Anonymous man covers cost of $500 worth of orders to 'pay it forward'
Chatham Daily News
By Ellwood Shreve
Monday, December 12, 2016
TILBURY - The generosity of an anonymous soldier brought some unexpected delight to several Tim Hortons customers when he paid for $500 worth of orders here early Saturday morning.
Lacey Jackson, a supervisor at the Third Street Tim Hortons in Chatham, Ont. is pictured with gift cards on Monday December 12, 2016. She was impressed to learn a soldier, who wished to remain anonymous, bought $500 worth of gift cards while at the Tilbury Tim Hortons early Saturday morning, December 10, 2016, and told staff to pay it forward by paying for customers orders until the gift cards were used up. (Ellwood Shreve/Chatham Daily News/Postmedia Network)
Chad Jones, manager of the Tilbury Tim Hortons, said his midnight staff told him a man, who they had not seen before, walked into the restaurant early Saturday morning and placed an order.
Before the man left, Jones was told by staff he bought five $100 Tim Hortons gift cards and simply said: “Pay-it-forward.”
He added staff just kept the gift cards at the cash register and ran them through as customers came up to the counter or through the drive-thru.
When asked if the soldier gave any explanation for this generosity, Jones said staff told him, “he just said he wanted to do something for his country.”
He added it is believed the soldier may have served in Afghanistan.
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Santa's soldier: Granger boy sending care packages to deployed military
WNDU News
By Maria Catanzarite
December 11, 2016
GRANGER
Ever since Tristan Badia was a little boy, he had a giving spirit. It started with feeding little sister Haylie.
"Always getting out, getting her bottles -- stuff like that, and it just kind of pushed on and on from there," said Jason, Tristan's father
Now, it's on to Operation Make Their Day, the second year the 12-year-old from Granger is making care packages for deployed service members. Last year, when NewsCenter 16 met Tristan, he sent 26 cardboard boxes of goodies overseas. In 2016, he and Haylie have compiled 30 packages -- and the mission isn't over.
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Looks like a reporter picked up the story from social media and it was not verified. WOW
Story of Santa Claus with dying child can't be verified
Since publication, the News Sentinel has done additional investigation in an attempt to independently verify Schmitt-Matzen’s account. This has proven unsuccessful.
'I cried all the way home': Santa Claus grants final wish to a dying child
WHAS 11 News
Sam Venable, (Knoxville, Tenn.) News Sentinel , KING
December 11, 2016
“I spent four years in the Army with the 75th Rangers, and I’ve seen my share of (stuff). But I ran by the nurses’ station bawling my head off. I know nurses and doctors see things like that every day, but I don’t know how they can take it.’”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Eric Schmitt-Matzen looks every bit like Santa Claus.
His 6-foot frame carries 310 pounds, leaving “just enough of a lap for the kids to sit on,” he says with a gentle Kringley chuckle right out of Central Casting.
No fake facial fuzz for this guy. Schmitt-Matzen’s snowy beard is the real thing, albeit regularly bleached to maintain its whiteness. His shag is so spectacular, in fact, it won first place in the “natural full beard, styled moustache” division of a 2016 national contest sponsored by the Just For Men hair products company.
He’s professionally trained. Custom-tailored in red. Was born on Dec. 6 (that’s Saint Nicholas Day — are you surprised?) Works approximately 80 gigs annually. Wife Sharon plays an authentic Mrs. Claus. His cellphone, with a Jingle Bells ringtone, continually counts down the days until Christmas. Even his civilian attire always includes Santa suspenders.
The whole shtick is designed to spread joy and have fun.
Which it does – except for the role he played several weeks ago at a local hospital.
“I cried all the way home,” Schmitt-Matzen told me. “I was crying so hard, I had a tough time seeing good enough to drive.
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Formerly Homeless Veteran Hits Streets to Help Others Get Back on Their Feet
The Chronicle
By Aaron Kunkler
December 9, 2016
Just like the folks he now serves, Lamont Grodeck used to be homeless.
Lamont Grodeck, who runs his own veteran-based homeless outreach called American Pride Associates, sorts through clothes as he helps a needy person find extra warm clothes for a cold week ahead on Wednesday evening at the Centralia Train Station.
Pete Caster
As he stood outside the Centralia Train Depot on a cold Wednesday afternoon, he scanned for familiar faces as people walked past the transit center.
Grodeck runs his own veteran-based homeless outreach called American Pride Associates, and he said working from that angle, as a veteran, he understands homelessness presents its own challenges for those who have served.
“We’re too damn proud to ask for help,” he said.
Grodeck, his wife and son comprise his outreach and head down to the station every Wednesday with a large tote container he calls “Monty’s Box.” It’s packed with items like socks, razors, gloves, hats, Bibles, sleeping bags and more. He’ll set it up and wait for people to come by, where he’ll offer them some essentials and conversation.
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At first I thought, he should have hired someone to do what he needed done, or asked for help. Considering he does have neighbors, plus all the veterans groups out there, he should have been able to find someone to help him. We did. When it got too much for us to take care of our property, we hired a crew. And then came the part that the veteran received the home free of charge. Now I'm sure the first thought I had, is the question that needed to be asked the most. Not jumping on the HOA on this one. Why didn't he ask for help to take care of the home he was given?
This was reported after he received the home.
Nina Rodriguez said the family is not alone in their happiness. As vice president with Bank of America's property donation program, she's assisted in the donation of 20 similar properties.
"It's basically a free home," Rodriguez said. "They're responsible only for property taxes and homeowner's insurance. It's something that Bank of America is committed to. We want to support our injured veterans."
Disabled, decorated Army veteran battles HOA
FOX 5 News
December 9, 2016
“I had lost so much blood. I had like 27 blood transfusions before I ever left Afghanistan,” said Lister.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A wounded war veteran said he is facing serious fines from his Gwinnett County neighborhood’s home owner association.
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Lister did four tours of duty: first in Iraq, then Afghanistan, but he is now in a big fight with his homeowners association after they put a lien on his property. His days of fighting aren’t over yet. He said the HOA forced him to pay thousands of dollars for not keeping his house up to regulations.
The retired army sergeant wasn’t expected to survive when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan 7 years ago. More than 30 surgeries later, the single father, amputee and PTSD survivor, who has been awarded a Purple Heart and dozens of other medals, is in another kind of battle.
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