Tag Archives: good deed

John Legend Makes Surprise Donation to NJ Firefighter Department

According to Page Six, John Legend made it drizzle on a New Jersey fire station on Sunday.

When heading into Wood Ridge 7Eleven, two firefighters approached the crooner to drop dime on department’s fundraiser breakfast.

Before leaving John slipped them $20 for the cause.

Guess the newly-minted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winner only had pocket change on him.

But, hey, every little bit counts. And John gave that bit away.

As for where the “Normal People” singer was heading, locals speculate Teterboro airport.

Back into the arms of Chrissy, we hope.

Kendrick Lamar Buys Super Fan a Wheelchair-Accessible Van

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Generosity must be in his DNA.

How else would you explain Kendrick Lamar’s obsession with giving away cars?

Most recently the five time Grammy-winning rapper surprised super fan Jennifer Phillips with a wheelchair-accessible van during a tour stop in Texas on Friday.

The Dallas native—who has gone to every Kendrick Lamar show in the Big D—started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the van.

Kendrick Lamar and his Top Dawg Entertainment record label must have caught wind of the quadriplegic’s wish because she was was whisked backstage to meet the Humble rapper, and given a handwritten thank you tee.

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So about last night… lol. If you know me or even just look in my Instagram profile for two minutes then you know I am a huge Kendrick Lamar and TDE fan/supporter for YEARS. I've been to every show Kendrick has had in Dallas including the first one that even he forgot about lol and one in Austin. That's 8 shows and not including the other TDE artists shows. I was a big fan of music and concerts before my injury but I never supported and loved a label like theirs before. Of course they have great music but they are also great people. None of them have ever treated me like a stranger or a charity case lol. I didn't meet them because I'm in a wheelchair. I just know great people (shout out to @bluethegreat for the initial in person introduction to Dot & Q). I never supported them for any benefits like this lol. Their music and shows were enough for me. But this is amazing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all and always will. Thank God for you Kendrick and I will continue to pray for you. And like I said, next time I'm driving myself to your show lol. Thanks to the whole team! #tde

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Last but not least Kendrick gave her the money for the van.

Now that’s an unforgettable night. Jen will be a K.L. stan for life behind this.

She’s even plotting the next Kendrick concert.

“Next time I’m driving myself to your show,” Phillips wrote on Instagram.

Fair warning, it likely won’t be a V-class Mercedes Benz type whip.

So please, please, please don’t give this really good dude flak for that like when he bought his lil sis a Toyota Camry for her high school graduation.

I’d rather a Camry (nice ride, BTW) than a bus pass. That’s all I’m sayin’.

And I’m sure Jen, who injured her spinal cord in a car accident in 2007, is appreciative of the comfortable ride.

Won’t He Do It! Shaquille O’Neal Covers Funeral Expenses for Teen Who Accidentally Shot Himself

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Shaq played a savior of sorts this Easter holiday.

Lord knows the family of Malachi Hemphill needed one.

After learning their 13-year-old son accidently shot himself while handling a loaded gun during a livestream Instagram video.

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WXIA reported that his friends watching the video had warned Malachi to put the safety on the gun, and it went off as he proceeded to do so.

“I heard a big boom,” his mother Shaniqua Stephens told the outlet. “I just knew that it was something that was wrong.”

Malachi was found by his mother and sister.

The Atlanta-based teen died Wednesday at Grady Memorial Hospital.

Thursday evening Shaquille O’Neal visited the family to give his condolences and offer to pay for the funeral.

“We just broke down and started crying because Malachi didn’t have any insurance,” Shantirea Bankston, Malachi’s godmother, said.

“We weren’t prepared to bury him this young. We didn’t have insurance for him. So to have that from Shaquille O’Neal it was a blessing and very touching, and we appreciate everything he do for the community.”

 Shaquille O’Neal released a statement saying he was willing to help to ease some of the family’s unimaginable pain.
“No mother should have to go through this,” he said. “I can only imagine the pain that she and all of Malachi’s family must be feeling.”
Hopefully, no other mother will have too. We’ll be praying for you, fam.

 

 

Feel Good Friday | Mystery Cop

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With so much backlash against the boys in blue lately (Not that it isn’t warranted at times.) it’s refreshing to get a feel good story involving one for a change.

So, I’m dedicating this Friday’s post to an unnamed, unlocated NY cop, who helped give a 58-year-old ex-con the lucky break he needed. Bronx res James Roberts was en route to a job interview at LaGuardia Airport when he got off the wrong stop on the bus. Can’t count on two hands how many times I’ve done this. Just sayin.

After getting a heads-up from his staffing agency that his interview was really in Fresh Meadows, a few miles away from the airport, the hero with a badge offered to drop him.

After getting him there on time, he disappeared. Not waiting around to learn James got the job at a car rental company (Granted he was likely on duty.) Thus, ending his 10 year unemployment gap since being released from prison.

“I’m stunned, there isnt a cop doing anything nice for James Roberts, I got chased for 11 years when I was doing bad,” Roberts told ABC 7 News.

Now that he’s doing good he wants to thank those responsible. Like…whatever the cop’s name is.

“I say Andrews is his last name, for sure his tag has an A and D in it, I seen those initials, and that’s what I remember,”  James tells ABC 7.

Let’s hope the good cop remembers too because it’ll be worth his while.

“I love this guy wherever he’s at, I love this guy,  and I have to see him, I have too.”

The search is on.

IYB Woman Crush | Delivering Solutions to Homelessness

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Veronika Scott and an Empowerment Plan employee

Happy New Year!!

I’ll spare you the new year, new me mantra (insert eyeroll here) I espoused last year around this time. Or the laundry list of resolutions I’d likely break this week. I’ll approach 2016 with Nike philosophy–just do it. And encourage everyone else to do the same.

Before charging toward your goal like a Kardashian stalking a TMZ camera crew, take some notes on how it’s done from Veronika Scott. She’s the 24-year-old Founder and CEO (yaaaasss, honey!!) of Detroit-based non-profit The Empowerment Plan. The org hires homeless women as seamstresses to make coats that transform into sleeping bags for the homeless.

Veronika’s aha! moment came as a result of a college class assignment (she majored in Industrial Design at College for Creative Studies) to “design something to fill actual needs.” After visiting homeless shelters to gage their needs the slumber coats were born. During the day they serve as a normal winter coat and at night a flap is brought down and can be stepped into up to the knees, then zipped up like a regular ol’ sleeping bag.

The Motor City has a homeless population of 34,642, according to Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness. Overall there are over 86,000 people in Michigan without homes and 69 percent are single moms.

Veronika realized her slumber coats were a good start, but not the answer to preventing homelessness. When a woman living in the shelter told her to forfeit the outerwear for some much needed jobs.

Veronika did just that. The Empowerment Plan hires only people living in homeless shelters. And not just as seamstresses they are trained in manufacturing and tech as well. Whatever will help lead them closer to an independent life. The org has it sewed up.

” I believe people can tackle far more than they think they can.” Veronika says.

Thanks to Veronica and all those like her for making the path straighter.

Click here to donate and here to order a coat from the Empowerment Plan.

 

 

IYB Woman Crush Wednesday | Ciara’s Feeding America

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Fresh off her bae-cation R&B chanteuse Ciara brings her good vibes to dinner tables around the country.

RELATED: Viola Davis Joins Safeway Foundation’s Mission to End Child Hunger

The “I Bet” singer partnered with lifestyle brand Unilever to combat an overlooked but worthy cause–child hunger. A huge problem affecting 15 million kids every single day. To help change the tide, Ciara took to Instagram using the hashtag #ShareAMeal with a photo of an empty plate. And encouraged her 8.6 million followers to do the same. Because with each new upload or retweet Unilever will donate a free meal to Feeding America.

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And with the help of the C Squad–including Lala Anthony and Stephen Curry’s wife Ayesha Curry–Unilever met their goal of a million meals for Feeding America. All in one week. I don’t think Mother Theresa could’ve even pulled that one off.

For other ways to help Unilever’s worthy child hunger campaign click here

 

Feel Good Friday | Student Surprises Family with Unexpected Gift

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Here’s a good argument for NOT using your indoor voice in public. It worked for 2-year-old Kinley Shufflebarger. She was strolling the toy aisles of Target with her mom, picking out her future b-day gifts, and spotted a dolly she just had to have. Like, right at that moment.

Overhearing the convo between mom and daughter, the stranger chatted up Kinley. Asked her to spot  her fave babydoll. He scooped it up. Disappeared. And returned to Kinley with his new purchase and her new doll.

“Happy Birthday. Enjoy your dolly,” he’s quoted saying.

Mom aka Megan Shufflebarger was so overwhelmed by his kindness she snapped a pic with the generous gentleman, but forgot to get his name. With the help of the Internet–she posted the pic that quickly went viral–mom uncovered his identity: Tario Fuller II,19, a freshman football player at Purdue University.

Tario’s good deed earned him local celeb status. The NCAA posted an article about him and Purdue’s athletic department sang his praises. But nothing tops Kinley’s mom’s recommendation.

“Tario is a good role model for kids these days. I hope our children remember this for years to come and remember what it means to ‘pay it forward.’ She told ABC News.

Well deserved.