"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."
Thanks to The News Tribune for publishing The Extra Miler each month (first Saturday), and recognizing that our community benefits significantly from our focus on those special people in our midst who perform kind acts every day. These are the people making Southern Indiana and our world a better place to live and work.
Extra Milers can be any person or groups who are performing acts of kindness; however, the monthly article typically focuses on those individuals who are not in the spotlight already...they are quietly going about their lives making a huge positive impact, without expecting or receiving recognition. Most are reluctant to agree to the newspaper coverage until they realize their story/stories can compel others to step up and do the same.
GET INVOLVED IN 2011 - INTERNATIONAL PAY IT FORWARD DAY AND WEEK - ARE YOU AN EXTRA MILER FOR SOUTHERN INDIANA?
How Do You Get Involved?
It's easy! PAY IT FORWARD (International) DAY IS APRIL 28 and PAY IT FORWARD WEEK IS APRIL 28 - MAY 7. Simply do something nice for one to three people and expect nothing in return. Simply ask them to "Pay It Forward" to someone else and help spread the word or just perform your act of kindness and walk away knowing your good deed will likely make a difference not only for that one person, but will be passed on to many. Your act can be something as small as holding a door open for someone, smiling at a stranger, lending an ear to someone in need, paying for the food for the person behind you at the drive-in restaurant, or as big as volunteering at a homeless shelter, giving blood, visiting someone in the nursing home, or organizing a food drive. The possibilities are endless!
Need ideas or do you know of a group or individual who should be recognized as Extra Milers? Have a group that you would like to get involved? Then contact me and I'll help you get started! SEND YOUR PAY IT FORWARD ACTS OF KINDNESS AND A PHOTO OF YOUR GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL WHO PARTICIPATED TO: Cdawson@eeoguidance.com
Charles Kuralt once said, "The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines."
This is the site for the Southern Indiana Acts of Kindness, otherwise known as "The Extra Milers."
WELCOME - Make Yourself at Home - Meet some of our Extra Milers of Southern Indiana (and beyond). Some of the nicest people you will ever meet live and work in Southern Indiana. We honor them in our monthly "Extra Miler" column, published by The News Tribune and created and written by Carol Baker Dawson.
Carol and her husband, Ken, took a journey outside Southern Indiana to find Extra Milers. To read Carol's blog from her journey across America's backyard, go to: www.extramilers.blogspot.com
The Extra Miler is a nationally award winning column, written by Carol Baker Dawson.
2008 National Society of Newspaper Columnists Will Rogers Humanitarian Award.
Ellen Goodman, National Columnist and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
Carol Dawson, receiving the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award from James Rogers, Will Rogers' Great Grandson
Thanks for visiting. We hope to see you again! Check back later for new updates to our website.
There's always more to come!
