Miracles followed because 11 year old made a wish

11 year old made dying wish that reached around the world

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
May 15, 2020

Confession: When I decided to put up these miracles, it was because I needed something to change the mood I was in. So many stories on Wounded Times, that it is hard to remember all of them. For now, I am putting up the ones that stand out most in my mind. Then I'll go through the other 38,000 to find more. They will be posted on PTSD until I run out of them.

The one posted today is about an 11 year old boy dying from cancer. This little boy had great compassion for the homeless in his area, that his dying wish was to be able to help them. His Mom supported that and did what she could to honor his wish.

What followed was his wish being heard around the world. Within a month, his wish was granted and the little angel changed the lives of millions!

read his story here

Veterans Memorial Park taken over by homeless

Port Angeles considers fencing off Veterans Memorial Park from the homeless

King 5 News
Author: Eric Wilkinson
April 19, 2019

PORT ANGELES, Wash. 

Police calls to Veterans Memorial Park in Port Angeles have skyrocketed and residents say they no longer feel safe.

At Veterans Memorial Park in Port Angeles, a replica of the Liberty Bell is defaced with graffiti. The park is teeming with garbage. Nearby residents say they no longer feel safe.

"This can be a horrific mess of trash and human waste," said Karen Rogers. "We have needles, illicit sex acts. This is a school bus route, for crying out loud!"

Rogers is a former mayor of Port Angeles. Her son is an Iraq War veteran. To her, seeing the memorial this way just isn't right.

"This place, to me, is the heart of service," she said. "We honor those who have served our country. We honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice."

The situation has grown much worse over the past three years with the opioid epidemic. Police calls to the park have skyrocketed.
read more here

Police Officer took homeless woman's baby...with her blessing!

Santa Rosa Officer Makes Life Changing Choice For Baby Girl
KPIX CBS News
September 2, 2108

“We were talking and … I was saying as her — ‘You made this choice for her and that we are so grateful,'” Ashley said. “And she said — ‘You’re her mother now.'”

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) — Police officer Jesse Whitten could never have imagined the impact chance meetings with a homeless woman on a Santa Rosa street would ultimately have on his life.

The woman was living on the streets, pregnant and battling a drug addiction. While on patrol, Whitten would show compassion to her and on one such meeting last August, his wife — Ashley — was along side. The two women struck up a conversation about motherhood and its challenges.
read more here

Man died at bus stop...he was homeless

​Homeless advocates worry about cold after man's death at bus stop
WLWT 5 News
Richard Chiles
December 27, 2017

CINCINNATI
As police confirmed the death of a homeless man at the Government Square transit center, advocates for the area's homeless population mobilized in anger and determination.

Maslow's Army, a nonprofit who worked closely with the man, identified him at Ken Martin. Although the cause of death hasn't been officially confirmed, the cold seems to have likely been a factor.

"It is heartbreaking. That's one of the reasons we are here is to prevent that from happening. 

So it is always heartbreaking when someone doesn't take advantage of the space that we have to offer here and chooses to be out on the street and in the cold."

Homeless Marine veteran Tim Stockton looks at the Government Square death as a harsh reality of the bitter cold.

"This could have been me," Stockton said. "You don't leave nobody out on the streets."

read more here 

So how do we prove God's love and this day?

Do You Prove God's Love?
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 25, 2017

One Christmas Eve, an elderly widow was talking to a neighbor about plans for Christmas day. The widow couldn't make it to be with her family and they couldn't get to her. It was the first Christmas she would be alone.

The neighbor talked about having a houseful of family and friends, while complaining about having so much to do for all of them.

The widow wished her a Merry Christmas as she started to walk away. The neighbor had a change of heart and called her back to the fence.

"I was just thinking, we're having dinner around 1:00. Why don't you come over after dessert and you can watch us open our gifts." The widow just shook her head. She walked away feeling more lonely than she had before.

How can we prove God's love without opening a gate?

It is so easy to take care of our own needs, wants, desires and our pride, yet we forget about what this day is supposed to represent.

Tomorrow at work, we'll all hear stories about what we got, what we gave and then which family member ruined the day. 

Someone will regret spending so much money on ungrateful relatives. Someone else will regret deciding to spend the time with them instead of being alone binging on treats and watching "It's a Wonderful Life."

Others will remember times spent with people they loved, holding onto warm memories for comfort while they sit alone. 

Some will wander the streets, much like any other day, homeless and hungry. They will come to the shelter to get out of the cold for a while, find something to eat, and if they're lucky, someone to talk to.

Some will remember what they used to have and how much they lost.

Others will spend the day thinking of others, what they can do for someone to make this day better than it would have been otherwise.

They spent money shopping for someone else's children, so they could put it into a collection box, knowing they would never see the joy on that child's face. No one would ever thank them for the gift they gave, but they would receive the warmth within them knowing what they did in secret.

Some will volunteer their time at the shelter to care for the homeless and needy.

Some will take the time to pray during church service for someone else instead of praying for what they want for themselves.

So how do we prove God's love and this day we remember when "For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The Sheep and the Goats31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

So dear friends, remember the blessing we are all able to receive when the gifts we give ourselves, are priceless when they are given to others.

My Christmas wish for all of you is that you be blessed by the love this day was intended to share.

The Beatitudes

He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Homeless Man Helped Stranger with $20, She Returns $20,000

This story keeps getting better!!!

Homeless veteran who received over $360K now wants to pay it forward, 'I just want to do the right thing'

UPDATE

Woman Raises over $254,000 for Homeless Veteran Who Helped Her

Posted on November 23, 2017

UPDATE

Woman raising funds to help homeless Marine Veteran

Johnny, who's 34, told McClure and D'Amico he has been homeless for about a year. He said he was previously a certified paramedic, and also served in the Marine Corps.

Woman raises money for homeless veteran who spent his last $20 to help her

Associated Press

November 22, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A New Jersey woman who was helped by a homeless man when she ran out of gas in Philadelphia is raising money to help him.

Kate McClure was heading to Philadelphia to visit a friend last month when she ran out of gas on Interstate 95. The Florence Township woman pulled over and began to worry until a homeless man approached her.

The man, whose name was “Johnny,” told her it wasn’t safe and he bought McClure gas with his last $20.

McClure promised she would return to pay him. McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, have since raised over $20,000 for the former ammunition technician.

The pair hope to get “Johnny” an apartment and help with transportation.

read more here

Camera Catches Chicago Cop, Photo Goes Viral

Photo of Chicago Cop Buying Chipotle for Homeless Man Goes Viral
The Chicago Police Department saw the photo on Facebook when it went viral and recognized the officer as Sergeant B. Hagarty, a 35-year veteran of the force
NBC 5 Chicago

A photo circulating on social media that shows a veteran Chicago police officer buying Chipotle for a homeless man has gone viral, leading to a lengthy Facebook post from the Chicago Police Department thanking the officer for "leading by example."

The photo was originally posted by a woman named Rachel Mitchell, who saw the encounter at the Chipotle restaurant located at 1025 W. Belmont in Lakeview.

The Chicago Police Department has since shared the story, and their own post has been shared nearly 4,000 times in just over 12 hours. Additionally, more than 10,000 people "like" the post.
read more here

Fort Lauderdale WWII Veteran and Ministers Charged For Feeding Hungry?

Florida man continues to feed homeless despite looming criminal charges
FOX News
Associated Press
November 6, 2014

Nov. 5, 2014: Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, director of the nonprofit group Love Thy Neighbor Inc., center, serves food to the homeless with the help of volunteers from a public parking lot next to the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP/Lynne Sladky)

Abbott, a World War II veteran and civil rights activist, told The Associated Press that he has been serving the homeless for more than two decades in honor of his late wife. He has several programs, including a culinary school to train the homeless he serves and help find them jobs in local kitchens.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Despite being charged with violating a new law by feeding the homeless in South Florida, 90-year-old Arnold Abbott said he's not deterred and even went back out to serve more food at a public park.

The faceoff in Fort Lauderdale over the ordinance restricting public feeding of the homeless has pitted those with compassionate aims against residents and businesses trying to protect their neighborhoods.

Abbott, affectionately known as "Chef Arnold," and two South Florida ministers were charged last weekend as they handed out food. They were accused of breaking the ordinance and each faces up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

"One of the police officers said, `Drop that plate right now,' as if I were carrying a weapon," Abbott said.

But on Wednesday night, Abbott and others served a four-course meal by the beach as police filmed from a distance and a crowd of nearly 100 mostly homeless and volunteers cheered their arrival.
read more here

Matthew 25:31-46
New International Version (NIV)

The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Vietnam Veteran Fired From Florida Cracker Barrel For Compassion

Cracker Barrel allegedly fires Vietnam veteran for giving homeless man a muffin
Joe Koblenzer claims he was let go for giving a man a few condiment packets and a corn muffin.
UPI
By Evan Bleier
June 27, 2014

VENICE, Fla., June 27 (UPI) --A Vietnam veteran claims he was fired from a Florida Cracker Barrel for giving a homeless man some condiment packets and corn muffin.

Joe Koblenzer says he was let go from his host position at the Cracker Barrel restaurant in Venice after he gave the food items to a man who looked like he needed help.

"He looked a little needy. He asked if I had any mayonnaise and some tarter sauce. He said he was going to cook a fish," Koblenzer told WWSB. "I got it for him. As I walked out I put a corn muffin in."
read more here

Soldier in New Jersey fed homeless because it felt good

Photo of Soldier Feeding Homeless Goes Viral
Army.mil/Newsby Sgt. 1st Class Neil Simmons
Mar 20, 2014

JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J.
Soldiers serve their country every day. But a photo posted on social media March 3, of an anonymous First Army Soldier giving pizza to the homeless highlighted this commitment at the community level.

The photo was widely shared on social media and generated thousands of hits and hundreds of positive comments in just a couple of days.

The Soldier in the picture is Cpl. Derno McCary, an observer-coach/trainer with 2-312th Regiment, 174th Infantry Brigade, Division East. The photo was taken by another 2-312th observer-coach/trainer, Sgt. Richard Saenz, when the two Soldiers volunteered their off-duty time to hand out dozens of pizzas to homeless people in Camden, N.J., March 2.

The pizza delivery was Saenz's idea, according to McCary.

"I told him I would definitely go with him," McCary said. "The reception that we got was outstanding, but I was just doing my part. It felt good."
read more here

Fort Hood Soldier Spent Deployment Pay on Homeless

Soldier back home on West Bank from Afghanistan uses deployment money to help homeless
Times Picayune
By Helen Williams, Gretna Columnist
March 14, 2014

Sgt. Austin Winton Lumpkin, a soldier who returned home to Gretna from Afghanistan in late January, used his deployment money to help the homeless. While he was home on leave, he purchased products to fill more than 200 bags, which included a new pair of socks, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, bar of soap, deodorant, nail clippers, wet wipes and food, such as water, a package of crackers with cheese and an oatmeal pie cookie.

He also filled some bags for women, which included feminine products and hair ties.

“The reason I wanted to do this gift-giving project was to show people that you don’t have to have a lot to give a little,” Lumpkin said. He serves in the U. S. Army 87th Sapper Company, 20th Engineer Battalion and 36th Engineer Brigade, and is now stationed at Fort Hood in Texas.
read more here

Homeless slayings suspect died after eating something

UPDATE
Accused O.C. serial killer swallowed Ajax in cell, attorney says

Lawyer: Homeless slayings suspect died after eating something
Orange County Register
By MARY ANN MILBOURN and SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
Nov. 29, 2013

BULLETIN: SANTA ANA — A former Marine who was awaiting a death penalty trial in the deaths of six people, including four homeless men, died after ingesting something while in his jail cell, his defense attorney told The Associated Press on Friday.

Attorney Michael Molfetta would not say what his client ingested but said the death raises serious questions about how much supervision Itzcoatl Ocampo, 25, was getting from Orange County sheriff's deputies.
read more here

Camp Pendleton Marines set up Christmas Tree Lot for Homeless Charity

Marines set up tree lot to raise money for homeless
UT San Diego
By Linda McIntosh
NOV. 25, 2013

Staff Sgt. Chae, CWO3 Huntington, Staff Sgt. Smith, Gunnery Sgt. Gamez, Sgt. Davis, Capt. Arriaga, Sgt. Richardson, Capt. Rogers, Gunnery Sgt. Pritchard, Gunnery Sgt. Rubenacker and Sgt. Ward. Photo by Michelle Hoppe

CAMP PENDLETON — Marines from Camp Pendleton volunteered their time Friday morning to set up a Christmas tree lot with artificial trees at Brother Benno’s thrift Store on Mission Avenue.

Staff Sgt. Chae and Gunnery Sgt. Gamez put together a tree at Brother Bennos Thrift shop. A group of 10 Marines from Marine Air Command and Control Squadron-X put together 15 artificial Christmas trees that the community donated to raise money for the nonprofit which serves the homeless and working poor.

“It would have taken our volunteers days to assemble what they did in a few hours,” said Michelle Hoppe, the store’s manager.
read more here

People took pictures of homeless man dead on the street for a day

Houston Homeless Man Lay Dead For A Day As Passersby Took Pictures Of Him, Did Nothing To Help
Posted: 11/01/2013

A homeless man in Houston was left dead on the sidewalk for close to a day as pedestrians walked by, doing nothing to help. Some even took photos of his lifeless body with their cellphones.

"If they just had used their cell phone to make a call instead of a picture, perhaps this man could still be alive today," Sgt. Brian Harris of the Houston Police Department, told KHOU. "I would like to say our city is better than that, I know our city is better than that."

Police said the man, who was discovered dead by a deputy constable on Tuesday, likely died of natural causes. His identity has not been determined.
read more here

Is this what we've come to?

President Kennedy tried to do right for mentally ill 50 years ago

Kennedy's Vision for Mental Health Never Realized
Associated Press
By MICHELLE R. SMITH
PROVIDENCE, R.I. October 20, 2013 (AP)

The last piece of legislation President John F. Kennedy signed turns 50 this month: the Community Mental Health Act, which helped transform the way people with mental illness are treated and cared for in the United States.

Signed on Oct. 31, 1963, weeks before Kennedy was assassinated, the legislation aimed to build mental health centers accessible to all Americans so that those with mental illnesses could be treated while working and living at home, rather than being kept in neglectful and often abusive state institutions, sometimes for years on end.

Kennedy said when he signed the bill that the legislation to build 1,500 centers would mean the population of those living in state mental hospitals — at that time more than 500,000 people — could be cut in half. In a special message to Congress earlier that year, he said the idea was to successfully and quickly treat patients in their own communities and then return them to "a useful place in society."

Recent deadly mass shootings, including at the Washington Navy Yard and a Colorado movie theater, have been perpetrated by men who were apparently not being adequately treated for serious mental illnesses. Those tragedies have focused public attention on the mental health system and made clear that Kennedy's vision was never fully realized.

The legislation did help to usher in positive life-altering changes for people with serious illnesses such as schizophrenia, many of whom now live normal, productive lives with jobs and families. In 1963, the average stay in a state institution for someone with schizophrenia was 11 years. But only half of the proposed centers were ever built, and those were never fully funded.

Meanwhile, about 90 percent of beds have been cut at state hospitals, according to Paul Appelbaum, a Columbia University psychiatry professor and expert in how the law affects the practice of medicine. In many cases, several mental health experts said, that has left nowhere for the sickest people to turn, so they end up homeless, abusing substances or in prison. The three largest mental health providers in the nation today are jails: Cook County in Illinois, Los Angeles County and Rikers Island in New York.
read more here

Woman accused of MacDill trespass entered Colorado's Fort Carson

Woman accused of MacDill trespass entered Colorado's Fort Carson
William R. Levesque
Times Staff Writer
August 8, 2013

TAMPA — The homeless woman accused of sneaking into MacDill Air Force Base four times since 2012 managed to get onto yet another military base when she entered Fort Carson in Colorado on July 29, a base spokeswoman said Thursday.

Suzanne M. Jensen, 50, showed a driver's license and got into the Army base in Colorado Springs, said Dani Johnson, a spokeswoman for Fort Carson.

Jensen then visited the recruiting office for the 10th Special Forces Group on the base and asked personnel there a series of odd questions, said Johnson.
read more here

NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo proves compassion lives in Manhattan

UPDATE Shoeless man in viral photo was homeless veteran

Larry DePrimo, NYPD Cop, Buys Homeless Man Boots (PHOTO)
Newsday
By Anthony M DeStefano
Posted: 11/29/2012

You have to like what NYPD Officer Larry DePrimo did for a barefoot man in Manhattan one frigid night this month. In fact, more than 260,000 Facebook users have "liked" DePrimo's actions, a number that's growing every day.

After a tourist from Arizona snapped a photo of DePrimo, of Holbrook, giving the man socks and boots to ward off the cold, the image became an instant hit on the NYPD's Facebook page.
read more here

UPDATE
Photo of NYPD officer giving boots to barefoot man warms hearts online
Cop keeps receipt in his vest 'to remind me that sometimes people have it worse'
NBC News
By J. DAVID GOODMAN
On a cold November night in Times Square, Officer Lawrence DePrimo was working a counterterrorism post when he encountered an older, barefooted homeless man. The officer disappeared for a moment, then returned with a new pair of boots, and knelt to help the man put them on.

The act of kindness would have gone unnoticed and mostly forgotten, had it not been for a tourist from Arizona.

Her snapshot — taken with her cellphone on Nov. 14 and posted to the New York Police Department’s official Facebook page late Tuesday — has made Officer DePrimo an overnight Internet hero.

By Wednesday evening, the post had been viewed 1.6 million times, and had attracted nearly 275,000 “likes” and more than 16,000 comments — a runaway hit for a Police Department that waded warily onto the social media platform this summer with mostly canned photos of gun seizures, award ceremonies and the police commissioner.

Among all of those posts, the blurry image of Officer DePrimo kneeling to help the shoeless man as he sat on 42nd Street stood out. “This is definitely the most viral,” said Barbara Chen, a spokeswoman for the department who helps manage its Facebook page.

Mr. Cano volunteered to give the officer his employee discount to bring down the regular $100 price of the all-weather boots to a little more than $75.

read more here

Photo of NYPD officer giving boots to barefoot man warms hearts online Cop keeps receipt in his vest 'to remind me that sometimes people have it worse'

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Fort Lauderdale police need help after homeless man set on fire

Florida Homeless Man Set on Fire During Fight
Published February 19, 2011
FoxNews.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Police in Florida are searching for a man they say set another man on fire during a fight Friday.

Fort Lauderdale police said 58-year-old John Gibbons set 51-year-old William Stouffer on fire early Friday morning while the two were fighting behind a Burger King restaurant.

Stouffer was doused with some kind of accelerant before the other man lit him on fire, Detective Travis Mandell said.

Stouffer's girlfriend told local station WSVN that the men are homeless and both lived in tents near the Burger King.

"All of a sudden, poof, a big ball of fire, and here's Bill screaming like in a big ball of flames," she said.

Stouffer was hospitalized in Miami in critical condition. Police are searching for the man who attacked him.

Police are asking anyone with information on Gibbons's whereabouts to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Read more:
Florida Homeless Man Set on Fire During Fight

Fort Knox soldier pleads no contest in beating of homeless man

Fort Knox Soldier Pleads No Contest in Beating Death of Homeless Man
Posted by Barry Leibowitz

CINCINNATI (CBS/AP) A soldier from Fort Knox in Kentucky pleaded no contest to felonious assault in the beating of a homeless Cincinnati man with a baseball bat and pipe.
go here for more
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20012690-504083.html

St. Petersburg firefighters accidentally run over victim

St. Petersburg firefighters accidentally run over victim they were sent to help
By Jamal Thalji, Times staff writer
Posted: Sep 24, 2009 05:36 PM


ST. PETERSBURG — The callers to 911 Thursday afternoon said there was a man bleeding from the face near the fire station. Two firefighters piled into Rescue 5 to go help him. They opened the garage bay door, turned on the emergency lights and pulled forward.

Then they heard a "thump."

The firefighters accidentally ran over the very person they were sent to help.

"They never even saw him," said St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Lt. Joel Granata.

Authorities said the man who was run over is Ted Allen Lenox, a 41-year-old homeless man. He suffered life-threatening injuries and was at Bayfront Medical Center Thursday night.

read more here
St. Petersburg firefighters accidentally run over victim