Headline news today is often dominated by the deplorable, the gruesome and the brutally violent. It’s refreshing to bring you a story of untainted and altruistic kindness. A couple from Grandville, Mich. demonstrated the joy to be had in a simple act of giving, donning cardboard signs and giving out money, not begging for it, in a sort of reverse panhandling idea.
MSN Now on Oct. 1 profiled the random act of kindness, carried out by Riley and Hermi Combs. The pair made up signs, stood at a busy intersection at Byron Center Avenue and 44th Street in Wyoming Saturday afternoon and held up their signs that read, "NO, I Am Not Homeless, I Am Not Hungry. Can I Give YOU A Dollar?"
In total, the Combs handed out $100 dollars to strangers in $1 increments, and from the big smiles on their faces, it looks like they had a blast doing it.
The couple's daughter, Ami Walker, said her parents have made similar gestures in the past to brighten people’s day, purchasing and handing out bus passes for those in their community.
“They also bought scads of 31-day bus passes and randomly handed them out while riding the Rapid so that people whose passes were expiring could have more,” Walker said. “They are so active in the Grand Rapids community and do this so often. They're just awesome people. They do it for fun to get to know people.”
Commenters on social media expressed admiration for the Combs’ compassion. Others questioned their means.
A good and positive news story for a change. May their deeds be perpetuated and repeated by others. Every city should be so lucky to have citizens like this. –BND_Blogger
I think these people meant this to be funny and attention-getting, but who is the butt of the joke? It may have been more noble (yet less theatrical) to have given the $100 to one of the people holding up those signs instead of mocking them. We don't have enough compassion as a society for the less-fortunate, and content ourselves by telling ourselves that they probably did something to "deserve" being poor or that they are scam artists. Not sure how many of those who got one of those dollars really needed it. –Guest
Wonderful people....need more stories like this. –Diane Messer Britten
Gifts given anonymously are even awesome… How's this for a scenario: Mr. and Mrs. Combs stop at a light where a person is holding a sign asking for money. They give them $100 cash, then drive away. No TV coverage. No attaboys. Nobody knows what they've done. –Joe
What’s your impression? Sound off below.
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