C.A.R.E Stories
“While standing in the line at check-out counter at Trader Joes, I heard the woman in front of me criticize the cashier in a very disrespectful way. The cashier remained patient and gracious despite the poor attitude of the customer. I decided that this cashier deserved a C.A.R.E. Pass for being kind even when he wasn't being treated kindly.”
“A woman reaches the front of the line at a local donut shop only to find that she doesn’t have enough money to pay for her purchase. Instead of responding with a heavy sigh or a look of scorn, the customer behind her pays the balance for her. This sparks a wave of generosity in which each customer pays for the next one, echoing the premise of the 2000 movie, “Pay It Forward” in which one good act begets another.”
“A woman told of a hectic day at her doctor's office when she heard the staff mention they were running right through lunch. She was happily surprised to see a patient who was finished with her appointment leave with her daughter then return with lunch for the doctor and staff from the neighboring deli. What a thoughtful action, that also provided her daughter with a beautiful lesson in kindness.”
“A family on vacation received a call from their neighbors informing them that their garage door had been left open. The neighbors had checked for any sign of entry and then closed the garage door. A small gesture of concern and thoughtfulness.”
“A one-time client of the Center for HOPE was driving past the offices on a busy morning. Seeing all the cars in the parking lot she remembered the days when she, at a time of loss in her own life, owned one of those cars that was parked in our lot. She stopped in at Trader Joes, bought a lovely bouquet of flowers and delivered them to us, plus a personally made beautiful card. She was both saying “Thank You” for past help and was also bringing some cheer to those whose current suffering had brought them to the Center for HOPE. What a truly CARING thing to do!! We are still feeling the warm glow from her kindness!”
--Submitted by Deirdre Lewin, Executive Director, Center for Hope
"I was lost in Darien High School, looking for a special event, when a very helpful and thoughtful student not only told me which way to go through the maze of hallways, but took me to find the small cafeteria. THANKS!!!"
I was at a meeting early Thursday morning at the Senior Center. When we had finished, we went to the dining room for a cup of coffee. There were a few seniors there, even at the early hour. Executive Director Nancy Zengo looked at the table and said, "the cookie lady has been here! A container of cookies was passed around and I inquired about the cookie lady. Nancy told me that a wonderful young mother brings cookies, usually associated with a holiday (here, Valentine's Day) and decorated accordingly. Nancy said that often the mother and her young children stay for a visit with the seniors. I asked for the "cookie lady's name" so I could write her a note and send the C.A.R.E. pass to her. I have done that. I think Lynne definitely deserves recognition for her quiet commitment of thought and time to a group in town that really needs some attention.
- Submitted by Amy Squires, Commission on Aging
"This weekend was awesome for the youth group. We received a donation from a boy at KLHT who had a bar mitzvah and donated two car-loads of food - almost 300 pounds! They helped unpack everything and it was great!! Also, two girls from the youth group collected about 12 crates of food at Palmers this weekend, as well."
- Submitted by Person-to-Person on February 2, 2009. Their Youth Group has been conducting regular food drives since September as part of the CARE Darien campaign.
“When I left the CARE luncheon on January 30, I proceeded on Hollow Tree Ridge Road toward I 95. I soon came upon a mail truck with a female driver….the truck was solidly stuck in the snow. Here was the test – would I put what I heard into action? I watched the three cars in front of me drive on by without helping and decided I would stop to see if I could help. I knew I was unlikely to be of much assistance - I was dressed in a skirt and high boots, not very appropriate for pushing a truck out of the snow - but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try pushing her truck out and I thought perhaps if I stopped, others would too. As I guessed, my efforts were useless – the truck didn’t move a bit. But three separate cars that were driving by saw me and they did decide to stop and help. I directed traffic while the three men pushed the truck out of the snow bank in a matter of seconds. As we all turned to walk back to our cars, one gentleman turned and said “thank you for reminding me to be conscientious. It felt good to help.” The simple act of helping this woman made us all feel wonderful. We had grins from ear to ear and felt a great sense of connection in our efforts to help someone in our community. The surge of positive energy was more than worth the cost of wet feet and the time it took to stop and help.”
- Sumbitted by a C.A.R.E. Darien luncheon attendee
“Today I was honored to give out three CARE passes to deserving young volunteers in our community. These three kids volunteer their time on Friday afternoons at Person-to-Person as members of the Kid to Kid Program. They have been consistent in attendance and hard work and exhibited great attitudes while helping others. Their names are Jake, Ryan, and Daniela. Each child will keep their eyes open for a worthy recipient to give the pass to in the coming week and report back on who they passed it on to. Thank you Jake, Ryan and Daniela for your hard work and your commitment. Your effort makes a difference in our community, keep up the good work!”
-Submitted by Holly Kelly, Person-to-Person