Pranking it Forward
The New York Daily News reported November 22 that a Cleveland housekeeper/single mom got a special gift just in time for Thanksgiving. Cara Simmons had been hired to clean yet another house as part of her job for a professional cleaning company in Cleveland, Ohio. When she arrived at the house, she was told they needed her to test gourmet foods prepared by a professional chef. Laughing and smiling all the way, she knew she had gotten pretty lucky on this gig, and she had. They handed her beautiful clothes and shoes that happened to be just her size and pampered her throughout the day.
When a moving van pulled up, she knew it was time to get to work. She began helping the movers place boxes in the right places. Puzzled, she said, “These are my items.” They proceeded out to the moving van to investigate. When they rolled up the truck door, out jumped Cara’s family, who were aware of the surprise, but were about to be further surprised when the beautifully decorated home was given to Cara — free of charge!
It seems this single-mother-of-three’s hard working attitude, in spite of recent medical issues, got noticed at least by her sister and her boss, who reported it to Break.com’s video show, Prank It FWD. Break.com is a website featuring all kinds of short YouTube clips, including comedy and other online entertainment.
Prank It FWD does ‘Pranks for good’, as they put it, ‘by Break.com in partnership with DoSomething.org.’ A visit to DoSomething.org reveals a place where regular people, experts and just about anyone can find a way to make a big difference, and there are many ways to participate.
Prank It FWD is inspiring to watch. One of their projects well worth viewing is ‘Yard Sale Buyouts.” What looked like over a hundred people show up at the yard sale of the recipient, operating in a buying frenzy, offering inflated prices until they have bought virtually everything that was for sale. Tune in for yourself.
Sample Project at DoSomething.org:
Problem:
Over a million young people experience homelessness in the US annually. One item, according to DoSomething.org, often requested by these teens is a pair of jeans.
Solution:
Solutions are provided on the site, which in this case, is to run a Gently-Used Jeans Drive in your school or community, providing something cool for other kids in crisis.
What you Get:
They supply all the information you will need to begin your own ‘Jeans for Teens’ campaign including facts on youth homelessness and tips for running a successful jeans drive; there’s even a free poster to get the word out. Holding a drive could also win money for your school, an individual scholarship, or a performance by a “mystery band.”
With such creativity and an abundance of good will, I would expect some very cool “mystery bands” to start jumping on board left and right.
