Two stories written by Devine News Editor Kayleen Holder were chosen to appear in one of the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul books, a national book chain. The stories focus on two awesome things happening right here in our community, HANK INC and the yearly Christmas Gift Drive for area foster children.
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Kindness Matters was released this March, and features 101 feel-good stories that restore our faith in people. The book is for sale on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and most major bookstores.
“Getting stories into Chicken Soup for the Soul is a dream come true for me,” Holder said. “One of the stories in this book is about my favorite local charity, HANK, INC, and the two angels in our community who founded it, John and Debbie Southwell. I first met the Southwells while covering county court for the newspaper, and I was so amazed by what they do for local foster kids in Medina County and surrounding counties. They are very special people.”
“The second story I have in this book is about the beautiful way our community comes together to buy dozens of Christmas gifts for children in foster care. It is like ‘Santa’s Workshop’ at The Devine News around Christmastime, and I absolutely love that!” Holder said. “SO many awesome people in Devine and the surrounding area make this possible. Our little town is an awesome place to live, and whoever made that sign that says ‘small town with a big heart’ absolutely nailed it. That’s what makes our community special. I only wish I could have listed all of the names of the many angels in our community who have helped make the annual gift drive a reality over the years. Our community makes sure each and every kiddo gets exactly what they wished for, and more.”
The following is a press release from Chicken Soup for the Soul:
Press Release–COS COB, Conn. – When Donna Schulte saw a thin homeless lady outside a restaurant, she followed her impulse and invited the woman to have lunch with her. Although the waitress inside didn’t want to serve the young woman, Donna insisted. And then she learned that this woman who the world was ignoring was a veteran who was fighting cancer and couldn’t get a job due to her treatment regimen.
Following the impulse to be kind is a central theme in a new Chicken Soup for the Soul collection about how kindness matters. Everyone’s talking about kindness, too, because the world has been through a lot in the past couple of years, what with the pandemic, divisiveness in our society, and conflicts around the world.
The message is that it’s easy to create miracles for yourself and others. If people just think outside the box and look around, they’ll see the need. The 101 stories cover a wide variety of tales of good deeds, helping hands, and wise words, from the everyday to the extraordinary.
According to Chicken Soup for the Soul’s author and editor-in-chief Amy Newmark, “Scientific studies have shown that ‘doing good’ is not only beneficial for the recipient of the good deed, but also for the person doing it, making that person happier and healthier. Performing random acts of kindness is a proven way to make yourself feel good.”
“Each story in our new book is unique,” continues Newmark, “but we learn this universal lesson from all of them: We are all capable of both needing help and providing help. And it is this give and take, the ability to be a provider and a recipient depending on our circumstances, that make us part of a united community of people who really do care about one another. No matter what divides us, our basic humanity reunites us.”
ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL
Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. With well over 100 million books sold to date in the U.S. and Canada, more than 300 titles, and translations into more than 40 languages, the phrase “chicken soup for the soul” is known worldwide and is regularly referenced in pop culture.