Coney Island Bialys and Bagels claims to be the oldest bialy bakery in New York City. Founded in 1920, it's faced hard economic times and changing neighborhood demographics. Now, the shop has been rescued by two Pakistani Muslims — and they're keeping it kosher.
The store was founded by Morris Rosenzweig, who came from Bialystock, Poland, at the turn of the 20th century, where bialys originated. At one point the bakery did so much business, it was open 24 hours a day on the weekends. Later, the store was run by his son. And then by Steve Ross, Rosenzweig's grandson, now in his 50s.
Ross says many of the traditional customers moved to the suburbs. He tried to sell the business, but there were no buyers. When Ali heard about it, Ross asked him, so you want to take it over? Ali decided to try.
Shah, Ali and Ross say that not much has changed. They are using the same ingredients, from the same suppliers. "I gave them all the phone numbers," says Ross. "If you need this. this is who you are going to get it from, and they stayed with all that."
As for keeping the bakery kosher, Ali says, "Kosher and halal is very, very close, like brother and sister, maybe twins." Ali and Shah say the only thing remaining is official kosher supervision and certification. They are looking for a rabbi to bless and supervise.
Ross, Shah and Ali talk to each other at least several times a week. They all say business is picking up.And when people look askance at the idea of Muslims running a kosher Jewish bakery, Ross says, "They were reliable, I taught them everything, they always showed up, there was never any argument. I wish them well."
To read the full story and listen to the audio, please go to http://www.npr.org/2012/01/24/145539430/muslim-men-rescue-bagel-shop-and-keep-it-kosher
Source: NPR.org
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Three elementary school girls turn their birthday party into a charity event
MCKINNEY, TX— They are three divas, with big hearts. Nicole Morris, Mackinleee Frame and Sydney Vest have been good friends for years and they want to celebrate their 8th birthdays, together with a big bash in downtown McKinney.
"There will be lots of pink carpet and dancing," Nicole said, who is a 2nd grader. But, this party will also be different. The girls have decided to make it a charity event. "It feels good to give back to people," Mackinlee said.
The girls are inviting about 150 friends who will be treated to a candy buffet, cake and pizza; instead of gifts they are asking their guests to contribute to their charities. Sydney chose an orphanage in Uganda, Africa called, Village of Hope. "It is going to feel good because I like donating way more than I like presents, so it will be totally fine," Sydney said.
Mackinlee chose the Love Life Foundation, which supports North Texas charities. Nicole selected Birthday Blessings, which was founded by her mother, Patricia Morris. The group provides birthday parties to less fortunate and homeless children. "We are so blessed, so I just want to help other kids around the world," Nicole said.
The girls' mothers says their children started their humanitarian efforts with a lemonade stand for charity, after a school assembly about Rachel's Challenge. They say from there the girls just wanted to think about a bigger project to help people and send a message.
"You don't' have to be a famous celebrity, you can be an average 8-year old girl and you can make a difference," Karen Vest, Sydney's mother, said.
To watch the video, please go to http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-three-girls-donate-birthday-party-gifts-to-charity-story,0,7455420.story?hpt=us_bn5
Source: the33tv.com
"There will be lots of pink carpet and dancing," Nicole said, who is a 2nd grader. But, this party will also be different. The girls have decided to make it a charity event. "It feels good to give back to people," Mackinlee said.
The girls are inviting about 150 friends who will be treated to a candy buffet, cake and pizza; instead of gifts they are asking their guests to contribute to their charities. Sydney chose an orphanage in Uganda, Africa called, Village of Hope. "It is going to feel good because I like donating way more than I like presents, so it will be totally fine," Sydney said.
Mackinlee chose the Love Life Foundation, which supports North Texas charities. Nicole selected Birthday Blessings, which was founded by her mother, Patricia Morris. The group provides birthday parties to less fortunate and homeless children. "We are so blessed, so I just want to help other kids around the world," Nicole said.
The girls' mothers says their children started their humanitarian efforts with a lemonade stand for charity, after a school assembly about Rachel's Challenge. They say from there the girls just wanted to think about a bigger project to help people and send a message.
"You don't' have to be a famous celebrity, you can be an average 8-year old girl and you can make a difference," Karen Vest, Sydney's mother, said.
To watch the video, please go to http://www.the33tv.com/news/kdaf-three-girls-donate-birthday-party-gifts-to-charity-story,0,7455420.story?hpt=us_bn5
Source: the33tv.com
Friday, December 30, 2011
Good Samaritan Returns $4,000 Found In Chair Purchased At Auction
LYON, MISSOURI (KTVI-FOX2now.com)— A Missouri small business owner found $4,000 hidden inside a chair he bought at an auction. But instead of saying "finders-keepers", he returned all of the money to its previous owner.
Most people would think "jackpot" when finding hidden money. But for Ted Beede, that thought never entered his head, which made his decision to immediately return the money a no brainer.
Ted Beede attended an estate sale in Lyon, Missouri, looking for a few items to add to his consignment shop in Dutzow. When he found a chair he wanted and took a closer look, he found a lot more inside the chair.Without even counting the money, Ted acted quickly.
He did not know how much money was there until the local newspaper released the amount the next day.Ted's family and friends heard the amount and say that's just who Ted is.
A handful of customers have come into the store and said that they would not have done the same thing, but ted does not regret his decision to return the cash. The woman in charge of the state sale did give ted $200 as a reward for his good deed.
Source: fox2now.com
Most people would think "jackpot" when finding hidden money. But for Ted Beede, that thought never entered his head, which made his decision to immediately return the money a no brainer.
Ted Beede attended an estate sale in Lyon, Missouri, looking for a few items to add to his consignment shop in Dutzow. When he found a chair he wanted and took a closer look, he found a lot more inside the chair.Without even counting the money, Ted acted quickly.
He did not know how much money was there until the local newspaper released the amount the next day.Ted's family and friends heard the amount and say that's just who Ted is.
A handful of customers have come into the store and said that they would not have done the same thing, but ted does not regret his decision to return the cash. The woman in charge of the state sale did give ted $200 as a reward for his good deed.
Source: fox2now.com
Friday, December 23, 2011
Teacher helps get kids 'Snuggled Up'
HARRISON TOWNSHIP (WDTN) - When you go to sleep tonight, think about this - there are startling number of children in our community who don't have beds. Now a Northridge teacher is trying change that, by giving kids a place to "Snuggle Up".
It may not be Santa's workshop, but what's hidden inside second grade teacher Trisha Baxter's Beavercreek garage is almost as magical. It's the headquarters of Snuggled Up Inc. , a non-profit she started after hearing the heartbreaking story of one of her students. "She said 'I couldn't sleep last night. It was too cold on my floor even with my blanket," Baxter said.
For Baxter it was a wake up call. She says she actually stopped teaching to find out how many other kids in her class were without beds. What she discovered was that more than half of her students at Morrison Elementary in Harrison Township, slept on the floor. "I turned away and kind of cried for a minute, just quiet tears, and turned back around and thought what can I do."
It's a question that haunted Baxter for several months until this spring, when she had a revelation - for about $70 Baxter bought air mattresses, sheets, blankets, pillows, repair patches, pumps and plastic bins, essentially a bed in a box, later slugged a "Snuggle Kit"
Baxter sent letters home with students informing parents about her plan and says the response was overwhelming. "We had about a 150 that were on my list in my school that needed a bed. either sleeping on the floor or on the couch". To date, more than a 120 Snuggle Kits have been handed out.
For Angela Deters, a single mother of six the beds are a blessing."The girls either share a mattress or they would be lying on a pile of blankets," said Deters. "That first night of tucking your girls, your kids into bed, an actual bed, what was that like? Honestly, it felt like Christmas."
Deters said her kids now get sound sleep, but furthermore, she has peace of mind, which any mom will tell you is the greatest gift of all.
Source: www.wdtn.com
http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/teacher-helps-get-kids-snuggled-up?hpt=us_bn6
It may not be Santa's workshop, but what's hidden inside second grade teacher Trisha Baxter's Beavercreek garage is almost as magical. It's the headquarters of Snuggled Up Inc. , a non-profit she started after hearing the heartbreaking story of one of her students. "She said 'I couldn't sleep last night. It was too cold on my floor even with my blanket," Baxter said.
For Baxter it was a wake up call. She says she actually stopped teaching to find out how many other kids in her class were without beds. What she discovered was that more than half of her students at Morrison Elementary in Harrison Township, slept on the floor. "I turned away and kind of cried for a minute, just quiet tears, and turned back around and thought what can I do."
It's a question that haunted Baxter for several months until this spring, when she had a revelation - for about $70 Baxter bought air mattresses, sheets, blankets, pillows, repair patches, pumps and plastic bins, essentially a bed in a box, later slugged a "Snuggle Kit"
Baxter sent letters home with students informing parents about her plan and says the response was overwhelming. "We had about a 150 that were on my list in my school that needed a bed. either sleeping on the floor or on the couch". To date, more than a 120 Snuggle Kits have been handed out.
For Angela Deters, a single mother of six the beds are a blessing."The girls either share a mattress or they would be lying on a pile of blankets," said Deters. "That first night of tucking your girls, your kids into bed, an actual bed, what was that like? Honestly, it felt like Christmas."
Deters said her kids now get sound sleep, but furthermore, she has peace of mind, which any mom will tell you is the greatest gift of all.
Source: www.wdtn.com
http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/teacher-helps-get-kids-snuggled-up?hpt=us_bn6
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Anonymous Man Gives $2,000 to Strangers
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— Young Aliyah eyes a box full of toys just for her. They're Christmas and birthday presents her mom, Tammy, put on layaway at the Kmart in Plainfield Township. "She got some Dora and baby doll stuff and her little Weebles. She loves Weebles, and her Minnie Mouse," Tammy says.
Layaway allows the single mom, who's also a waitress, to pay a little at a time on the gifts or what she can afford. However, now those goodies are coming home a lot sooner than she expected. That's because an anonymous donor paid her $150 layaway bill in full. "I was shocked, very shocked, being a single mom. You know, times are rough," Tammy says. "It means a lot that somebody would be that thoughtful to take the time out and do something to help somebody else," she adds.
Employee's say the generous man came into the store this morning and paid for fourteen customer's belongings, about $2000 total. Employee Frank Russo says he had the honor of calling the recipients to tell them the good news in advance."Some of them are crying over this, they're just so happy,” Russo says. “They're just hysterical over this," he adds.
The anonymous donor says he wants others to pay it forward as well. In an email he wrote, “They don't have to spend 2K to help someone. Even $5 can make a huge difference for someone, just knowing someone cares.”
Source: fox17online.com
Layaway allows the single mom, who's also a waitress, to pay a little at a time on the gifts or what she can afford. However, now those goodies are coming home a lot sooner than she expected. That's because an anonymous donor paid her $150 layaway bill in full. "I was shocked, very shocked, being a single mom. You know, times are rough," Tammy says. "It means a lot that somebody would be that thoughtful to take the time out and do something to help somebody else," she adds.
Employee's say the generous man came into the store this morning and paid for fourteen customer's belongings, about $2000 total. Employee Frank Russo says he had the honor of calling the recipients to tell them the good news in advance."Some of them are crying over this, they're just so happy,” Russo says. “They're just hysterical over this," he adds.
The anonymous donor says he wants others to pay it forward as well. In an email he wrote, “They don't have to spend 2K to help someone. Even $5 can make a huge difference for someone, just knowing someone cares.”
Source: fox17online.com
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Man’s Life Saved Minutes After Helping Strangers In Wis.
MENOMONIE, Wis. (WCCO) — Just minutes after changing a flat tire for strangers on a Wisconsin interstate, a Good Samaritan needed life-saving help from the people he just met. On Saturday night, two cousins were heading home to Eau Claire on Interstate 94 when they hit a snag in Menomonie.
“All of a sudden, I heard this loud noise, got out and looked and we had a flat tire,” Sara Berg said. However, Berg and Lisa Meir didn’t have time to panic.“We weren’t on the side of the road that long before he came to help us,” Berg said.
A man by the name of Victor Giesbrecht stopped, changed their tire and had them on the road in 15 minutes.
Less than two miles after that tire change, Giesbrecht had to pull over himself. Berg spotted his wife outside waving her arms for help. Giesbrecht was in cardiac arrest. Berg, a certified nursing assistant, wasted no time, started CPR and called for help. The following moments are all captured on dash cam video from a Wisconsin State Trooper. You can hear rescue crews telling him “Can you hear us at all? Hang in there bud!” Trooper Kate Sampson and Dunn County Deputy Scott Pace were first on scene. “I couldn’t have been any closer unless I was right there. Trooper Sampson was in the same area,” Pace said. Dunn County deputies carry AED’s in all their cars. It took three shocks to get Giesbrecht back.
A helicopter flew Geisbrecht to Mayo Luther in Eau Claire. Giesbrecht is in serious, but stable condition. He and his wife were driving from Canada when this all happened. Berg and Meir said they will ever forget what he told them after fixing their flat. “‘Someone up above put me in the right place at the right time.’ I said, ‘thank you and God bless you,’” Berg said.
At first, Berg and Meir were very worried that changing that tire caused Geisbrecht to go into cardiac arrest but his wife told them they actually saved his life.
Source: CBS - Minnesota - sbclocal.com
“All of a sudden, I heard this loud noise, got out and looked and we had a flat tire,” Sara Berg said. However, Berg and Lisa Meir didn’t have time to panic.“We weren’t on the side of the road that long before he came to help us,” Berg said.
A man by the name of Victor Giesbrecht stopped, changed their tire and had them on the road in 15 minutes.
Less than two miles after that tire change, Giesbrecht had to pull over himself. Berg spotted his wife outside waving her arms for help. Giesbrecht was in cardiac arrest. Berg, a certified nursing assistant, wasted no time, started CPR and called for help. The following moments are all captured on dash cam video from a Wisconsin State Trooper. You can hear rescue crews telling him “Can you hear us at all? Hang in there bud!” Trooper Kate Sampson and Dunn County Deputy Scott Pace were first on scene. “I couldn’t have been any closer unless I was right there. Trooper Sampson was in the same area,” Pace said. Dunn County deputies carry AED’s in all their cars. It took three shocks to get Giesbrecht back.
A helicopter flew Geisbrecht to Mayo Luther in Eau Claire. Giesbrecht is in serious, but stable condition. He and his wife were driving from Canada when this all happened. Berg and Meir said they will ever forget what he told them after fixing their flat. “‘Someone up above put me in the right place at the right time.’ I said, ‘thank you and God bless you,’” Berg said.
At first, Berg and Meir were very worried that changing that tire caused Geisbrecht to go into cardiac arrest but his wife told them they actually saved his life.
Source: CBS - Minnesota - sbclocal.com
Monday, November 7, 2011
Family Pays It Forward in Honor of Slain Canton Man
CANTON, Ohio— A young Canton man, known for his giving spirit, is remembered on what should have been a special day for him. Although he is gone, he is still giving back to the community in his own way. Family and friends of Dale Settle, Jr. took to a Canton neighborhood with groceries in hand Sunday as a pay it forward (act of kindness) in Dale's name. His mom, Sharon Lane, said that's something Dale would do. "He was always giving to everybody," she said.
They were celebrating the way Dale lived and not the way he died. Dale was on his way to bible study when he was shot in an apparent robbery attempt on September 22. He took a bullet, shielding two friends from harm. "As he fell to the ground, he was holding his bible, and he said, 'Forgive them,' and he started praying for the guy who shot him," Lane said.
300 bags of groceries were delivered to families on the street near where Dale was killed -- on the day Dale would have turned 23. "We're just passing out Thanksgiving goods in his name to do something positive," his sister Jackie Settle said. "Dale was the most amazing son. Twenty-three years ago today, he came into this world, and he left the world a better place because of who he was and what he did. I love him, and I miss him," his mom said.
Dale's aunt spread the word about the grocery giveaway on Facebook. More than a thousand people responded to the post, vowing to deliver an act of kindness in Dale's name.
Source: Fox8.com
They were celebrating the way Dale lived and not the way he died. Dale was on his way to bible study when he was shot in an apparent robbery attempt on September 22. He took a bullet, shielding two friends from harm. "As he fell to the ground, he was holding his bible, and he said, 'Forgive them,' and he started praying for the guy who shot him," Lane said.
300 bags of groceries were delivered to families on the street near where Dale was killed -- on the day Dale would have turned 23. "We're just passing out Thanksgiving goods in his name to do something positive," his sister Jackie Settle said. "Dale was the most amazing son. Twenty-three years ago today, he came into this world, and he left the world a better place because of who he was and what he did. I love him, and I miss him," his mom said.
Dale's aunt spread the word about the grocery giveaway on Facebook. More than a thousand people responded to the post, vowing to deliver an act of kindness in Dale's name.
Source: Fox8.com
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