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People For Good Use Good Deeds to Make Your Day Better

To cram into a packed subway train, you might never guess this is a country known for its politesse. But People for Good, a coalition formed in 2011 by a collaboration between a media and creative agency, has a simple, albeit grandiose, mandate: to make the world a kinder place, one good deed at a time.
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Canadians reap the benefits of our gentle dispositions when we travel abroad, a fact galvanized by other countries "borrowing" our maple leaf for their backpacks, trying to masquerade as us. But to witness rush-hour road rage on the Gardiner Expressway, or cram into a packed subway train, you might never guess this is a country known for its politesse.

In fact, if you catch us at our worse, we can seem downright boorish.

If you do find yourself shoehorned into one of those subway cars and just happen to look up (for salvation? fresh air?) you might find yourself looking smack at a message encouraging kindness courtesy of People for Good.

People for Good, a coalition formed in 2011 by a collaboration between a media and creative agency, has a simple, albeit grandiose, mandate: to make the world a kinder place, one good deed at a time. No catch. No fundraising. No veiled corporate purveyor. Just an honest-to-goodness decree to inspire kindness. How refreshing is that?

While People for Good has been alive and well over the years, it has recently unveiled a fresh new campaign, so get ready to kick-start your do-gooding. In a series of follow up posts, I'll cherry-pick a few of their inspiring ideas, test drive some others and hopefully help spread the message of kindness. In the meantime, check out their newly refreshed site at www.peopleforgood.ca and their brilliant new spot, here.

Random Acts Of Kindness
Fallen Soldier's Tribute(01 of05)
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To honor the memory of a soldier who was killed in action, Jeff Beurline corded off a special spot at his local bar in Connecticut for Lt. Michael P. Murphy. Beurline bought Murphy -- or "Murph," as he was known by friends -- a Guinness and propped a reserved sign on the beer alongside an American flag. The bartender not only agreed to pour random strangers a Guinness throughout the day, but also offered to pay the costs. Read Beurline's account of the act of kindness in his post on Seal of Honor's Facebook page.(Image via Facebook, Jeff Beurline).
Texas A&M Students' Silent Vigil(02 of05)
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To protect the family of Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale from anti-gay protesters on the day of his funeral, Texas A&M students and alumni donned maroon and formed a human wall. Westboro Baptist Church members, who often stage demonstrations military funerals, were planning to stage a protest outside Tisdale's funeral, but never showed up. Fortunately, an estimated 650 people in maroon were there to make sure the family could mourn in peace.(Image via Facebook, Leslie Mott)
French Fry Brother's Kind Offering(03 of05)
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While in China, Jason Loose, who is now known as "French Fry Brother," sat down to chat with a homeless woman and offered her some of his fries. Loose's random act of kindness, caught on camera by a passerby, made waves among Chinese microblogging sites for his altruism.(Image via Matt Cao/Sina Weibo)
Neighbor's Lemonade Fundraiser(04 of05)
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When 8-year-old Johnny Karlinchak saw his neighbor's house crushed by a 60-foot-oak, he ran to his piggy bank and emptied its contents into his neighbor's hands. Unfortunately, the $1.25 would not cover Elissa Myers' $500 deductible so Johnny took to what he knew best -- selling lemonade -- to cover the deficit.(Image via Getty)
5-Year-Old Girl's Well Wishes(05 of05)
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Following a post on Reddit by her dad, Kyle, 5-year-old Alexis Blackburn received a flurry of cards and well wishes from caring strangers. The overflow of support for Alexis inspired someone to create a Reddit thread seeking other sick children in need of encouragement.(Image via Imgur)
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