Kindness "R" us.(charitable donations)

When Kelly Carroll was a teenager growing up in Seattle, a disagreement with her mother caused her to run away from home, and she spent three nights on the city streets. She received a fast education in the ways of the world after observing "people sleeping in garbage cans," but felt unable to go back home. She called her grandmother from a pay phone for help. She recently described what transpired in an interview with Oregon Public Broadcasting: "I said I don't have no where to go. And [my grandmother] said, 'Stay right there, don't move, I'm on my way.' She said, 'I may not have money, I may not have anything else, but I'll always have a place for you to stay, a roof over your head, and some kind words.'"

Inspired by her grandmother's kindness, Kelly today operates a charity out of her Kent, Washington, home that she calls "R. Place of Refuge." Her mission is to spread random acts of kindness to people in need. Examples of the charity's benevolence include paying a utility bill or giving a supermarket gift card to a hungry family. During the recent interview, Oregon Public Broadcasting journalist Cathy Duchamp accompanied Kelly and a group of volunteers as they delivered food, clothing, and furniture to Lisa Wirachowsky, a cancer patient whose husband Jacob is out of ...