Finally, Wednesday has rolled around again and I can write something uplifting instead of the gloom and doom that has been my steady diet all week. So grab your coffee … sit back and put on a happy face for a few minutes …
Taking on a family …
Barry Farmer was taken from his parents and placed in foster care at an early age. Barry was one of the lucky ones, and his grandmother was allowed to be his foster parent under a Virginia program called ‘Kinship Care’. But even so, Barry grew up not knowing what it was to be cared for by his parents.
When he turned 21 years of age, Barry decided he wanted to do for someone else what his grandmother had done for him, and he became licensed as a foster parent. His first foster child was 8-year-old Jaxon, who was only supposed to stay with him until his parents were once again able to care for him. That didn’t happen, and eventually the foster care program placed Jaxon up for adoption. When he was to meet his potential adoptive parents, Jaxon asked for Barry Farmer to be his “forever father”.
In 2011, Barry adopted his first child, Jaxon …
And two years later, another lad came into the fold when Barry adopted 11-year-old Xavier. And then in 2016, Barry adopted another, 4-year-old Jeremiah. And you can tell just by looking at this family that there is a bond … that it is working for them …
“Fatherhood has been everything I imagine it to be because I’m the father I wish I had growing up. I’m involved, I’m there when my boys go to sleep and when they wake up. I’m their biggest cheerleader when helping them achieve their goals. I try not to miss a beat in their lives. I take the responsibility of being their father very seriously and never for granted. They are loving, strong-willed and, at times, extremely thoughtful. My sons have a lot of potential to make a positive impact on this world, I just hope they realize it and act on it.”
How many young men do you know who, starting at age 21, are willing to dedicate their lives to adopting children, becoming a single dad to three boys? I don’t know many.
Homes for Vets …
We’ve all heard the tragic stories of veterans … men and women who risked their lives to fight for this nation, for our lives, our freedom … who end up destitute, homeless, living on the streets. Well, in Kansas City, Missouri, the community decided to do something about it.
A group of veterans got together and formed the Veterans Community Project. They built 13 tiny homes, consisting of four family units and nine single units, all fully functional.
Not only that, but the group will be offering classes on how to manage finances, cook, stay healthy, and overcome substance abuse. They are also planning to build an additional 19 homes in the near future.
One of the residents of the new homes is Marvin Gregory, who had spent six years living on the streets …
“I just want to be in here and absorb it all. Doors are closed for you when you’re a little older and people don’t think you have the goods to work and make it happen. It’s rough. They have some places. But the shelters are pretty much full and it’s hard finding shelter in Kansas City.”
According to one of the group’s founders, Brandon Mixon …
“We’re pulling these guys out of the trenches in their battle and saving their lives because they would have done the exact same for us. They could have been that guy that saved my life in Afghanistan or pulled me to safety.”
Two thumbs up to these guys who are doing so much for their fellow vets!
Meet Michael Platt …
Michael is 13-years-old, lives in Maryland, and he is unique. You see, Michael owns and operates a bakery called … Michael’s Desserts! And that in itself makes him pretty unique, for how many kids that age do you know who are running their own business? But, that alone doesn’t qualify him for a slot in a good people post. What does qualify him, however, is that for every cupcake he sells, he donates one to the homeless. Now, that may not seem like much to you, but this kid is only 13, and already he is giving away 50% of his income … not net profit, but gross income … to feed the homeless. That’s more than a lot of adults I know give away in their lifetime!
From a young age, Michael loved cupcakes. He spent many afternoons at his computer watching YouTube bakers. At just 11 years old, he founded Michael’s Desserts which operates on a unique business model.
“I knew that I wanted to make a business, but I knew I didn’t just want to make money, I also wanted to help people at the same time. I always wanted to have a purpose for what I do. It’s all about helping people — not just having a purpose for yourself, but thinking about, ‘How does this touch other things?'”
This young man is going places! Remember that name, for I bet about 10 years from now, maybe sooner, you’re going to hear it again.
And that’s a wrap for this week, folks. Remember … if you can’t find a good person, then be one!
Chicago was one of the hardest hit, with temperatures dropping at one point to -38° (F). Chicago, like most major cities, has a significant homeless population, and while the Salvation Army went around the city taking as many of the homeless as possible to shelters, there was still a contingent of homeless people living in a tent city on the South Side, using propane tanks for heat. Until … one of the propane tanks exploded, the fire department was called, and all the propane tanks were confiscated by city officials, who called them a ‘Level 1 Hazmat risk’.
Enter Candice Payne, a Chicago realtor, who heard about the homeless people and decided to be a good Samaritan. She used her American Express card and without hesitation, paid for motel rooms for the 70 homeless people in that tent city for the rest of the week! This, my friends, is what I mean when I refer to ‘social conscience’. Helping people who you know can never repay you, other than with a word of thanks and a hug.
In Cleveland, Ohio, where the temperatures matched those of Chicago’s last week, resides another heroic young woman, Holly Jackson, whose motto is “Make the world a better place one person at a time.”
25 years ago, Holly was living in a Cleveland homeless shelter. Since then she’s graduated college and has recently taken up a cause close to her heart. She’s giving back. Holly puts things like coats, hats, and gloves on fences around Northeast Ohio. She’s hoping that others join her on the pay it forward crusade.
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