12 Minute Cab Ride
""Penn Station," I told the cab driver. The young, heavy-set man peered at me through his sunglasses and motioned me to get in. "I've got to get to JFK airport by 2:30PM. You think I'll be able to get there by train or should I cab it all the way?"" With that harmless question begins a most unusual 12-minute cab-ride and a conversation that demonstrates how every chance encounter in this world h... posted on Feb 24 2008, 5,494 reads

5 Million Purple Bracelets Later
The Rev. Will Bowen never intended to launch a worldwide movement. He simply made a suggestion to his parisioners one Sunday about how they could improve their lives with the help of a wrist band. Today he's sent out more than 5 million of them to 80 different countries. Bowen urged his congregation of 250 to shift their focus from lack to abundance by giving up complaining for 21 days. It's the l... posted on Feb 20 2008, 4,259 reads

For the Homeless From the Heart
For Toni Dukes, love isn't delivered with Hallmark cards or red roses. It's given in a Ziploc bag stuffed with a hat, gloves and a packet of Kleenex, and the words "From the Heart" written in black marker on the outside. The 39-year-old single mom works the swing shift as a 911 dispatcher. But Dukes hasn't been able to call it a day after her high-stress shifts. On her route to work she couldn't h... posted on Feb 16 2008, 3,431 reads

Walking the World with Love & No Money
Equipped with only a few T-shirts, a bandage and spare sandals, former dotcom businessman Mark Boyle is set to cross Europe and the Middle East. On his 9,000-mile trek to Gandhi's birthplace, he will have to pick his way through war-ravaged Afghanistan. Mr Boyle, 28, said: "I will be offering my skills to people. If I get food in return, it's a bonus." He says he is part of the freeconomy movement... posted on Feb 11 2008, 2,666 reads

Teen Survivor Pays-It-Forward
"How did this happen to me? Why did this happen to me? What will my future look like? Will I have a future? On May 4th, 2006, I was diagnosed with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of my left submandibular gland, or salivary gland cancer. My life was put on hold, and my priorities changed from worrying about my SATs to fighting cancer. Three risky surgeries left me with a six-inch scar tucked under my jaw ... posted on Feb 10 2008, 2,966 reads

An Unexpected Dinner Table Conversation
It's like an episode from the old TV show "The Millionaire," in which a man who never appeared onscreen — except for his hands — gave out shockingly large checks to people on the condition that the source of the money never be revealed. It was a script come to life for a couple named Alissa and Barry as they sat down at a cafe in Iowa last Thursday.... posted on Feb 09 2008, 4,073 reads

My Hour on the Streets of New York
"On Nov 11 of 2006, I made a deal with myself that I would give $1 to every homeless person who asked. Call it a moment of clarity or whatever, but I woke up from a rough night of partying and just felt like this model of taking wasn't working for me anymore." So begins this real-life story of one man's unique experiment in unconditional giving on the streets of NY.... posted on Feb 06 2008, 4,399 reads

The Good Waiter's Tip
A full scholarship to a private college for a waiter? Now that's a tip. Two years ago, Marvin Burchall was working the lunch shift at a luxury beachside hotel in his native Bermuda when he waited on an administrator from Endicott College, just north of Boston. To him, Lynn Bak was just another customer, another tourist visiting the island getaway. But Burchall's service was impeccable, and his att... posted on Feb 05 2008, 4,210 reads

J-Mac: A Shot of a Lifetime
Jason McElwain, an autistic high school basketball team member in Rochester, New York, served as the team manager and spirit coach for several years. On the final game of the season the coach let him put on a uniform with the rest of the team. What happened next you have to see to believe.... posted on Feb 04 2008, 5,353 reads

He's Got a Song -- and a Mission.
During the sound check before a Martin Luther King Day rally in Atlanta, the stage manager asked 8-year-old David Militello: "Just a few lines for us, okay?" David refused to say a word. He was scheduled to sing the national anthem, but wasn't in a very star-spangled mood -- which begs the question: How'd he even get this gig? "Oh, he can sing!" said Joyce Ketchie-Cann, the director of Harmony, on... posted on Feb 01 2008, 4,079 reads