RAOK: Finding good people in Tahoe’s schools
Recognizing the efforts of a cafeteria worker at her child’s school has earned Michelle Ramirez two tickets to ride the tram at Squaw Valley.
She is the latest winner of Lake Tahoe News’ Random Acts of Kindness. However, she wants Joy Santos, the worker, to receive the award. So it is Joy who will be off to Squaw with a friend.
Each day a Random Acts of Kindness story is posted with that day’s winner. Past stories may be found under the Random Acts of Kindness category at the top of the page.
To win, all you have to do is witness a Random Act of Kindness, be the recipient of kindness or be the giver. These acts can take most any form, from opening a door, to stacking firewood, to giving a ride to someone in need. What is your Random Act of Kindness?
It isn’t about winning, it’s about being kind. But local businesses have stepped up by being kind and rewarding your Random Acts of Kindness. To keep with the theme, winners are picked randomly.
For more details about Random Acts of Kindness and the few rules associated with it, check out this story.
While some may not consider this an Act of Kindness I do so I wanted to share it.
On New Years Eve my friend Helene Klebingat was working at a local drug store and a young man (around 23 years old) was in the store and probably part of the Snowglobe crowd. It was obvious that he was a little “under the weather” and had lost his wallet and phone and wanted to call his Dad. He kept coming up to the very busy checkouts asking to call his Dad (which of course they can’t allow). He was crying and just a mess. They were getting ready to call the police since he was such a disruption when my friend took him by the collar and took him outside. She talked to him and told he she would take him across the way to another place where they would be able to help him. He straightened up and said he just really needed to get to his Dad. She took him over to the other store and told them the story and they said they could help him. As she was leaving she heard the other clerk ask the kid “Do you know that lady? He said he had no idea who she was”. I’ll tell you who she was – she was his “Saving Angel”. Most folks have been in a situation like that and she knew if it were her son she would want someone to show some kindess and she did.
Just before the Holidays, we cleaned out one of our closets and gave many winter clothes (some still new) to a local family who lost all of their belongings in storage this past fall due to being unemployed with the lack of funds….
Most of the clothing were mens winter clothes which fit 3 of her grown teenager boys….
The feeling of thankfulness was so overwhelming from the mother that her kids can be warm this winter while at school that she did not know how to thank us….
It makes us feel good knowing that we helped a family who really needed help, but would never ask for it….
Two examples of the regular kindness that happens in Tahoe:
During the 1st night of SnowGlobe, my friends who live close to the event were woken up by their dog barking at 1:30am, they went out in their side yard and found a young gal trying to go to sleep in sandals and t-shirt, altered and totally unaware of where she was (her group let her go away alone, not dressed right for the mountains). She thought she was near Ski Run where she was staying. They drove her to her motel.
A neighbor took the time to speak with a senior neighbor who had recently lost his wife, noticing that he kept looking worse and worse. She started anonimously leaving groceries and tolietries on his doorstep and has gotten serveral of us to do this too. He asked her if she was doing this, she denied and said that we’ve got a caring fairy in the neighborhood. He is touched that people noticed and care about his well-being.
I watched a police officer (Ofc Poole) at the main post office on al tahoe blvd open the door for some other patrons and then enter much later.
I commended him and shook his hand and thanked him for his efforts to make our community a better place.
I told him about this RAOK drive and got his name and email so he can be contacted if he wins!!!
Thanks again for doing this!