Happy News - Group of Phil Campbells help town after tornado.......

I haven’t mentioned a ‘Happy News’ story in quite a while - there is so much negativity in the daily news. However, there is something about the following story that really made me smile.

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The town of Phil Campbell, Alabama is located about 95 miles northwest of Birmingham, it began in the 1880s as a work camp established by railroad crew leader Phillip Campbell, originally from England. It was incorporated in 1911 as the only town in Alabama to have both a first and last name, a distinction it still holds.

A few years ago Brooklyn writer Phil Campbell visited the town during a trip to Alabama and decided to organize a gathering for people with the same name to be held in the town of Phil Campbell.

At the first convention in 1995, twenty two Phils and one Phyllis showed up. Plans for making it an annual event faded out. Earlier this year Brooklyn Phil and others banded together through the Internet and decided to try again. They sent out 400 invitations to people named Phil Campbell. This year’s gathering was planned to coincide with the town’s 100th anniversary celebration scheduled for Saturday June 18^th.

On April 27^th of this year a massive EF5 twister plowed through the city during the Southern tornado outbreak. The twister killed 27 local residents and injured twice as many, some seriously. Among the city’s 450 or so homes, dozens were destroyed and more were damaged.

One Phil, in Juneau, Alaska, took up a collection in his church and raised about $5,000 to help the Alabama town.

“Just because of the coincidence of our names we can do some good,” he said Friday as he joined several other Phils in clearing tree limbs and a shattered pavilion outside the Phil Campbell Community Center, now a distribution site serving tornado survivors.

This weekend Phil Campbells from across the globe converged on the hard-hit city of 1,150 for the “I’m With Phil” convention, a gathering meant to raise spirits, money and new roofs.

Phil Campbells are cleaning up storm debris, marching in a parade, donating money to build a Habitat for Humanity house, listening to country music and just showing they care.

“We’re doing whatever it takes to be part of the town for a weekend,” said Phil Campbell of Nottingham, England.

There’s also Phil Campbell from La Farge, Wis.; Phil Campbell from Austin, Texas; Phil Campbell from Glasgow, Scotland; Phil Campbell from Palo Alto, California. A couple Phils from Alabama and two from Australia.

It gets confusing having so many people named Phil Campbell in one place. The Phils tend to call each other by their hometown or state.

“Hey California, you want a sandwich?” said Brooklyn Phil.“There’s Birmingham,” said Alaska Phil.

In those first days after the storm, Mayor Jerry Mays wanted to cancel the anniversary festivities and the Phil Campbell gathering. The thought of celebrating anything amid flattened homes and funeral wreaths seemed wrong.

“A tornado just takes everything with it,” he said. “Those 27 people who died, we knew them all.”

Then Mays heard about all the people who were planning to visit despite the tragedy. He reconsidered, and he’s glad he did.

“I got to thinking maybe it would give people a chance to get this off their minds and enjoy themselves a little,” said Mays.

Now, rather than having just another sweltering weekend in Phil Campbell, the Phils are helping in the cleanup and reconstruction. The Phils, some companies and others donated money to help the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity construct a home. About $35,000 has been raised so far, said Brooklyn Phil.

Adapted from a story by Jay Reeves -The Associated Press

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Just the thought of spending a few days with people who have the same name as me is very intriguing – and to meet them while helping in a disaster relief mission would be priceless!

As I mentioned before – this story made me smile. J

peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - An Angel Unaware

Written by a taxi driver:

I arrived at the address where someone had requested a taxi. I honked but no one came out.

I honked again, nothing. So I walked to the door and knocked.

‘Just a minute’, answered a frail elderly voice. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie.

By her side was a small suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

‘Would you carry my bag out to the car?’ she said. I took the suitcase to the taxi, and then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. ‘It’s nothing’, I told her. ‘I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.’

‘Oh, you’re such a good boy’, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, ‘Could you drive through downtown?’

‘It’s not the shortest way’ I answered quickly.

‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said, ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.’

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued. ‘The doctor says that I don’t have very long.’

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

‘What route would you like me to take?’ I asked.

For the next two hours we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired. Let’s go now.’

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

How much do I owe you?’ she asked, reaching into her purse.

‘Nothing,’ I said.

‘You have to make a living,’ she answered.

There are other passengers, ‘ I responded.

I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of life.

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought.

For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life…

We are conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware – beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Reflection: People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

'

Hebrews 13:2 tells us,

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers:

for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Who was the angel - the elderly lady or the taxi driver? As you go about your daily activities make sure that you take time to notice if you may be in the presence of an 'angel unaware.'

peacesojourner

Jane Goodall in Buffalo.................

One of the benefits of living in Buffalo is that there are so many colleges in this area, and several offer free lectures to the public. I attend as many as I can and I was thrilled to learn that Jane Goodall was coming to Canisius College.

I have always been in awe of Jane’s lifestyle and personal journey in life. When I was very young I was filled with admiration of her life in Africa, and her study of chimpanzees, and how she soon became their leading crusader. Her research work expanded to include numerous conservation efforts in Africa and worldwide.

Jane was born very near to my place of birth in London. Stories of her work in Tanzania came to us via Geographical magazines and in later years from the British Broadcasting Company. (BBC) She has lived for many years on the southern coast of England in Bournemouth, a town where several members of my family now live.

I had always felt some sort of kinship with Jane even though our paths had never actually crossed – and now here she was – coming to Buffalo to talk about her travels and work in Africa.

I hurried along to the college and did not realize that so many people would also be there waiting to hear her speak. We queued in line for an hour and a half and many people were turned away. The wait was worth it for the more than 3,000 people who did get to hear her. Her audience ranged from kindergarteners to very elderly senior citizens.

She has a soft voice, and the crowd listened in total silence as she gently recalled her personal story of travelling to East Africa as a young woman. As I listened to her I realized that she is 76 years of age - she looks much younger – maybe the many years in isolation with only primates to interact with had reduced the stress from her life.

In the summer of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area's chimpanzee population. Although it was unheard of for a woman to venture into the wilds of the African forest, the trip meant the fulfillment of her childhood dream and her work in Tanzania would prove more successful than anyone had imagined. At first, the Gombe chimps fled whenever they saw Jane. But she persisted, watching from a distance with binoculars, and gradually the chimps allowed her closer.

She stated that she gives talks for 300 days every year. This means that she travels in many different countries to spread her message and she encourages the advancement of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment for all living things.

She is a Wildlife Researcher, Educator, and Conservationist. Her research work has expanded to include numerous conservation efforts in Africa and worldwide. Her global nonprofit Institute empowers people to make a difference for all living things, by creating healthy ecosystems, promoting sustainable livelihoods and nurturing new generations of committed, active citizens.

In 1965, Jane earned her Ph.D in Ethology from Cambridge University. Soon thereafter, she returned to Tanzania to continue research and to establish the Gombe Stream Research Centre.

Today, the Jane Goodall Institute (founded in 1977) is a leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats and is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in Africa and the Roots & Shoots education program in nearly 100 countries.

Jane Goodall spends much of her time lecturing, sharing her message of hope for the future and encouraging young people to make a difference in their world.

I encourage you to read one of the many books that she has written and check out the following sites: www.janegoodall.org and www.rootsandshoots.org

At the end of her lecture she opened the floor to questions and did not hesitate to answer all of them.

A wonderful evening in the presence of an outstanding person.

Tomorrow I will tell you about the third person that I was so fortunate to see and hear.

peacesojourner

Happy News - The Wedding Dress

JACKSON, Miss. – Days after a tornado obliterated their home and delayed their wedding, a Mississippi bride and groom say they feel blessed by the kindness of strangers, including the gift of a wedding dress from a jilted bride in Kentucky.

"I think it's great, because I never really expected this much help," Morgan Hayden said Wednesday from a hotel in her hometown of Yazoo City.

Hayden, 27, and her 31-year-old fiancé, Josiah Moton, huddled in their bathroom with three relatives recently when a tornado blew apart the house the couple had helped build a few months ago in a wooded area just outside town. The storm left them homeless — but uninjured.

Left with few belongings beyond the clothes they were wearing, Hayden and Moton delayed their plans to go to Little Rock, Ark., on Monday for a small, informal wedding. Hayden said she had not purchased a wedding dress but was planning to wear something from her closet.

Katie Smith, 20, who lives near Louisville, Ky., said she read about the couple in an AP article and decided to find Hayden and offer her the dress. Smith said she had planned to marry this summer, but her fiancé from England broke their engagement last month.

"Honestly, it still hurts, Smith told the AP Wednesday. "But life goes on."

Smith said she has been trying to give away the wedding items she'd already purchased, including the dress she bought on sale for $350. Hayden accepted the offer, and Smith said she mailed the dress Tuesday. "I know every girl wants to look pretty on her wedding day," Smith said.

An executive at a resort in the Bahamas also said that he had read the AP article and the resort offered the couple a honeymoon when they're ready for it. They will provide two round-trip air tickets and five nights with an ocean-view room "as kind of a way to make some new memories and help them get past what happened."

The National Weather Service said the tornado was 1.75 miles wide — a record for Mississippi. It killed 10 people, injured at least 49 and damaged about 700 homes as it plowed nearly 150 miles through state.

Hundreds of tornado survivors in Mississippi are getting help from strangers. Charities are providing meals and bottled water. Church groups, civic groups and random people from in state and out of state are in the storm-damaged areas to cut fallen trees and clear debris.

Hayden said a homeowners' insurance policy is paying hotel expenses for a week, and she and Moton hope to move into an apartment. She said they will reschedule the wedding when life becomes somewhat normal again.

Excerpts taken from an article by EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS,

Associated Press Writer – Thu Apr 29

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We read so many stories in the news that tell of horrors and inhumanity from around the world. It is nice to have reaffirmation that there are so many people who are genuinely kind and giving who reach out to others in distress. This is a happy news story :-)

peacesojourner

Happy News -The Story Behind the Olympic Flowers

There's quite a story behind the Olympic flowers

By Trey Kerby

2/17/20

After every Olympic event, rather than receiving their medals, athletes are given a bouquet of flowers. At the Beijing Olympics, roses dominated the bouquets. In Turin, it was rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias. This year, it's green mums and hypericum berries.

The bouquets come from Just Beginnings Flowers and Margitta's Flowers in Surrey, British Columbia. Their entry was chosen from 58 contending florists. June Strandberg, the bouquet designer and owner of Just Beginnings, teaches floristry to women who have left prison, are recovering from addiction, or have been victims of violence. It's a pretty amazing program, and Strandberg has even taken it behind bars, where she educates convicts. She believes it's her work with these correctional programs that secured the Olympic contract.

For the Vancouver Olympics the florists made 1,800 bouquets, 1,707 of which will be given to medal-winning athletes in the Olympics and Paralympics. The flowers are grown locally, but they aren't in season during February, so additional supplies were flown in from Ecuador.

The flowers were chosen to represent British Columbia and Canada, and are intended as keepsakes for the athletes. There are even strict regulations for the bouquets presented at the flower ceremonies. Per IOC protocol, bouquets must be 20 to 30 centimeters tall and about 25 centimeters across.

Though these flowers might look like something you give your mom at a homecoming football game, a lot of thought and planning goes into choosing and making these bouquets. When you consider the societal benefits behind these flowers, it almost makes the bouquets as valuable as the medals.

Happy News - People Helping People

Weaving is taught at the Greyfriars Community Project

Edinburgh, Scotland knitting project attracts ex-offenders

By Morag Kinniburgh - BBC Scotland

Weaving, knitting and crochet are not what you would expect to attract ex-offenders drug users and alcoholics.

But now a Greyfriars Community Project scheme in Edinburgh, Scotland, is proving popular with men and women knitting scarves, weaving ties and crocheting purses.

The project volunteers said teaching the traditional skills helped centre-users rebuild their lives.

Pat Laing, of the Association of Guilds of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, said: "It's about getting skills." She added: "You're never going to be a weaver, but it's the co-ordination, the involvement, just doing something useful and seeing something at the end of it that you can actually say I've made that, I did that, which is really great for your self esteem, and for your sense of self worth."

I come here to clear my head and just focus on doing stuff instead of being out in the streets gang fighting and taking drugs.

One 21-year-old taking part in the scheme said he had spent several years behind bars for serious assault and attempted murder but the project had helped him turn his life around. He said: "It's like a dream come true.

"I've been in prison several times and then I started in here and from then on I've found a better person within myself.

"I come here to clear my head and just focus on doing stuff instead of being out in the streets gang fighting and taking drugs."

Teaching traditional craft skills to those with chaotic lifestyles is not only to give them a sense of purpose so they can turn away from addiction and crime, it is also designed to help keep the traditional skills alive.

Josiah Lockhart, Greyfriars Community Project co-ordinator, said: "It's something we've had for thousands of years and is dying out right now. We really wanted to help address the breakdown in the community and reinvigorate a desire to bring back these traditional crafts."

The unnamed participant said he was planning a career in music and dance but he said that without the Greyfriars Community Project he could easily slip back into drink, drugs and crime.

He said: "It would take away my self motivation to get up in the morning, so I'd automatically convert back to my old ways, which is something I do not want to do because I've been there, I've got the T-shirt."