Good Words, Good Deeds, Good News

by Meemaw

Welcome to our second bunch of good news!

Neighbors Helping Neighbor

Lane Unhjem was harvesting his wheat near Crosby, North Dakota in September when his combine caught fire. In the midst of the operations to put the fire out, the stress apparently caused him to suffer a heart attack. He realized something was wrong and had someone drive him to the hospital, where they flew him to Minot, SD for more extensive care.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to complete his harvest, several neighbors started calling friends in the community. People started coming from all over the area, and between 40 and 50 neighbors with "11 combines, six grain carts, and 15 semis (came) to help get his durum wheat and canola in the bin". They finished his 1,000 acres in seven hours.

A local resident posted the above photo on his Facebook page and said, "What a great sense of pride we can all have knowing that when we face something like this, we're not alone. Kudos to all those that helped today."

Mr. Unhjem was in stable condition, and will continue his recovery knowing that his crops are safely harvested.

70 Year-old Veteran Saves Couple From Fire

"Seventy-year-old Air Force veteran and cancer patient Marshall Helm was walking to the bus stop with his granddaughter one morning when the bus driver got his attention." He said there was a house on fire down the street. Mr. Helm hurried to the house and yelled to get the residents' attention, and got two people out of the house, saving their lives. The couple called him a hero, and he said he hadn't thought about the danger, but would do it again.

Volunteers Build Home for Vietnam Veteran

Vietnam Veteran John Holaday had been living in his home without power, running water or sewage services for more than a year. He had saved up money for the repairs, and had hired a contractor to do the work. Unfortunately, the contractor scammed him. The Delaware County, IN Veterans Affairs Office found out about it and started a GoFundMe page. With the money from that page, local business help and several volunteers, they are rebuilding his house for him.

Family Raises Money to Buy Car

Jericha Palmer's car had broken down and she was walking to work, or taking an Uber. Her neighbor decided that he had to do something to help her.

"We made a post for a GoFundMe and said we'd match up to $500," said neighbor Dax Perrier. They made enough to furnish Ms. Palmer with a 2007 Honda Odyssey, and then gave her $1,025 cash to help with the tags and insurance. Palmer broke down in tears of joy when the family surprised her with the vehicle.

Veteran Receives Car

She has served in Afghanistan, serving as a combat medic treating burn victims, and Pakistan, where she was the first Medical Noncommissioned Officer in Charge of providing aid to the country after it suffered from a devastating earthquake that killed more than 80,000 people. Guzman has had post-traumatic stress as a result ever since.

Teen Buys Groceries For Elderly Man

Eighteen-year-old Teo Jordan had only been working as a bagger at the Kroger grocery store in Covington, KY for a few weeks, but when he heard the cashier tell an elderly man he didn't have enough money to buy his groceries, Teo had to help out.

"The cashier told him to put some back so I just thought in my head I would just give him this $35 so he could have all the food that he wants," he told the news outlet. In his senior year of high school, Teo has been helping his family with finances and trying to save for a car. His mother is very proud of him as well.

He didn't want a lot of attention, but had a message for everyone. "Just do something helpful for people. Let them know that God's there for them and make sure they have a good day," he said, adding, "Just treat people how you want to be treated, you know? Always help out if somebody needs it."

Disabled Rescue Dog Gets A Wheelchair

A German Shepherd got a wheelchair recently to help him deal with his disabled back legs. Samantha Sokolis' dog received a wheelchair to help him walk, built by Sokolis and Tom Boser, a student at Manatee Technical College in Florida.

Boser built this one for under $50, while the commercially built ones are $450. He hopes to build more for dogs in shelters, and Sokolis hopes the project can be turned into a non-profit.

More good news later! Happy Holidays!