Tag Archives: Feel Good Friday

Colin Kaepernick Completes Million Dollar Donation Challenge

Here’s how you roll into Black History month, fam.

Colin ‘our black prince’ Kaepernick has hit the one milly mark on his pledge to donate to underserved communities around the country.

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When I started my #MillionDollarPledge and committed to donate $1,000,000 towards various programs – my original intent was to help the organizations on the ground doing much needed work within our communities.  The goal was to help those helping others. To touch those impacting lives in a real way and to make sure that those in need benefited from the dollars donated.  While on the journey, what I realized was the person that benefited the most from this pledge was myself. I've learned about and had the privilege to work with so many quality organizations fighting for Social Justice daily. I've met so many people that work with so many great non-profits that do amazing work. I've been humbled by the appreciation from places like Assata’s Daughters, United We Dream, and Standing Rock to name just a few of where my contributions from my pledge were able to help. The #MillionDollarPledge was never for me, or about me – It has, and always will continue to be for, and about the people. Perhaps what I've learned most is that we can all enact change. Not everyone has to donate monetarily. Some organizations need volunteers and time just as much as they need a donation. Head over to Kaepernick7.com to learn more about all the programs that have been a part of my #10for10 as well as my #MillionDollarPledge. While there, you can see where all the donations went as well as learn more about all these amazing organizations and how you can help contribute. We have work to do, and the only way to get it done is if we all work together.

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Before getting across the finish line, he challenged famous pals to donate $10K to an org of their choice and he’ll match it. Dubbing it the 10 for 10 challenge.

Usher heed the call Wednesday and donated $10,000 to Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure Inc., a Georgia-based non-profit that helps single and divorced mom’s adapt to a new life.

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I am happy to announce that I have completed my #MillionDollarPledge. For this final #10for10 joining me is, multiple Grammy Award winner, singer, songwriter and hitmaker…My brother @usher! He is donating $10k to match my $10k for $20k going towards H.O.M.E from Lithonia, Georgia. H.O.M.E. stands for Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure and they provide furniture to single mothers and their mission is to extend love to the home; restore hope in the heart, and offer help through healing hands to single mothers facing hardship. It has been an honor for me to serve the people with my #MillionDollarPledge. The thanks and gratitude from each organization has been immense. Being able to learn and see how each organization used the donations was a key part of the Pledge. I wanted to make sure that every dollar was going towards making real change in our communities. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, matched me and my pledge and most importantly the people. I know that we still have a lot of work to do, however, by getting everyone involved, I truly believe that we can all achieve and move mountains towards our goals for Social Justice. Please head over to Kaepernick7.com for a complete list of my $1,000,000 if donations as well as others like my brother, @usher who have matched with their generous donations as well.

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Rapper Meek Mill, who is currently incarcerated, donated $10K to Youth Services, Inc, a Philly based charity that supports at risk youth.

Jesse Williams, Steph Curry and Nick Cannon also took part in the #10for10 challenge.

Colin started the one million pledge after opting out of his contract with San Francisco 49ers.

And vows to keep the good works going even without the NFL behind him.

With or without the NFL’s platform, I will continue to work for the people,” he said while picking up the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award in December, “because my platform is the people.”

Rumble, baby, rumble <<in my Dave Chappelle voice>>>

Feel Good Friday | Perfect Strangers to the Rescue

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Happy Friday, folks!! Are you ready for the long holiday weekend? *raised hand* I am too, but before we rush off to get turnt up. I want to throw a spotlight on two deserving strangers whose stories I came across on Facebook.

The first is about a guy paying it forward.

Despite continuing to show his modesty by ordering the cheapest item at the wing spot, Fernando ordered the most expensive and traded with him. You never know who is watching…

A Rickey Smiley Fan Club posted this about this May-December friendship.

Who says escorts are out of style?

Happy Friday, ya’ll. Enjoy your Labor day weekend.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY | Basketball Team Refuses to Play Against Rival Team for Good Reason

The Gainesville Texas Tornadoes make a surprising entrance into the game. Photo courtesy: CBS News

The Gainesville Texas Tornadoes make a surprising entrance into the game.
Photo courtesy: CBS News

In honor of the NCAA tournaments (how’s your bracket looking?) that are hijacking TV screens across the nation, this week’s FEEL GOOD Friday story is about two rival basketball teams and redefining what un-sportsmanlike behavior means.

The basketball team at Vanguard College Prep—-a private school in Waco, Texas—-turned down a showdown with the Gainesville,Texas Tornadoes, a juvenile detention center team, because they would have an unfair advantage. Not in terms of their skills on the hardwood but with crowd participation.

Instead of taking advantage of the Tornadoes Achilles heel, Vanguard players recruited volunteers from their school to cheer on the opposing team. Watch what happens next below:

Source: CBS News

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY | Shelter From Life’s Storms

Does anyone remember the movie “Pay it Forward?” … *crickets*… Okay, well it’s about a little boy that use to see dead people whose homework assignment is to find a way to make the world a better place. His light bulb moment comes in the form of the domino effect–do a person a favor, then they do someone else a favor and so on and so on–on a humane level. You might have been on the receiving end of this practice. Can you recall visiting your local Dunkin Donuts drive thru and someone picking up the tab? If so, you were suppose to do the same for the person behind you, in case you were wondering how it works.

In this case Tony Tolbert is raising the stakes. The UCLA lecturer and lawyer was so inspired by a family’s generosity at giving $800 Gs, they received selling their home, to charity he chose to use his house for good too. The 50-year-old moved back in with his mom. A shock to her no doubt and encouraged a single mom of four children to be the new dweller.

Unlike in similar stories like this Felicia Dukes isn’t a recovering addict or on the run from a battered spouse, she’s just weathering a storm like we all are. She’s living off disability payments and struggling to make the rent. Her options were limited to going to a shelter that excluded her oldest son (he’s 18) from joining the rest of the family.

Enter Tolbert offering to have Felicia shack up in his house rent free and fully furnished. At first hesitant–what mom in her right mind wouldn’t be–to live in some stranger’s house without him getting anything out of it, she decided to do it.

Now that the year’s up Felicia was able to save up enough to get a place of her own.

Tony doesn’t want to stop there though. He’s willing to have another family move in that needs shelter from life’s storms.

Doesn’t this play out like a Cinderella story? Not quite a blockbuster fairy tale, but the story was the subject of a documentary entitled “12 Months” at this year’s Pan African Film Festival.

Source: KarmaTube

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY: From Dishwasher to Businessowner, Haitian Man Fulfills American Dream With Stranger’s Help

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Fresh off the boat (or plane) from Haiti in 2000, a Haitian man reunited with his taxi-driver dad in Philly.

Desperate to find his 20-year-old son work in a foreign land, he asked a stranger in his cab for any leads.

The stranger told him to have his son, Ricardeau Scutt, meet him in front of Saladworks Restaurant the next day. The good Samaritan got Scutt a job as a dishwasher at the restaurant.

In between working at Saladworks and taking ESL (English as Second Language) courses, Ricardeau’s overcame the language barrier.

Three years later he became general manager of Saladworks and received US citizenship.

Last Fall, Saladworks execs secretly went to the Food Network to tape Ricardeau’s managerial skills for a reality competition show he didn’t even know he was on. And he won!

Now he’s the proud franchise owner of a Salad Works restaurant.

All because a stranger took time to give him a chance.

You never know who could be a blessing to you, even a stranger in disguise.

To read more about Ricardeau’s story visit the Philadelphia Daily News.