Tag Archives: good Samaritan

Tyler Perry is Secret Santa That Pays Off $430,000 Layaway Items at ATL Walmart

Tyler Perry retired the Madea frock to slip on big red suit.

‘Cause when you’re footing the bill for $430,000 worth of layaway items at Walmart, you are forevermore known as Black Claus.

Last week, TP paid for all the layaway items (totaling $435,635) in two ATL Walmart stores. The only price the lucky shoppers had to pay was a penny to get their items.

Tyler Perry tried to keep his good deed under wraps, but secret got out and he took to Twitter.

“Merry Christmas to everybody!” Perry says on Twitter outing himself as the Good Samaritan. “I know it’s a hard time, a lot of people are struggling, and I’m just really, really grateful to be able to be in a position like this.”

Thanks to TP, folks have one less holiday bill to pay. Won’t he do it!!

Chance the Rapper Came Through for Chi-Town Foundation | Deon Cole Surprises Shoppers

Blinkers, we are wrapping up this first week of 2018 (happy feel good Friday!!) with some charming stories out of Chi-Town.

Chance–you’ll likely spot him at a Chicago school board meeting and city council hearing–the Rapper issa legit real life Robin Hood for the windy city, y’all.

Black Celebrity Giving reports Chance the Rapper dropped by a local party for inner city kids from Gyrls in the H.O.O.D Foundation in Chicago, when founder Chez Smith asked him to come through.

The “Down Wit That” rapper did just that by showing some love to the kiddies and supporting the foundation’s aim of empowering young girls to be responsible women.

Chance the Mayor has a nice ring to it. You know, if the hip hop career doesn’t pan out.

“Black-ish” star Deon Cole can be his deputy mayor.

Last month the Christmas spirit guided the comedian to two Chicago Jewel-Osco grocery stores where he picked up shoppers tabs.

30 shoppers to be exact.

Deon’s rep told Chicago Tribune that it was a spontaneous decision. Deon picked random shoppers to give holiday cheer.

Deon bring that cheer to Charlotte. I shop at Family Lion, jus sayin’.

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.

View this post on Instagram

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

A post shared by Jenn (@msj3nn) on

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.

Feel Good Friday | Teen Donates Prize- Winning Pizza to Homeless Shelter

Let’s be honest, Friday couldn’t come fast enough amirite?

Well the frickin’ weekend isn’t the only reason to slap a smile on your exhausted face.

Here’s another. Detroit native Hannah Spooner won $500 dollars worth of free Little Caesar’s pizzas through a contest.

Instead of throwing an epic pizza party for friends, family and neighbors, the 19-year-old exercised the art of paying it forward by donating her prize to the local Covenant House Michigan shelter for homeless young kids.

The Huffington Post reports Hannah scoped out a number of charities and orgs before settling on Covenant House.

The shelter’s organizers are more than grateful with her decision.

“Our kids would eat pizza everyday,” Melissa Golpe, the shelter’s PR director told, The Huffington Post. “We have a number of generous people that do really special things for our kids.”

Little Caesar’s did one more thing, the pizza chain threw a free pizza party at the shelter during the shelter’s Total Me Program, where local college kids mentor teens at Covenant House,when they got wind of the story.

 

Feel Good Friday | This Cop Proves Humanity Still Exists

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Here’s something to warm your heart because, Lord knows, we need the sunshine.

At least on the East Coast (Damn you, Cali and your stupid February heat wave.) we got our ray of hope.

Massachusetts police officer Keith Perry received a call from a Walmart store manager–a homeless woman collapsed in the bathroom from hunger.

After paramedics revived the unidentified woman, Perry learned she hadn’t eaten all day, Seekonk Lt. David Dyson told INSIDE EDITION.

Perry helped alleviate that by buying her bread, milk and snacks. The two-year police veteran also doled out dough for a motel room where the woman could ride out one of many New England snow storms.

“Officer Keith Perry is a good guy. That’s just the way he’s made,” Dyson told INSIDE EDITION. “It’s just something he would do.”

If only more cops were like Perry.

Man Candy Monday | Storm Troopers to the Rescue

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So you want to get a glimpse at real New York values?

Then look no further than the photos below featuring good samaritans, New York’s finest and even sanitation workers helping us (glutton-for-punishment North Easterners) get through the Blizzard of ’16.

Starting with police officers and city dwellers banding together to push two stuck ambulances; one in Manhattan and the other in Queens Saturday night.

City sanitation wasn’t able to come to the rescue in time, so cue the caring New Yorkers (there are a few still left) putting their backs and knees (Oy!?!) into getting patients safely to the closest hospital.

There is no better neighbor than Tom Truglio. The Upper West Side res used his snow blower to rid his whole block of the white stuff. Annnnd shovelled untouched snow blanketing brownstones on his street. Tom, won’t you please be my neighbor?

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Finally, Olaf (the snowman) was spared in Hell’s Kitchen Sunday night. After loud pleas from the neighborhood, the snow plow driver showed his heart wasn’t icy bypassing the snowman and swerving to the right.

The bad news is Frosty may have already melted. Let him go, Hell’s Kitchen…just let him go.

Governor Cuomo wouldn’t let a stranded driver remain helpless without an assist from him personally.

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But the real winner of Snowmageddon 2016–reserved for states that have 25 to 30 inches of snow–is Tian Tian. The National Zoo panda looks like he’s doing mini sit ups in the snow.

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Can’t handle the cuteness…

 

Feel Good Friday | Employee of the Month Goes to…

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Ishmael Gilbert! The 19-year-old Target cashier is definitely deserving of the honor after patiently helping an elderly customer pay her total. Counting out quarters, pennies and dimes is time-consuming, especially for the customers waiting (so been there before), but allowed her to take her time.

Plus, and this is a biggie, the Indianapolis res didn’t suck his teeth or roll his eyes while waiting on her. How rare is that form of customer service these days?

Sarah Bigler, the customer waiting in line, did however do those things. But the fact Ishmael didn’t propelled her to snap a pic and post the encounter on Facebook. Garnering 28,937 shares. Bigler shared her initial reaction with FOX59:

I realized that the woman in front of me was taking quite a while, and I realized she was paying with change. I was at first frustrated and irritated thinking of my long day and this unnecessary timeline to get home, and get the kids bathed…and then I stopped for a moment.

In that moment Bigler watched the elderly woman apologize over and over to Ishmael and he kept saying “you’re fine.” And how Bigler’s daughter was watching it all go down lifted her mood.

“I thought this stranger is teaching something I could never teach her.”

Based on the thousands of shares on Facebook, other people too.

“It feels good to be recognized, for good work but this isnt something new,” Ismael told NYDailyNews.

“I treat all customers the same, the way I want to be treated. It felt good because that’s the kind of example I want to be for my daughter.”

 

Jamie Foxx Saves a Life | ‘Straight Outta Compton’s’ O’Shea Jackson Gives Inspirational Speech on MLK Day

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BEVERLY HILLS, CA – JANUARY 10: Actor Jamie Foxx attends the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Jamie Foxx flexed his action hero muscles when saving a man from a burning truck Monday.

The Oscar winner pulled Brett Kyle, of Newbury Park, out of his scorching truck after hitting a drainage pipe and being flipped like a diner pancake multiple times in Hidden Valley, CA. The white Toyota Tacoma laid on its side in flames outside of Jamie Foxx’s mansion.

Hearing the commotion outside his door, Jamie rushed outside before you could yell, “ACTION.” The “Annie” star pulled Kyle out of the truck before it fully went up in flames. Saving the reportedly tipsy driver from being burned alive.

Yesterday, Foxx talked to CBS Los Angeles outside his home to recap the encounter.

I don’t look at it as heroic. I just look at it, as, you know, you just had to do something. And it all worked out.

Grateful that it did, Kyle’s father visited Jamie yesterday and thanked him for his bravery.

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Jamie posted a photo of the two in a warm embrace on Instagram. The caption reads,

Met the father of the young man from last night today. This is all that matters. That a man, a son, a brother’s life was spared last night…no heroes…Just happy fathers.

Ice Cube must be one of them. First his son, O’Shea Jackson plays him to a T in “Straight Outta Compton,” which deserved an Oscar nom-just sayin (cough*Oscarssowhite*cough)–along with the screenwriters.

Now Ice Cube Jr. is giving back to the city of angels by taking part in L.A.’s 11th annual MLK Day of Service. Not only did he help spiff up the Woodcrest Elementary school campus in South Los Angeles on Monday, but inspired the 1300 volunteers to tap into their hidden potential. Check the video below.

Keep on inspiring us, guys.

Subway Samaritan!! Watch Man Give Homeless Guy Shirt Off His Back | Leah Strong Carries On

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Here’s something we don’t see everyday. Although, it is surprisingly becoming more common. In New York, of all places. The city of the heartless may have found it’s pulse after all. Thanks to compassionate people like this nameless dude ridin’ the rails today.

He spotted a shirtless homeless man across from him. Instead of dipping his eyes to the floor like so many of us do (Guilty as charged.) He stripped down to his tank and offered his white tee. No, excuse me, didnt offer but rather put it on him like an old friend pulling a long lost baseball uniform over transformed shoulders.

And he wasn’t done.

He whipped out a winter hat that he placed on with the same amount of care.

 

Whether he knew he was secretly being recorded isn’t known. But what was evident is the tears quickly wiped from the homeless man’s face.

Talk about being touched by an angel.

Speaking of being blessed, little Leah Still completed her last cancer treatment yesterday. Dubbed Leah Strong by NFL Dad Devon Still of the Cincinnati Bengals for her immeasurable strength facing a cancer diagnosis.

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Dad did his part by asking for much needed prayers, taking his support to the field and making ugly-cry inducing tributes.

And the 5-year-old recipient of the 2015 Jimmy V. Perseverance Award was declared cancer-free last year.

Plus the Bengals, after letting him go last year, issued Devon Still a new contract this week.

Won’t he do it?

FEEL GOOD FRIDAY | The Four Year Posse | Help is on The Way

Photo Courtesy: The Posse Foundation

Photo Courtesy: The Posse Foundation

I know what you’re thinking, there is not a lot to feel good about in this week’s roundup. Preteens are still having crying spells over Zayn Malick going the opposite direction of One Direction bandmates by exiting the group. A German co-pilot purposely crashed a commercial airline, carrying 150 souls, into the French Alps. And the bad news goes on and on and on. Yet, I found something to interrupt that cycle.

An effective way to discourage school dropouts. A New York City teacher Deborah Bial created the Posse Foundation–an org that selects driven high school students with higher learning chops overlooked by the traditional college selection process to be taken under a posse of 10 college students wing, and in the process are awarded four-year, full college scholarships–after noticing scholarship undergrads not getting the support they need.

It takes a village to raise a child and I suppose create a college scholar as well.

The Posse Foundation has been around for 25 years and during that time over 50 colleges and universities have partnered with the org. According to DailyGood, Bial’s innovative program has sent nearly 5,000 students to 48 colleges, full tuition deferred, in groups of 10 and have a 90 percent graduation rate.

We recognized early on,” Bial says, “that SAT and ACT scores do not capture every student’s aptitude for college-level work. There are many students who could perform competitively and succeed in college, but who might be missed by such traditional measures.

What’s the winning formula?

Communication, communication, communication. It’s not just necessary in relationships. Students attend meetings leading up to their on-campus move in. Leadership training and on campus support systems is what gets them to the four-year finish line.

However, the Posse Foundation is very selective on who they allow in the program. Because it’s less about SAT scores and more about kids interaction in group interviews that test problem solving and team work skills.

Bial’s cup runneth over with worthy candidates now she needs more campuses to host them.

We are simply turning away too many highly qualified students,” she says. “We cannot add partners quickly enough to take all the talented students we have in our pipeline.

Let’s hope she finds them.

Help is on The Way

Yesterday, media outlets flocked to lower Manhattan when four buildings collapsed; a result of a gas explosion. A few seconds before they did an off duty firefighter raced to the building to rescue a woman hanging on her fire escape. He scaled the building and managed to get the woman and her pet out safely. According to the New York Daily News, he got the woman out in less than a minute before it exploded in a ball of flames.

The unidentified hero wasn’t alone. A construction worker was sitting in his truck when the building went ablaze. After the first floor restaurant was in rubble, he raced to help out survivors. This is what he told the Daily News:

I was pulling people out … I pulled out about eight people, but it wasn’t just me. There were others (helping) too,

As horribly tragic as the situation is–two people are still missing and four out of 22 people are in critical condition–it’s nice to see New Yorkers lending a hand to help one another.