Kind

Minnie Galloway saw what the children needed and came through to protect them.

Children should never have to worry about having the basics covered. In an ideal world, no child would ever go hungry, be too cold, too hot, or lonely. Unfortunately, however, the real world is harsh and many children are forced to go without.

Luckily, there are unassuming guardian angels everywhere, waiting to give a helping hand to those in need.

Minnie Galloway has been a crossing guard for 20 years, and she's loved every second of her job. Every day, she makes sure the children in her community get to and from their destination safely. She is there to make sure that their school days start on the right foot.

In addition to her normal crossing guard duties, Minnie pays close attention to the children she sees and goes above and beyond to meet their needs, filling the gaps she observes. This was what Ms. Minnie was doing when a few parents noticed a rack of coats and jackets next to her as she was helping students cross the road one day.

Ms. Minnie had purchased a bunch of outwear from the local Salvation Army, hung them up on a rack and displayed it near her station. On and around the rack, she posted signs that read "FREE COAT GIVEAWAY". Minnie had been noticing that as the weather grew cooler, a few kids were heading to school without jackets.

It was obvious that they were cold, and when asked where their coats were, they would fib and tell the crossing guard that they had forgotten the jackets at home. However, the next few days came and went, and the kids were still without proper winter gear. So, Minnie took matters into her own hands and made the coat rack. She didn't want to call anyone out or embarrass any of the children, so she just let them slip by and take a coat if they needed one, without drawing attention to themselves. Within days, over half of the coats on her rack were gone.

As a crossing guard, Minnie doesn't have a ton of disposable income. However, anything extra she does have, she puts towards helping those in her community. The jackets were not the first time this wonderful person had stepped in to help those in need; she had also given out umbrellas, school supplies, and mittens over the years.

The parents of the children Ms. Minnie helped out were touched. Here's a quote that demonstrates their gratitude: "It took every ounce of restraint in my body not to put the car in park and get out and hug this woman, to thank her for using her free time to keep our students safe and for giving coats to people who may not have them."

It doesn't take a lot of money or connections to make a difference in this world. All it really takes is a little observation. Look at the people you interact with, and do whatever you can to help them meet their immediate needs. You can make a massive difference starting today!