Random acts of kindness are a way of life

An elderly woman on a fixed income went into the convenience store to pay for the gas she had put in her car, only to find that another customer had gone in, paid for her gas and then drove away.

A construction crew was hard at work making improvements to a public building and was surprised with a box of doughnuts from a grateful citizen.

During the heat of this summer's scorching temperatures, a local mail carrier was greeted with a cup of cold ice water from a thoughtful customer.

Volunteers organize blood drives and fund raisers, deliver Meals on Wheels, teach new skills to youth, or step in with a donation of cash for a charity in dire need.

Neighbors' walks are cleared of snow, kittens are saved from storm drains, blown tires are changed, and abused or neglected children are given a voice through an adult volunteer.

Adults are not the only ones who perform these generous acts of kindness. The Junior and Senior Legion baseball teams wore purple ribbons on their caps and handed out the ribbons to the crowd to show their support for the little sister of two of their teammates. The sister was battling a severe form of epilepsy and had to have surgery in Denver. The same group also made wristbands to honor a student from another town who had suffered a brain injury in a car accident.

This generosity was shown by individuals right here in Southwest Nebraska, and will be highlighted as part of the Random Acts of Kindness celebration hosted by the McCook Community Foundation Fund at the Keystone Business Center at 5:30 p.m. Friday night. As part of the presentation, one qualified charity will receive a $250 grant from MCFF in honor of one of the Random Acts of Kindness that was nominated during their August campaign.

The McCook Community Foundation Fund is no stranger to random acts of kindness. The fund was established in 2000 as a means for donors to invest in the community.

MCFF has been the recipient of generous donations from Legacy Founders like Lemoine and Geri Anderson, Nelda Haag, Don and Alice Harpst, The Jewell family, Marty Russell, and Kathryn Wall. Hundreds of donors have added to their contributions with donations large and small. Last year, MCFF received a $50,000 anonymous donation shortly before their first Random Acts of Kindness Celebration. All of the contributions have allowed MCFF to do some amazing things for the community.

MCFF is directed by a fund advisory committee made up of local volunteers who make grants to qualified charitable organizations and individuals according to the donors' intent. Through the years, scholarships have been awarded, parks have been built, programs have been funded, and citizens have been helped as a result of generous grants from MCFF.

As part of the celebration Friday afternoon, grant recipients for 2012 will be announced. Awards have grown from approximately $2,000 annually in the first years of organization, to approximately $30,000 going to 21 local community organizations in 2012.

The next time you witness or receive some random act of kindness from a friend or neighbor, consider paying it forward by making a small contribution to the McCook Community Foundation Fund. Your gift will have a positive impact on others for many generations to come.