Awesome Story of Giving That Healed a Town: A Circle of Hands

From Denny: Pull out the tissues because you are going to need them! If you are not crying your eyes out, wondering if you emptied out the tears reservoir, then you need to watch the hour long special of this story. Yes, it's that good. If you are in need of having your faith restored in the goodness of strangers, then this story is for you. These ordinary people will astound, amaze and delight your heart.

The entire town of Grafton, Wisconsin came to the aid of a single mother battling breast cancer who has 13 year old triplets. Two of those triplets are seriously ill with a life long degenerative disease and are already now in wheelchairs. They needed so much. A whole town of neighbors, many who lost their homes and their jobs, came together to help the Longoria family remodel their home so the kids could get around in wider halls and larger spaces.

It's quite an amazing story of what spiritual development is really all about: helping someone else when you have lost so much. There is a man in the process of losing his home because he's been out of work for two months. Yet he came and volunteered every day to renovate the house. There is a hotel owner who gave the family free rooms for the entire time it took to renovate the house.

There is an AIDS charity CEO, living on 40% less income now and facing an uncertain personal financial future, who showed up to organize and raise funding - cheerfully. Another story is of a mother who lost her son 19 years ago and today came to be the interior designer for this family's renovated home. She said this is the first time she has not felt emotional pain since the death of her child.

This first video is a clip that was featured on the news. The other video clips tell the story. The full story and more links are at Dateline and it's an hour show worth watching. It reminds me of a real life story to match the famous Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." What's so much fun about this story of giving is how the giving rolled into something bigger than the project itself. People got into the spirit of giving and the joy was contagious, drawing thousands of people to volunteer during construction or to help fund the project.

A Circle of Hands is a poem written by one of the volunteers to remember the "Hometown Heroes" project that healed the town.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

2 Inspiring Haiti Stories: Woman Pulled From Wreckage, New Baby Born on USS Carl Vinson

From Denny: Finally, a happier story of triumph as a woman named Jeanette was pulled from the damaged building in strong health with minor injuries and dehydration after six days pinned down. This is an awesome story of her faith in God and her determination to survive to be reunited with her husband.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Of course, with any horrific disaster it helps to focus upon the positive. Nothing is more positive and heart-warming than the birthing of a new life. How fortunate this young mother was to have an entire USS Navy ship at her beck and call. The crew is all smiles to be a part of something so life affirming. Can you guess the new baby boy's name? Yes, it's Vinson, in honor of the ship and crew.

The ship is about 17 miles out from the shore of Haiti. They have been taking in any and all injured discovered on the streets of Haiti by U.S. troops. They were the closest American ship in the area and the first to arrive after the disaster.

Can you imagine being pregnant and deep in labor right after an earthquake? The things that had to be going through her mind as she was getting ready to birth her baby. Luck had it she was found by American troops who quickly transported her to the ship to deliver her baby safely.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** For more Haiti stories, visit Dennys Global Politics.

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, a big thank you to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!

This Weeks Posts @ The Social Poets 19 Jan 2010

I love a great cup of the freshest coffee! Photo by Ballistik Coffee Boy @ flickr

*** For the latest news on the fluid Haiti situation and where I park my hard news posts and politics is this blog: Dennys Global Politics

*** This blog is lighter positive news of good people doing good things in the world, lots of funny things to keep your mood light and some social issue poetry on Fridays - The Social Poets posts:

Roundup of Late Night Funnies 18 Jan 2010, Conan OBrien and Jon Stewart videos


Historical Journey: 7 Women Ski to the South Pole

Haiti Earthquake - Editorial Cartoons 16 Jan 2010

Swirling Thoughts Poem - Libations Friday! 15 Jan 2010

Funny Quotes About Time - Cheeky Quote Day! 13 Jan 2010


Funny Music Video of How Americans Sound to Foreigners

Roundup of Late Night Funnies 11 Jan 2010


Wonderful Serious Quotes About Time


Those Funny Memories poem - Libations Friday! 8 Jan 2010

10 Top Quotes of 2009 - Cheeky Quote Day! 6 Jan 2010

How Funny! 10 Banned Overused Buzzwords of 2009

*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, huge hug to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!

Ending Child Labor in South Asia Rug Factories

From Denny: A century ago in America we finally outlawed child labor in the our factories, dangerous places for adults, worse for children. Besides, you just don't work a growing child for 18 hours. It's bad enough when you do it to an adult but a child cannot sustain that kind of stress to their health.

I like to promote the folks worldwide who try to do good in the world and move society along in its development. Good Weave is a non-profit organization that is working hard to rescue child labor from the rug factories of South Asia. What this group is offering is both comprehensive and astounding!

They send out inspectors to the rug factories to make sure no one under the age of 14 is working there. If an underage child is found they rescue them by reuniting them with their families or are given shelter. Good Weave also provides health care if needed and then begin to educate them, including small stipends as incentive to continue their sponsored education until age eighteen.

What's better is that Western rug importers are beginning to join the movement as their customers are demanding proof no child labor was used in the making of their rugs. In 1994, Good Weave rescued over a million children. This past year they rescued 250,000.

Clearly, the Western ban on child labor in rug factories, coupled with Good Weave's efforts to unite importers has helped promote awareness to the point it has garnered positive improvement. The message is simple to the factory owners: If you want access to Western markets, lose the child labor work force - forever. Take a look:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** THANKS for visiting!

Kid Creates Pet Food Bank 4 Economic Crisis

From Denny: This has to be one proud mother of this nine-year-old boy named Zach Wilson in Central Florida whose passion to help animals created this animal food bank! This year of 2009 has been a troubled one for Americans, losing jobs, losing homes and forced to lose their pets because they can no longer afford to feed them. Tough choices all around.

Zach saw on the news that over 53,000 people in Florida had lost their homes this year and abandoned their pets as a result of job and home losses. So, he decided maybe people would keep their pets if they had help feeding them. It turned out to be a fabulous idea, well embraced by the charitable givers and those in need in his area. His idea has expanded across the nation to help other pets about to be abandoned by their desperate owners. Take a look:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A web only clip:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*** THANKS for visiting and have a great Christmas holiday!

Catch Up on Posts 6 Dec 2009

From Denny: This week at least I loaded the stories I wanted to post about, then finally got the time this weekend to finish writing and post them!

Dennys Global Politics:

Assassins Security Recipe For Disaster: Obama State Dinner - Then the worst scenario of all: A well-trained or motivated assassin could have cleaned house on the top tier of our government - President, Vice President, Speaker of the House and Chief of Staff. That would have left us with Senator Pro-tem, Senator Byrd from West Virginia to run the country, an aging 90 years plus man in poor health.

Obamas Unwelcome Afghan Strategy, Reactions and a Lame Congress - Republicans complained about Obama not wanting to continue the war indefinitely while Democrats worry about the cost of a protracted war, circulating the lame idea of a war tax to fund the recent surge on an already burdened depressed economy.

Prez Obama Lays Out Bleak New Afghanistan Strategy - "And Karzai is a sorry excuse for what passes for good government. What started out with great promise years ago has become a farce. He now looks like a bejeweled weasel sitting on a pile of gold: American foreign aid money."

UKs Brown Overlooks Slain Soldiers: Again

Obama Family Lights National Christmas Tree of Hope

Obama Doing His Positive Affirmations: Hosts Jobs Summit

Pakistan Unknown Heroes Work to Defend Country Against Taliban

Iran Jails Irani-American Woman Protesting Elections - An Iranian-American female grad student went to Iran to study and document women's issues in Iran. That didn't sit well with the local government soon after she arrived and they threw her into jail.

Funny Miss Speak Known as Malapropisms

Latest Political Foibles - Editorial Cartoons 5 Dec 2009



Photo by Sister72 @ flickr

The Healing Waters

Good News: Soup Kitchen Chef Raises Standard of Giving

Good News: Building Low Cost Homes AND Reducing Trash Footprint

Funny Christmas and Santa Cartoons

Congress Overrides Bad Breast Cancer Guidelines in New Health Bill

Hunger in America Reminder This Holiday Season - America's dirty little secret.

Good News: Salvation Army Donation Bucket Literally Hits Gold This Holiday Season



The Social Poets:

Roundup of Sunday Funnies 30 Nov 2009

Catch Up on Funny Posts at Dennys Funny Quotes 1 Dec 2009

Funny Malapropisms - Cheeky Quote Day! 2 Dec 2009

Popular Posts 2009 and Thank You: The Social Poets

Life is About Everything - Libations Friday! 4 Dec 2009

Editorial Cartoons 5 Dec 2009

The Soul Calendar:

Mount Everest Glaciers Melting Worry Half a Billion People: Fresh Drinking Water

Melting Himalayan Ice Threatens Half a Billion in India, China and Southeast Asia

Check Out Cosmic Generator Producing Energy at Rate of 100K Suns

Slamming Low-Ride Satellite Maps Earths Magnetic Field

*** Thanks for visiting - and these Christmas holiday animations and clip art are FREE for use on your blogs or sites!