There's something about this time of year, when many take stock of all their blessings and realize how lucky they are. That gratitude often develops into a desire to help those less fortunate, who may struggle to have a happy holiday. All across Petaluma, there are people who have gone out of their way to make the holidays brighter for someone else. The following represents just a handful of those stories.
Chief's Challenge
The friendly rivalry that has long existed between police officers and firefighters took a charitable twist last Friday with the annual Chief's Kettle Challenge.
For four hours, Fire Chief Larry Anderson stood across Kentucky Street from Police Chief Patrick Williams, ringing bells and collecting donations for Petaluma's Salvation Army. The friendly competition pits one department against another for bragging rights.
This year, the police department raised slightly more thanks to a $500 donation from the police union. In total, $2,186.72 was donated to the Salvation Army, dollars that will help Petaluma families in need.
Benevolent Barista
Like a Christmas elf, she likes to work anonymously and does not seek recognition for her good deeds. But for the 25 days leading up to Christmas, a barista from the Starbucks on North McDowell Boulevard has been executing random acts of kindness for complete strangers every day.
'You never know when someone needs a small act of kindness to turn their day around,' she said.
When parts of the nation were gripped with anti-police protests, she bought local police officers coffee and thanked them for their service to the community. She's left notes of encouraging words on random cars, bought dinner for a lonely man at a restaurant and sent letters to members of the military overseas. Her actions are small, but the reactions to her kindness are not.
'I am learning just how much people appreciate the small things,' she says.
Peace and Peanut M&Ms
The dedicated employees at Petaluma People Services Center bend over backwards to make the holidays bright for the seniors in their Adult Day Program, usually with the help of generous local businesses. When one gentleman was asked what he wanted for Christmas, he selflessly answered, 'World peace.' When pushed for what material possession he would like, he said if he couldn't have world peace, all he needed was a bag of peanut M&Ms.
When the folks at Hansel Auto heard this story, they agreed to wish for world peace, but also delivered a year's worth of peanut M&Ms to the man.
Homeless Holidays
Sonoma County is a safe haven for hundreds of homeless, of which an estimated 25 percent are veterans. Chris Oakes, a local tennis pro at Petaluma Valley Athletic Club, spearheaded an effort to provide as many veterans as possible with a stocking full of useful gifts. With the help of local outdoor equipment company CamelBak, the American Legion in Sonoma, Good To Go Military Surplus, Help for Hospitalized Veterans, Shipshape USA and others, 70 stockings were delivered to local veterans.
(Contact Emily Charrier at em ily.charrier@arguscourier.com)
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