Man shelters 300 dogs from Hurricane Delta: ‘What’s beautiful is to see them happy.’

Ricardo Pimentel’s social media post went viral, leading to a fundraising boost for Tierra de Animales shelter, which he founded nearly a decade ago.

As the dangerous Hurricane Delta closed in on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, he opened his home — to about 300 dogs.

There were plenty of other critters too.

Dozens of cats were harbored in his son’s room.

His daughter’s room served as a refuge for chicks, bunnies and even a hedgehog.

A patio became a haven for a flock of sheep.

Not surprisingly, the house smelled terrible, he says. But it was worth it.

All the animals survived the storm! (today.com)

This a story of a man saving dogs. During the pandemic, however, dogs have been saving us.

Millions of lonely people have adopted a dog while being sequestered at home.

Love goes both ways!

One teenager in Portland, Oregon, is helping high-risk senior citizens around his state to get groceries amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Neel Jain, 16, said the idea came to him when he offered to buy groceries for his grandmother.

“She has asthma and she’s in the at-risk category, and I was glad to help her shop,” he told TODAY Parents. “But then I realized that there are many other people in the community who don’t have that family support.”

In mid-April, Jain launched PDX Concierge, a shopping and delivery service operated by high school students on a completely volunteer basis. Now, seniors in seven cities in Oregon can reach out to the group for free grocery delivery.

Regina Brody, 73, said the PDX Concierge service has been extremely helpful while she and her husband quarantine in an effort to stay safe from the virus. (today.com)

There is nothing like SPONTANEOUS KINDNESS!

If not today, when?

Two countries are now at war over a territorial dispute.

One of the countries has armed drones that are killing young men hiding in their trenches.

Bulldozers are clearing the land for new cemeteries.

We all know how this war will end.

After enough young men are dead or maimed on both sides, they will seek a peace agreement.

Humankind seems to continually ignore the lessons of the past.

I think most wars are driven by the needs of the male ego that must be satisfied.

And this is going on while the citizens of both countries are suffering from Covid-19 and rampant unemployment.

Should not the focus be on the needs of the poorest of the poor? They live each day in peril.

Everything comes down to priorities. Choose the right ones for your life!

If not today, when?

You only have one chance to make a first impression. Make it count!

Here are tips on getting a new relationship off to a great start:

Eye Contact is extremely important. If you don’t establish eye contact immediately, you may send the unintended message that you’re not interested in the other person.

Speak clearly and not too fast. Sometimes, fast talking is a sign of nervousness on your part. Relax and put the other person at ease.

Be a good listener. There are many distractions in today’s society. Many of these distractions, especially cell phones, can cause us to be poor listeners.

Ask questions about the other person. There are two big dividends: 1. You may find that the two of you have something or a friend in common. 2. People love to talk about themselves. So, when you ask about them, they are flattered that you are interested in their story.

If not today, when?

Will our leaders seek the HIGHER GROUND practiced by our founders or continue the rampant lying and cheating?

A judge allowed a governor to remove 11 of the 12 mailboxes in a large county so many people would be unable to cast their ballots.

And we’re getting a constant daily diet of misinformation in today’s political ads.

One of the political parties placed phony ballot boxes around large metro areas while hoping people will put their ballots in so they can be destroyed.

This was not how we built this “SHINING BEACON ON THE HILL” that gave hope to the world!

We must seek HIGHER GROUND by encouraging people to always tell the truth.

We must seek HIGHER GROUND by extending kindness to everyone.

We must seek HIGHER GROUND by lifting up all those who are suffering.

We must seek HIGHER GROUND by always being honest in our business dealings.

We must seek HIGHER GROUND!

If not today, when?

During the pandemic, households with a first responder or healthcare worker do not need to be thinking about getting their yard work done.

That’s why a national non-profit, which is fueled by volunteers from landscaping companies like Weed Man, show up at the homes of essential workers like Logan Gillen, an ER nurse, who can then spend hours with his family when he’s not at work.

So far, the project has delivered manicured lawns to front line heroes in six states.

“The Green Care Program for front line workers has given us at Weed Man Fresno an opportunity to show our appreciation and help those who dedicate their lives to helping others,” said owner Jeff Kollenkark.

“We have a total of nine customers in the program and are blessed to be able to give back to the hard working front line workers who put their lives at risk every day.”

NOW, THAT’S LOVE!

Teaching during a pandemic is challenging for Eric Hale, but he knows many of his students are facing far bigger obstacles in their lives.

He knows because he’s been there.

“I know how hard it is to go to school when you’re hungry,” he said.

“I know how hard it is to go to school and focus when you saw your mom get beat by your stepdad last night.

I know how hard it is to go to school when other kids say you smell bad, but you know it’s because your water was shut off last week.”

In a phone interview with TODAY, Hale, 40, explained how his own childhood trauma has informed his emotional approach with his students and propelled him to become a top teacher.

He was named Texas Teacher of the Year last week, the latest in a string of accolades, but a particularly special one:

He’s the first Black man to ever receive the award in the state of Texas. (www.today.com)

Like many elderly Americans, Gloria Scott lives on a limited income.

Sometimes, that means making hard choices. If money’s tight, home repair and maintenance are often the first things to fall by the wayside.

When her overhead light fixture went out, however, she decided living in the dark wouldn’t do.

So, she called in electrician John Kinney to make the necessary repairs.

Deeply troubled by the extreme state of disrepair he found Scott’s house in, Kinney couldn’t get the woman’s desperate situation out of his head. “No lights, no running water.”

Rather than walk away, Kinney went back to Scott’s place and started working on some other much-needed repairs—free of charge. But he didn’t stop there.

Kinney set up a “Nice old lady needs help” Facebook page to solicit other local tradespeople to lend a hand as well. The enthusiastic response was pretty amazing. (thegoodnewsnetwork.com)

Lift someone up!

If not today, when?

We were going into Kroger Marketplace one day and saw gentlemen riding in one of the electric chairs the store provides.

It was raining and he had a basket full of groceries.

I felt this need to help him.

So I went over and asked if he wanted help putting his groceries in his car. He happily agreed.

I noticed he had a Korean War Veteran hat on so when he asked if I would take $5 for my help, I told him no, his service was thanks enough.

He was surprised. I told him to have a good day and took the electric chair back inside. (thehopeline.com)

Be sure to thank veterans for their service. They may have experienced terrible trauma on our behalf!

If not today, when?

First graders Vincent Butterfield and Zac Gossage were best friends.

They loved hanging out at school and being silly together. But then, tragedy struck.

After feeling tired and sick, Gossage was diagnosed with leukemia.

Even though the treatments exhausted him, Gossage continued going to school.

As a good friend, Butterfield decided to learn about cancer, and told Inside Edition, “It’s when your white blood cell and your red blood cell fight.”

He learned that the treatments were expensive and donated $200 to help Gossage’s family pay for his treatment.

Then Butterfield took his support a step further by shaving his head.

He explained that he did it to help Zac “feel like he’s not the only one without any hair.”

A reporter from Inside Edition asked the boys, “What is friendship?”

Butterfield responded, “A beautiful thing.” (thelist.com)

Kindness has no boundaries!

If not today, when?