Story Submitted by Leigh M. Clark

In the Fall of 2008, Leigh Clark lost her high profile job as a Director of Marketing for a New York-based Software Company. Suddenly she found herself with a lot of time to self reflect and a deep realization that she was lacking purpose outside her profession. In the years that followed she would return to work, but she now was acutely aware that she needed to find something that gave her fulfillment aside from her job alone.

One Holiday Season, in 2012, everything would change for her. She was overweight and underwhelmed and decided to embark on a personal mission of finding balance for her mind, body, and soul. She challenged herself to doing Yoga, Juicing and one act of kindness each day from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Her life was transformed and her purpose was discovered.

The euphoria she discovered from carrying out Random Acts of Kindness sparked an idea. She decided she would work to form a nonprofit to impact people across the country, and later across the world, through these kind acts. With very little funding, Clark began to sell artwork she had painted through local farmers markets, and social media. With every piece she sold, she would use the profits to fund a variety of good deeds for strangers.

Her acts of kindness ranged from paying off layaways at the holidays for strangers to gathering school supplies for foster children in need. She appointed fellow Kindness Ambassadors to help carry out programs across the country as well. Through that program, her organization would give out crucial supplies to those facing homelessness, help women and children who were victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, and even paint and donate murals to fellow nonprofits.

In the years that followed, her work would be featured on The Today Show and The Rachael Ray Show. Additionally, she formed an online community on Facebook called The Kindness Community which now has over 15,000 members worldwide. Additionally, the organization has recently launched The Kindness Mall which is a place to shop online where a portion of all proceeds go toward Random Acts of Kindness.
Leigh Clark has reminded all of us, that you can start a fire with a spark, and she is using her spark to illuminate the world with kindness. Check out www.kindleigh.org for more info or join the cause on social media.

She is currently doing a Spread Kindness mask fundraiser for charity at kindleigh.org/mask.

Story Submitted by Deb Kelley

In November 2013, after an inspiring magazine interview of the founder of Redefining Refuge, a woman creating Redefining Refuge, a home for rescued, trafficked women and children, I decided that I had to help her. Being involved in theatre, I chose to do a spoken word showcase called Life Amplified to help her fundraise…. two short months later. Understand, I had absolutely no experience, no money, no business plan, no performers, and only determination and the venue willing to donate the space. Lots of people were skeptical and gave excuses for why I should not do this.

But I was stubborn, raised to pay it forward, and that’s why I did it anyway.

I created a website, posted on social media, and waited for poets to volunteer.

And waited.

By the end of December, I was almost ready to give up, and then a miracle happened. Singers, dancers, poets, and even a mind-reader reached out. I had my lineup mere days before opening.

At the end of the one-time performance fundraiser, someone in the audience stood up and asked a simple question, “when’s the next one?”

Six years and fourteen showcases later, Life Amplified was recognized on Bay News 9’s Everyday Hero, Fox TV’s Hometown Hero, and nominated for activism in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay multiple times. Life Amplified has highlighted organization platforms ranging from PTSD, military sexual trauma, bully prevention, sexual violence prevention, and veterans’ assistance. We’ve fundraised for a child-founded childhood cancer organization, an inclusive landmark coffee shop, and an animal clinic that lost its home to arson. In 2019, Mayor Castor opened our showcase for the LGBTQ+ charity, Project No Labels. In 2020, we took to Zoom to entertain during the pandemic.

Life Amplified is synonymous with showing kindness to help small, grassroots charities showcase their mission and fundraise with volunteer performers of all ages and talents from the Tampa Bay community. What was supposed to be a single show in January 2013 has birthed the phrase, “in the time it takes to make an excuse, you could be starting a movement.”

Learn more at www.lifeamplifiedshowcase.com.

Story Submitted by Judy G

My Mom will be 91 next month. My Dad died 4 years ago. They were married for over 60 years. My Mom lives independently in the house where I grew up. She is 5’2” with snow white hair and fierce green eyes. She cleans her house every day. Still shampoos the carpet, scrubs down the shower and pulls weeds in the yard. She is a powerhouse.

But sometimes, not very often, she gets tired and goes out of rhythm. And if her trash cans are not out by the street by 7 a.m. on trash day, her neighbor of 60 years, comes over, rings the bell and calls out to her to make sure she is OK. This sweet lady is also in her 90’s. She also notices if Mom does not bring in the trash can and checks in on her again. She and Mom are both widows and look after each other.

Her neighbors to the east of her are newer neighbors, maybe only 10 years there. They are in their 50’s and they love Mom. The husband visits Mom at least 3 to 4 times a week to see how she is doing. Sometimes I think he just needs someone to talk to and Mom is a very good listener. One time he saw her in the yard with her chain saw trying to cut up a limb that had fallen from her big, old oak tree in the back. He came running over, with much concern about her well being and ability to operate a chain saw at 90! He helped her cut it up and cleaned up the pieces.

I tell you this story to let you know about the kindness of her neighbors. I rest easy every day knowing that she has kind, caring neighbors who watch over her.

Story Submitted by Jackie Walker

A few months ago my neighbor texted me that he saw a flower delivery at my front door. It was at the beginning of being sequestered so I carefully opened the door and there was a beautiful vase of flowers. He called later and I realized he was now my amazing florist. When the flowers had wilted I cleaned the glass container and told him that I had placed it by the door. The next day another bouquet rested just on my front doormat along with some home baked cake. Since then my wonderful neighbor Mike has brightened this sequestered life with surprise front door magic! Kindness means so much in these times especially since I am having surgery in the next weeks. When I am up and around I will pass along kindness gestures too.

Story Submitted by Suzanne S. Austin-Hill

Call: Acts of Kindness

During the pandemic, my husband and I (both aged and compromised) have been the recipients of a variety of planned and random acts of kindness from friends, neighbors, and family (near and far). One of which I shared in the May 2020 edition of Positively Powerstories. However, what has been missing from our “new normal” are the opportunities to safely donate food items, clothing, and especially schools supplies to local social service agencies (now closed due to COVID-19) as we’ve done faithfully over the last decade. All of this changed today!

Several weeks ago, the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO; https://echofl.org), with locations in Brandon and Riverview, announced its annual Back to School Outreach. Their clarion call included lists highlighting the specific food items and school supplies needed. In anticipation of serving the surrounding communities and in light COVID-19, ECHO closed its facilities for a week-long deep cleaning. They re-opened today, July 27, 2020.

Masked and standing on a social distancing marker painted on the sidewalk, we were blessed to be among the first at the Riverview location to donate many of the items they needed along with a bag full of clothing. Although the conditions of our act of kindness are different in every way imaginable, the absolute joy found in helping those in need is still a thriving and necessary part of our pre-pandemic selves.
© July 2020 Suzanne S. Austin-Hill

Story Submitted by Richdean Hills-Ackbar

When you asked for kindness stories, my nonprofit, Caregivers Helping Hand does a community baby shower for moms-to-be who are on public assistance in Hillsborough County. It’s been 11 years now since our first one. I started the Community Baby Shower to honor the people that blessed me with two baby showers when I was a single mother in need. I decided to pay it forward by founding this special event, showing the same kindness to them that I, myself, received. Caregivers Helping Hand provides free services to low income children and teens, women, and seniors, and once a year, this very special event pampers our moms-to-be. But this year, on October 10th, our spoiling of 200 moms-to-be with baskets of goodies is going to be a little different. We’ll be following pandemic safety measures and having a drive-through Community Baby Shower because we feel it’s safer for expectant moms and our volunteers. HUMANA is donating 250 mask for volunteers and our moms-to-be. We have gloves, mask, soap and water to protect ourselves and others. Soon-to-be moms can register to take part at momstobe2020.eventbrite.com.

If anyone is interested in showing kindness to these moms-to-be, we always accepts gently used and new items for newborn babies, and boys and girls. Items needed include newborn diapers, baby bags, pacifiers, socks, blankets, hats, t-shirts, headbands, rattles, bottles, teething toys, strollers, mobiles, baby wipes, lotion, shampoo, powder, crib sheets, baby swings, baby monitors, and bottle warmers.

Story Submitted by Kamila Khasanova

It is not often that a single phone call results in a job offer the day before graduation. Yet, that is exactly how Kamila Khasanova MBA ’20 landed her position as an account executive at Playbook Public Relations. And it is all thanks to her mentor, Cindy Kane ’76.

Kane is a longtime USF Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) organization member who recently made a generous gift to both WLP and USF Athletics. Cindy and Kamila began their mentor-mentee relationship through WLP in November 2019. Every month they meet to discuss topics such as career paths, personal growth, and employment. Just before graduation, Cindy recommended Kamila to call Playbook Public Relations’ founder and USF donor, Sally Dee MBA ’11.

“Everybody would think that getting a job was an act of kindness that Cindy did for me by putting me in contact with Sally, however, Cindy showed her sincere interest and engagement in my professional and personal life from the first day we met. I have had multiple mentors prior to Cindy but I could not truly understand the meaning of mentorship before I started working with Cindy. She is a born leader who gives her heart in everything she does,” said Kamila. “The biggest act of kindness that I received from Cindy was dedicating her time to have deep and valuable conversations with me that helped me to secure a job I have today”.

Thank you,
Kamila

Story Submitted by Brooke Elkins

My name is Brooke Elkins. I’m a former educator of Hillsborough County schools in Florida. Even though I have left the classroom I still feel very connected to education and teachers. I have many friends who are educators and I have listened to their concerns as they are heading into the 2020 school year, in the middle of a pandemic. I can’t imagine starting the school year under these stressful conditions and in my book they are heroes for doing so. I started thinking to myself where could I be of help? What could I do to make a difference for them?

And so then I remembered a post on my neighborhood Facebook page, back in May, where our community members adopted High School seniors and showered them with small little items just to show them that someone cared and I thought to myself, why couldn’t we do this for teachers? So I created a page called Adopt a Hillsborough Teacher. This is a page on Facebook where you can see teachers across the county linking their classroom wish list items primarily through Amazon and a community member can adopt a teacher and take an item or two off of her list. If you know a teacher, you know how much teachers actually pour into their classrooms every single year. Money that comes from their own pockets… All the little items that make their classroom go from “standard, to ,special and all the items the kids need to succeed. What makes this year’s teacher supply list different is now they are having to rethink how all of their classroom supplies will need to be used in order to cut down on possible contamination. And many teachers are finding themselves having to purchase items like headsets, for example, so each child has their own personal set to use at the computer, touchless soap dispensers, and containers where each child can store there own individual work, amongst many other things. On top of that is the concern for disinfectant items that are already hard to come by due to the shortage in our local stores. The district has provided but many teachers have concern there may not be enough to last the year.

To date we have over 5,000 members in less than 4 days of the page being created. But we are hoping as this gains community attention, more people will join the page to support the teachers that are already on there and who are joining daily. It doesn’t take much to make a teacher smile. If we are asking our teachers to return back to the classroom in the middle of a pandemic then the very least we can do for them is support them with something they need in order to better serve our students and to keep them safe. Please join our group by clicking here: Adopt a Hillsborough Teacher on Facebook.

Story by Cindy Kane and Kamila Khasanova

Mentoring – Women supporting our next generation. Supporting young women to grow and lead takes a team. A University of South Florida (USF) team.

It is not often that a single phone call results in a job offer the day before graduation. Yet, that is exactly how Kamila Khasanova USF MBA ’20 landed her position as an account executive at Playbook Public Relations. And it is all thanks to her mentor, Cindy Kane and a connection with Sally Dee, both USF Alumni.

Cindy and Kamila began their mentor-mentee relationship through the USF Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) in November 2019. Every month they meet to discuss topics such as career paths, personal growth, and employment. Just before graduation, Cindy recommended Kamila to call Playbook Public Relations’ founder, Sally Dee.

Kamila: “Everybody would think that getting a job was an act of kindness that Cindy did for me by putting me in contact with Sally, however, Cindy showed her sincere interest and engagement in my professional and personal life from the first day we met. I have had multiple mentors prior to Cindy but I could not truly understand the meaning of mentorship before I started working with Cindy. She is a born leader who gives her heart in everything she does,” said Kamila. “The biggest act of kindness that I received from Cindy was dedicating her time to have deep and valuable conversations with me that helped me to secure a career I have today”.

Cindy: “Thanks to WLP for connecting me and Kamila. The timing, our personalities and drive to work together was perfect. I reached out to Sally, to see if Kamila’s skills were a fit for her business. Sally and I both have a passion for USF and helping young women succeed. My hope is we stay connected for years to come and Kamila is able to mentor a young woman in the future. We are a team and will continue to help each other. I encourage everyone to step up and find an opportunity to connect with a young person to be a mentor.”