator of one of my favorite websites/Nice Deed #7
Date: Tuesday, February 23
I am a huge Boston Red Sox fan and check out many different Sox websites each and every day to get all of the latest news about the team. I came across a new group on Facebook called Yankees Suck. It was so thorough with news stories, links, fantasy league sign ups for just this group, t-shirt orders, etc. that it cut my time in half that I normally spent on 20 different sites. I also have been in touch with the guy who runs the site on several occasions. I even wrote out a long story to display on this site. Raymond, the guy that runs the site wrote on the wall that he was getting bad emails from some of the people that had joined the group saying they didn’t want all the information that he was providing and that they didn’t want to be informed of fantasy league information, etc. They even stooped so low as to belittle him and call him names. Raymond felt bad because he spends hours pulling articles and information together every day and is a very conscientious person.
Event: I wrote a long email to Raymond expressing my gratitude for his hard work on the site, on thinking to have a fantasy league just for our group, to take it upon himself to order t-shirts for us, etc. He really does go above and beyond what is expected and I really appreciate it.
Reaction: Almost immediately I got an email from Raymond in my facebook inbox thanking me for my kind words. He said that he did all the work he did for people like me and that he really enjoyed running the site for all of the Red Sox fans.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! I love thanking people that do a good job!
Cost: Nothing
Effort: Little effort, just writing the email
Time: Took 5 minutes to write the email
Date: Tuesday, February 23
I am a huge Boston Red Sox fan and check out many different Sox websites each and every day to get all of the latest news about the team. I came across a new group on Facebook called Yankees Suck. It was so thorough with news stories, links, fantasy league sign ups for just this group, t-shirt orders, etc. that it cut my time in half that I normally spent on 20 different sites. I also have been in touch with the guy who runs the site on several occasions. I even wrote out a long story to display on this site. Raymond, the guy that runs the site wrote on the wall that he was getting bad emails from some of the people that had joined the group saying they didn’t want all the information that he was providing and that they didn’t want to be informed of fantasy league information, etc. They even stooped so low as to belittle him and call him names. Raymond felt bad because he spends hours pulling articles and information together every day and is a very conscientious person.
Event: I wrote a long email to Raymond expressing my gratitude for his hard work on the site, on thinking to have a fantasy league just for our group, to take it upon himself to order t-shirts for us, etc. He really does go above and beyond what is expected and I really appreciate it.
Reaction: Almost immediately I got an email from Raymond in my facebook inbox thanking me for my kind words. He said that he did all the work he did for people like me and that he really enjoyed running the site for all of the Red Sox fans.
Would I do it again? Absolutely! I love thanking people that do a good job!
Cost: Nothing
Effort: Little effort, just writing the email
Time: Took 5 minutes to write the email
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