One of our favorite subjects to blog about at ONCEkids are people who inspire us. And thanks to the internet, finding and sharing inspirational stories has become easier than ever. I often hear people complain that because of the ability to share news around the world with the click of a button, it makes the negativity and tragedy that goes on shoved in our faces all the time, thus bringing us down. While this may be true to some extent, we have been working to change this idea by helping to share positive stories and instead of focusing on the evil in the world, to focus on all the love and kindness. Cause if there is one thing that you can’t argue it is that “sharing” on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and various blogs has shown us that there are so many real life heroes in every corner of the world who, without the Internet, may have gone unnoticed.
Take Kenny Thompson for example. This man has been dubbed the “lunch angel” after paying off the overdue lunch accounts of 60 kids at Houston’s Valley Oaks Elementary School. The longtime tutor and mentor was uneasy and upset after learning that many of the children who go to the school are on a reduced lunch meal plan and even then cannot afford the daily meals. Many of them will even skip the lunch line out of shame and embarrassment. It was after hearing this that he took it upon himself to go down to the school and spend $465 dollars to make sure that all the children were getting properly fed each day. He did this in the hope that it would ensure the children had the nutrition and security they needed to make each day at school a happy one.
He comments on his actions saying, “These are elementary school kids. They don’t need to be worrying about finances. They need to be worried about what grade they got in spelling. When I left the building knowing that they were getting fed, they didn’t have that stress- the best money I ever spent.”
Mr. Thompson’s concern and generosity is admirable, and thanks to social media his touching story has already inspired thousands of readers.
For other inspirational stories of real-life heroes, but sure to check out our blog page!
