Channel Kindness
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Many of his customers, who are fans of his dedication, become repeat supporters, asking him to frequent their workplaces by requesting deliveries. Matthew has a reputation for never forgetting a name and making sure to greet everyone with a hello and later a good-bye. This kind of individual customer service may be one reason he’s drawn so much of the public—who usually avoid leaving their offices to face the outrageous temperatures—to go outside and visit CART.
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I echo the message in Jessica’s story about the importance of giving back to your community, and our whole team at Born This Way Foundation is grateful for individuals like Matthew who are caring for others in times of need. If you’re experiencing homelessness or want to learn how you can combat this crisis, please visit the National Alliance to End Homelessness or the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Regular patron Marc praises Matthew, saying, “The service is excellent! Matt is scrupulously honest, endlessly helpful, and very creative about improvising on the fly.”
When Matthew rolls up to interact with citizens who are experiencing homelessness, his hope is that they can see him as a source of aid. Never in a hurry, he’ll talk with them at length, getting a sense of their lives and challenges and how he can continue to help.
One of Matthew’s beneficiaries, Tony S., was able to thank him personally during a water and food drop-off. His message was simple: “Thank you for what you’re doing. We really need this help. A lot of people just forget about us or don’t care.”
On the hottest days, Matthew drives along the roads and stops wherever he sees anyone who may need help, offering several bottles of ice-cold water. In more populated areas, such as public parks and bus stations, he parks the CART and walks around to deliver his goods to those who might be wary or who do not know he’s legitimately offering help.
He admits, “Sometimes those interactions can be hard emotionally or harsh to witness, but that is the reality of their situations. I try to be a bright spot in their day, even if it is brief.” As much as he encourages anyone he meets who is struggling, he acknowledges that the stories of those on the street or without basic resources have taught him about grit and resilience. Without a doubt, he says, “CART is a real learning experience daily, in every sense of the words.”
Plans for expanding his operations are in the works. You can always continue to spread the love, Matthew believes. To combat the effects that the excessive heat levels have on all residents of Phoenix, he hopes to have even more carts in the near future to serve more people and a larger area.
In the meantime, Matthew Tees has proven that being an entrepreneur and a philanthropist can go hand in hand, and that success is ultimately defined by the size of your heart, not by the size of your bank account.
10
BICYCLE JOURNEYS OF HOPE
HANNA ATKINSON
“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…” goes the old song from the opera Porgy and Bess (music by George Gershwin)—a standard from way, way back that’s been around from long before most of us (or our parents for that matter) were alive. Even so, the feeling those words conjure is something we all recognize: the promise of summer, sun-filled days of freedom, and adventure that allows us to regroup, relax, and recharge.
For those of us who are students, summer might mean outdoor fun or traveling with friends, a family vacation, or maybe some form of internship, a full-fledged job, a research project, or an opportunity to volunteer for a great cause. The latter—with a focus on raising money and disability awareness—is an option for fraternity members of all chapters of Pi Kappa Phi. Along with life-changing experiences that take place while riding the route—aptly named the Journey of Hope—they’re also able to enjoy the very best moments that summer has to offer.
Service, of course, is huge for most fraternities, and Pi Kappa Phi is no exception; in fact, it’s the only national fraternity to run their own nonprofit. Launched in 1976 as a project to mobilize Pi Kappa Phi undergrads, The Ability Experience started out as a one-time opportunity to help with the construction of a therapeutic play unit for children with severe disabilities. From those modest beginnings, the nonprofit has since evolved into a model program with a powerful, ambitious vision to change public perception of people with disabilities. As the organizers point out,
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“Disability doesn’t mean inability. People with disabilities often have to do things a little differently.”
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However (unless you know someone personally or have someone in your family with a disability), you may not find it so easy to have empathy for that person’s situation, feelings, hopes, and fears. The Ability Experience made it a priority to create real change by providing various ways for volunteers and others to gain firsthand experience of the challenges faced by people with disabilities. In the process of doing so, it has also proven to be one of the most dramatic philanthropic successes among Greek organizations in the United States—raising more than $15 million for individuals with disabilities and the organizations that serve them!
Progress was slow in the ’70s and early ’80s. Then, in 1987, Pi Kappa Phi alumnus Bruce Rogers had a brainstorm about what he could do to gain more public awareness for The Ability Experience. He had been asking himself how he could do something small to make a meaningful difference—not only in how society views people with disabilities but also how they perceive fraternities.
If he could do something to make a little splash, he decided, that would give him a public platform to galvanize attention. So Bruce’s big idea was to set off on a solo bike ride across America and use his stops to stir up conversations in communities that reflected the nonprofit’s goal to “promote empathy over sympathy and work to open spaces, increase access, and promote inclusivity.” He thought he could challenge the labels, language, and perceptions that are unfairly imposed on people with disabilities, as well as on fraternity members. Besides, alone out on the open road on his bicycle, facing the elements, viewing the beauty of unexplored places—he knew he would have a memorable summer adventure.
The very next year, Pi Kappa Phi formed a team of twenty to ride across the country. Even before the Internet and its ability to send thoughts around the world at the speed of light, word spread rapidly, as acts of kindness somehow found a way of catching on. The buzz began.
Now, just over thirty years after that initial ride, the Journey of Hope cross-country bicycle ride is made up of three teams, with about ninety cyclists in total. Each rider raises money for their trip as well as money for donations to organizations supporting people with disabilities. They start on the West Coast, in three locations—San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle—and all end up in Washington, D.C., for a spectacular inclusive celebration.
Teams stop for planned “friendship visits” with invited members of the public and the disabled community. From bowling and pool parties to old-fashioned barbecues, the summer fun of the festivities give all a chance to relax, regroup, and recharge. Each incredible stop—numbering over 120 every summer!—has indeed shifted public perceptions of the extraordinary abilities of people with disabilities and of the genuine kindness of fraternity members.
I decided to check out the stop in Denver—named Pedal for Pennies—and when asked to sum up the experience, his first remarks were, “Let me tell you, we had a blast!” The event started out with a bike ride in Denver’s City Park neighborhood, which paired each of the area’s Special Olympics athletes with one of the cross-country riders. After that, there was a barbecue feast, compelling speakers and, finally, a dance.
I was surprised by just how inclusive the atmosphere was, commenting, “You can be yourself and don’t need to impress anybody. Local participants share their joy and positive nature and make everyone feel welcome. Both the riders and the Special Olympic athletes leave feeling encouraged. Both value the human connection that was established.”
Pi Kappa Phi riders added to those observations, describ
ing how the ride left a mark on them:
“It’s just an immense opportunity for personal growth that shows how each of us can impact each other’s lives.” — Jim from Virginia Tech
“My favorite moment was seeing a father cry when his son joined in a limbo dance. This father had never seen his shy son get involved in a group like this.” — Brandon from California State University, Long Beach
“My reason for going was to spend time with people with different abilities. ‘Smiles before miles’ is the motto, a reminder that, even more important than the biking, are the connections made at the visits.” — Jason from Virginia Tech
“Unique and heartwarming, going on the ride has brought my family closer through fundraising together.” — Jack from the University of Colorado Boulder
“It’s amazing to see the difference one person can make.” — Jared from Virginia Tech
This journey was undoubtedly life-changing for Bruce Rogers—in more ways than one. As it turns out, it was through the annual ride—through performing an act of kindness—that he met his wife. Five years after his brainstorm, they got married, in 1993. Their three children have also grown up spending every summer involved with the Journey of Hope.
“All of us are better people because of it,” Bruce believes.
Some riders take the bike trek only once; many more become lifelong supporters of the nonprofit or other causes that champion kindness. Bruce Rogers has never really left. He still rides for five to seven days with the teams every summer. After staying on The Ability Experience’s board of directors for nine years, he now serves on the safety committee for the Journey of Hope, and his firm, Mountaingate Capital, sponsors the ride and the Denver friendship visit.
Summers, when the livin’ is hopefully easier for more of us than not, are a good time to consider being part of something that has a mission not unlike that of The Ability Experience—to celebrate kindness and “create a community, one relationship at a time, where the abilities of all people are recognized and valued.”
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Thank you for the reminder that disability doesn’t mean inability, Hanna. Your beautiful story serves as a reminder that volunteering your time and talents is one of the many ways you can channel kindness in your community. To become involved in The Ability Experience, and for ways to volunteer in your community, visit our friends at The Ability Experience.
11
KINDNESS AT THE CAT HOUSE
CRYSTAL CHAN
When Lynea Lattanzio first started rescuing cats in central California, she had no plans to become a superhero, let alone the founder of a unique nonprofit organization. But after a couple eye-opening experiences sent her life in an unintended direction, that’s pretty much what happened.
When Lynea realized that Fresno County didn’t have enough resources to save the many stray cats that were left to fend for themselves, she began to rescue them, and she took care of them in her own home. Just one at first, then another, and then a few more, until she realized there wasn’t enough space for her to live alongside the many cats she had rescued. Though she had planned to live a quieter life away from the big city, where she could spend her free time traveling wherever and whenever she wanted, her feline roommates eventually forced her to give up the freedom to come and go as she pleased.
Despite the sacrifices, Lynea never regretted being a mother of adopted cats. The only problem was that there were so many more crying—yes, meowing—for help. That’s when she had to tap her own superpowers of imagination, compassion, and kindness. Other skills were important, too. If she had been a veterinarian, her job would have been to treat and save as many animals as possible. If she had been an animal caretaker, her job would have been to feed, groom, bathe, exercise, and care for animals. Once Lynea conceived The Cat House on the Kings—the twelve-acre cat sanctuary and adoption center in Parlier, California, that she founded in the early 1990s—her job had to become a combination of the two.
The sanctuary provides a safe, cage-free, indoor/outdoor residence for abandoned cats and kittens and helps place these rescued animals into loving, permanent homes. The nonprofit also aims to prevent pet overpopulation through a spay and neuter program. In an effort to assist the actual veterinarians the organization employs, Lynea went back to school to train as a veterinary surgical technician.
“I just felt that this was my mission,” Lynea acknowledges. “When I started, I didn’t realize that it was going to take over all aspects of my life, but I have no regrets.”
All the volunteers and workers at The Cat House firmly believe in the mission of the nonprofit. Every employee at The Cat House shares a love of caring for animals, and they are all in the habit of picking up animals found on the side of the road or in alleys and bringing them to the center. Lynea proudly states, “It’s like the whole atmosphere of this facility is to take good care of as many animals as we can.”
There was one dramatic rescue, for instance, when Armando, the maintenance worker, found an injured cat next to a cemetery on the side of road, with practically only skin and bones left. When Armando found the cat, it was “almost eaten completely by maggots,” Lynea recalled.
Saving the cat’s life was touch and go, but eventually they succeeded. Everyone working at the center played a role. In honor of the maintenance worker and his act of kindness, it was decided to name the miracle cat “Mando.” The road ahead was still challenging. Many months passed before Mando recovered from his injuries, and when he did, Lynea and volunteers at The Cat House were worried he wouldn’t find a forever home of his own.
“He was actually kind of wild, so we didn’t think he would ever get adopted, but the more love we showed him, the more affectionate he became, and he actually got to the point that he was doing fantastic,” Lynea shared. “Now, Mando’s the biggest, fattest, most beautiful cat, and he’s got a home in Marin.”
For Lynea and the rest of The Cat House, helping care for a cat and then watching it fully recover and find a great home is one of the most gratifying experiences. Lynea observed,
“When you do something like that—you take an animal that has nothing left and they fight so hard and you help them—and then they find such a beautiful life, it’s very rewarding.
Lynea would love to expand the sanctuary and continue building facilities with special treatment options for animals that are in need for different reasons, whether behavioral or medical—like timid cats, or white cats, who tend to develop skin cancer. This would give them the ability to learn about a variety of issues. Ultimately, Lynea wants to continue improving the lives of as many animals as possible.
An unusual aspect of The Cat House is that its rescued cats are extremely dog-friendly, mainly because the facility also has a number of rescued dogs that live and play with the cats. This may explain why those familiar with The Cat House have nicknamed the place “Cat Heaven” and “Dog Disneyland.”
At Cat Heaven and Dog Disneyland, volunteers like Terry Noell become the cornerstone of the nonprofit. Terry has been helping out at The Cat House for about fifteen years. He transports adoptees to their new homes, neuters and spays cats, and—as a renaissance man—even deejays at the annual open-house parties that occur twice a year.
Terry began volunteering at The Cat House after his wife, Tammy, asked him for help transporting kittens to their new foster homes. Terry and Tammy then went above and beyond this task by building a special cat room in their house to care for adopted kittens. One of the most moving moments Terry recalls spending at The Cat House was when he buried a cat he rescued, who had died after a fierce battle with feline leukemia.
CRYSTAL CHAN
Terry was so emotionally impacted by the burial, Terry said, that from then on, the memory would let him feel he would “always have a piece of The Cat House with me.” The genuine caring and compassion witnessed daily has given him insights into the true meaning of kindness. To Terry, “kindness is when everyone shows a kind hand and they do everything
they can to save every life that passes through the gates.” And that applies to every creature at The Cat House, “regardless of what happens or the conditions or events that led to their arrival.”
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Lynea echoes Terry’s views. To her, “kindness is to feel for the animal, and to understand the pain, fear, and loneliness that the animal is feeling while it’s injured.”
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Everyone at The Cat House may have a different definition of kindness, but having compassion and giving selflessly is definitely at the heart of the nonprofit’s mission. Lynea didn’t go looking for an opportunity to be kind, yet somehow the opportunity found her.
Everyone knows how I feel about animals, so I too believe that being kind means being kind to all creatures. All any animal wants is to be loved, so thank you, Crystal, for reminding us to be kind to our furry friends. To support Lynea and her mission to rescue animals in the central California area, check out The Cat House on the Kings, and to learn how you can volunteer with a shelter or adopt a rescue animal near you, visit The Humane Society or Best Friends Animal Society.
12
The CHOOSE LOVE MOVEMENT
SCARLETT LEWIS
Sometimes things happen in life that we have no control over. This can make us feel powerless. And it’s true, things happen that are totally out of our control. But we can take our personal power back when we choose how we respond in any given situation. We always have the choice to thoughtfully respond with love.