By Travis Reiman, Dean of Students at W.L. Henry Elementary School in Hillsboro, OR

Editor’s Note: Each month, Yahoo! for Good unleashes Purple Acts of Kindness to surprise and delight our local communities. In February, we brought extra cheer to classroom teachers in Hillsboro by delivering purple flowers and gift cards for Valentine’s Day arts and crafts projects. Here’s an account from their Dean of Students.

Last Thursday, the classroom teachers here at W.L. Henry Elementary School in Hillsboro, OR got a special surpise. As vases of beautiful purple flowers were delivered, there were plenty of smiles and lots of confused looks. Is my husband just trying to be sweet??? Did I finally win the lottery??? No one has ever sent me flowers before!!!

Everyone was shocked and excited when they discovered they were the beneficiaries of Yahoo!’s Purple Acts of Kindness Program. In addition to the bouquets, all 19 classroom teachers received $100  gift cards. The gift cards were meant to be used for the school’s Valentine’s Day celebrations so that students could have an extra special day.

This special gift was a great reward for all the hard work and effort W.L. Henry’s students put into learning this year. For the teachers, this opportunity to give their students an afternoon of special arts and crafts projects, candy, gifts, and fun put huge smiles on their faces. Thanks so much, Yahoo!.

How big is your ripple of happiness?

It doesn’t take a lot of money or time to make someone’s day.  Smiling at a stranger can be contagious.  Paying the toll fee for the car behind you may inspire them to pay it forward.  Picking up a $207 grocery bill at Trader Joe’s can turn into $23,000 in donations for the local food bank.

These heartwarming stories inspired us to launch Yahoo!’s “You In?” campaign this holiday season because we believe that one small act of kindness can create a ripple of generosity.

Help Yahoo! create a ripple of happiness around the world with random acts of kindness.  Update your online status (on Yahoo!, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter) to share what you’re doing to spread holiday joy at kindness.yahoo.com. Then encourage others to join you by asking “You in?”.  Yahoo! will use our network to share your good deeds with our community. We’ll also be doing our own acts of kindness inspired by your status updates.  Whether your act of kindness is buying someone’s groceries or getting warm coats to people in need, your actions will encourage others around the world to join in.

It’s your world. And it is what you make it.

How big will your ripple of happiness be?

You in?

Editor’s Note: Each month, Yahoo! For Good unleashes Purple Acts of Kindness to surprise and delight our local communities. In October, inspired by mandatory composting laws in San Francisco, we partnered with Urban Sprouts to build compost systems in schools and to promote composting at home with students and their families.  Here’s an account from their Executive Director.

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Every week, Urban Sprouts’ Garden Educators visit seven different public middle and high schools in San Francisco, to teach students to build their own school gardens. Urban Sprouts helps youth grow their own fresh and healthy food right at school, while learning about healthy living, cooking, science skills, and protecting the environment.

Each day, when young people harvest potatoes they grew and turn them into French fries, or carefully weed around baby plants they grew from seed, these students change the way they feel about what foods they eat and what toxins their lifestyles contribute to our natural environment.

One major way students in San Francisco can keep the environment clean is by helping reach our city’s goal of recycling or composting 100% of the waste we produce, keeping it all out of landfills. Students in Urban Sprouts’ programs have said, “I learned how to use the compost bin and about how everything affects our earth. I want to make sure we reduce, reuse, and recycle,” and “I have already started to teach my family and friends.”

Now, San Francisco has passed a law requiring separation of compostable waste at home for curbside pick up, using kitchen pails and green garbage cans. Our friends at Yahoo! have generously funded our entire project to help students promote home composting among their peers and families.

Over 700 students at seven schools will participate, building complete compost education stations open to the public at their schools, and creating school-wide peer education campaigns to educate their schools on how to use their green garbage cans at home. Urban Sprouts students will build demonstration compost systems and worm bins, create short videos, and hand out kitchen pail liner bags as part of the campaign.

With help from Yahoo! and San Francisco’s youth, we can reach our city’s goal of Zero Waste!

Abby Jaramillo
Executive Director
Urban Sprouts

Nothing brings a concept home to a kid like a movie. That’s why during Earth Week, we sent the entire 4th and 5th grades at San Francisco’s McKinley Elementary School to a screening of the Disney documentary “Earth.” Part of our Purple Acts of Kindness program, which aims to surprise and delight our local communities with random acts of generosity, this field trip was designed to do one thing – transport children from their urban environment to various corners of our fragile planet.

Before boarding buses wearing Yahoo! hats, the students spent the morning studying the movie’s instructional materials and concepts like animal families, habitats, migration, and hibernation.

With its stunning cinematography, the film’s message is clear. According to the teachers, “After the movie, some students expressed their sadness about the cycle of life, especially when the polar bear had a very hard time walking on almost melted ice, the elephants couldn’t find water for weeks, and the whale almost got eaten by the shark.”

As you can see from the video below, McKinley Elementary kids are already conscious of how their actions impact the Earth, but you can bet that recycling and conservation by nine- and ten-year-olds got a little boost. And parents are probably getting schooled, too.

Nicki Dugan
Blog Editor

Photo from wablao

Editor’s Note: Earlier this month, 10 underserved high school girls from Los Angeles attended a VIP screening of the documentary “A Powerful Noise” as part of our Purple Acts of Kindness program, which aims to surprise and delight our local communities with random acts of generosity. These freshly empowered girls then had the chance to become filmmakers themselves. Here’s a recap through the eyes of one of the mentors who accompanied them:

Limousines arrived at Gertz-Ressler High School to pick up 10 teens. They were heading out for an evening of film and female empowerment, along with mentors from the Step Up Women’s Network. The girls couldn’t have been more excited and were certainly the envy of their peers! The girls thought the limousine would be the biggest surprise of the night – little did they know what was to come.

After a scrumptious dinner, we presented the girls with a Yahoo! backpack, and they couldn’t believe what was inside. Licetz, the girl I was paired with for the evening, was dancing in her seat when she saw the Flip video camera that was hers to keep and would empower her to make her own powerful voice be heard.

The evening culminated with a VIP screening of “A Powerful Noise,” a documentary presented by CARE about women changing the world. The girls were completely inspired by the strong role models in the film and felt they could also make a difference in their communities. There was a special buzz in the air the entire evening, as the Step Up girls knew they would also have the chance to make a video, capturing their reaction to “A Powerful Noise.”

The two featured videos below were created by Step Up girls who won an all-expense paid trip from Yahoo! to attend the CARE conference in Washington D.C. in May. This is sure to be a life-changing experience for them.

I’ve found it rewarding to volunteer for Step Up’s program for high school girls. It gives these teens an opportunity to be mentored by many professional women throughout their high school years as they prepare for the next step — college. As the first person in my family to receive a college degree, I know how important it is to these girls and their families that they go to college.

These girls don’t often have the opportunity to feel special and privileged, and I was so impressed with Yahoo! for giving them this wonderful, first-class experience.

Edie Lynn Ortenberg
President and CEO of The Hollis House
Volunteer for Step Up Women’s Network

Each month, Yahoo! For Good unleashes Purple Acts of Kindness to surprise and delight our local communities. In February, we brought extra cheer to hundreds of people in Los Angeles suffering from HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other devastating illnesses by partnering with Project Angel Food. We donated a few Valentine’s surprises to accompany their deliveries of free and nutritious meals yesterday. Here’s an account from their CEO.

By 8am, the Project Angel Food kitchen is already busy –- volunteers putting on aprons staff pulling fresh vegetables from the refrigerator, pre-heating the ovens, moving pots of water to the stoves. More than 1,500 meals will be cooked today for men, women and children struggling with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

At 11:30am, the delivery volunteers start to arrive and exclaims of “Flowers!” fill the room as they notice the purple flowers from our friends at Yahoo!. “Do we get to take these to the clients?” they ask, knowing how much this thoughtful gift will mean to our clients. Everyone we serve faces a life-threatening illness and most also face tremendous loneliness. Any gesture of thoughtfulness, of remembrance, is magnified for the people Project Angel Food serves.

Well into the afternoon, bags of nutritious meals are loaded into cars with purple flowers peaking out, chocolate tucked inside and a card with Happy Valentine’s Day wishes from Yahoo!. These gestures of kindness, of thoughtfulness, will be remembered for months to come –- and beautifully represent Project Angel Food’s motto of “for Life, for Love, for as long as it takes.”

Margaret Steele
Chief Executive Officer
Project Angel Food

More than 40 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a movement centered on hope for a better tomorrow. In classrooms around the country each year, students are asked to reflect on this man’s inspirational journey in fighting for freedom, justice and equality. But while the young people we serve at the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula (BGCP) in East Palo Alto, Calif., are reminded of this day’s significance in school, MLK Day is often celebrated as a day off rather than a tribute to one of the greatest civil rights heroes of our time.

So when Yahoo! offered to buy tickets for our families to ride the 24th annual Freedom Train as part of their Purple Acts of Kindness program, we were absolutely thrilled. Surprises like these are definitely a warm welcome. This San Francisco Bay Area tradition is an amazing opportunity to take part in celebrations honoring Dr. King’s legacy. And what better way to bring these lessons to life for our members?

Over 200 members from BGCP (kids ages 6-18 and their families) traveled on the Freedom Train for a ride from San Jose to San Francisco to join the Freedom March and Rally Celebration. This year’s theme, “The Realization of Hope,” was very appropriate as we mark Barack Obama’s inauguration as our first African-American president. This all-day march and rally was an incredible time of joyous celebration, quiet reflection and hopeful preparation for what lies ahead. When we boarded the train to head home, many of our young people left with a twinkle of excitement in their eyes, awed and inspired by the powerful messages from the day.

Dae’Von Bishop, a 13-year-old Club member, summed up his feelings when he wrote, “I think that Obama’s inauguration will open many doors for young black males like me because people will have higher expectations for us. I hope that as I move forward with my life I will be able to inspire the next generation the way he has inspired me.”

Thanks to Yahoo! for a remarkable day of inspiration!

Amy Liebert
Development Associate
Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula

Blue 42! Blue 42! Set… hut!

OK, so there was no actual football, but getting to build bikes for low-income children with members of the San Francisco 49ers was just as cool. As part of Yahoo!’s Purple Acts of Kindness, a monthly program that surprises and delights our local community with random acts of generosity, a group of Yahoos teamed together with the 49ers and TurningWheels for Kids this week to help build 49 bikes for boys and 49 bikes for girls. The bikes will be given to underprivileged children in San Jose, Calif., to enjoy during the holidays.

I was one of the lucky few who volunteered quickly enough before spots filled. Being an avid 49er fan, the event proved to be a great way to give back to the community while getting a chance to meet some of the players I’ve watched play on the gridiron. Upon arriving at the 49ers’ Santa Clara training facility, I was fortunate enough to be paired with Shaun Hill, the team’s starting quarterback. Together, we built 2 bikes –- 1 for a smaller boy and 1 for an older boy. Shaun focused on attaching wheels and brakes, while I worked with the handlebars.

In between interviews with the numerous camera crews roaming the area, I found myself chatting with a very down-to-earth, Kansas-bred guy. We talked about our similar experiences attending Kansas University’s summer basketball camp and meeting Coach Roy Williams. I also mentioned that his performance in the 49ers’ previous game had vaulted my fantasy football team to the playoffs, which he had a chuckle at. Unlike other events I’ve been to with professional athletes, Shaun was in no hurry to bolt after a few pictures. Rather, he spent time with me to make sure the bikes were put together well. We not only did this to build a good-looking bike, but more importantly, we wanted to build a safe bike that a child could enjoy for years to come.

Overall, participating in the bike build and watching Yahoos and 49ers work side-by-side to do something good for the community gave me a great feeling. In a season that often emphasizes materialism, it was wonderful to see people giving back to the community and doing something positive. Given the ever-worsening economic atmosphere, I know that the bikes we built will go a long way towards making a child’s holiday season a bit more joyful. That alone made the event a rousing success.

Kenny Liao
Corporate Strategy Analyst, Yahoo! Corporate Development

Photo from Yahoo! for Good. Additional photos found here.

With gas prices soaring to new heights every day, who can afford to drive? At Yahoo!, we are lucky to have a Commute Alternatives program that allows us get out of our cars, save money on gas, and fight global warming all at the same time. So to help folks outside of Yahoo! take public transportation, we asked Yahoo! employees to give away 100 commuter checks to encourage their friends and family to go green.

As part of Yahoo! for Good’s Purple Acts of Kindness program, a monthly initiative that surprises and delights our local community with random acts of generosity, we reached out to Yahoos all over the country to invite them to share a story about someone they know who could put a $50 commuter check to good use. In just a matter of hours, we gave away commuter checks to 100 deserving individuals. Here are just a few of their inspiring stories:

• “I’d like to get commuter checks for my girlfriend. She commutes every day from San Jose to Oakland on the Capitol Corridor train. She wakes up at 5am every morning to catch the limited schedule. She doesn’t get home till 7:30. She could take the easy way out & drive everyday to save time, but she really wants to help the environment by taking another car off the road.”
• “My girlfriend currently commutes back and forth from Fremont to Oakland. She is a single Mom who is a nurse for the Children’s Hospital in Oakland. She has to be at work at 5:00 to 3:30.I know she could use the pass to save on both money and sleep. =)”
• “I’d like to give my dad a commuter check because at age 58, he has taken up riding Caltrain and his bike to and from work (3 mile bike ride to the station, Caltrain from Hillsdale to San Jose, and then an 8 mile bike ride to his office).”

To find out how you can deal with high gas prices and help the environment at the same time, check out these tips on Yahoo! Green.

Connie Chan
Associate Manager, Yahoo! for Good

Photo from richardmasoner

Talking to my husband Robert on the phone on October 21st, I noticed he sounded worried. At first I didn’t pay much attention, figuring that it had just been a long day for his crew. After all, when you’re a Los Angeles County firefighter, your days can either be extremely hectic or slow — they’re very rarely anything in between. When he mentioned “all the fires,” it sounded like any other conversation we’d had. But when I turned on the news, I saw that this day was different. Ten fires were being pushed toward homes by Santa Ana winds, gusting to over 100 mph.

In shock that so much was happening all at once, I immediately began to worry for all the firefighters. The week continued with reports of more wildfires, news of evacuations and massive firefighter deployments.

We got lucky. My husband never got sent out. He quite fortunately had the day off when his shift was deployed. He ended up working overtime locally to cover for the missing crews. The days continued and the intense winds kept the firefighters from getting the upper hand. Reports said that it could be a week before firefighters would return home, and I knew, from dealing with my husband, that firefighters only carry 3-4 days of supplies in their bag. The command centers would be stocked with water, food, and firefighting equipment, but items like toiletries, socks, and T-shirts came from each firefighter’s personal supply. It was clear they’d need some help.

I mentioned this to a co-worker, who suggested bringing it up to Yahoo! for Good to see if Yahoo! could help. Working with my husband to figure out what would be needed, I rallied some volunteers and worked with Yahoo! for Good to engineer a “Purple Act of Kindness” to donate the requested supplies. Yahoos from our Burbank and Carlsbad offices traveled to command posts this week to deliver everything directly to the firefighters.

Yahoo! has helped about 3,000 firefighters in just a matter of days. That we could play some part in bringing these brave men and women comfort and words of thanks at a time when they’re so focused on helping other people is amazing. I’m happy to know that I work for a company that was so willing to repay those who always risk their lives to protect others.

Stefania Bisharat Bauer
Senior Revelance Analyst, Marketplace Compliance
Yahoo! Search Marketing