- My name is Sadie Guthrie,
and I am a special ed teacher at Lawton Alternative School.
I think the advantage special ed teachers have,
and as we get so close to the family, we work so hard
with certain students every day, that you kind of,
you can't not have an emotional relationship
with these families and kids.
Sometimes it's really difficult for special ed,
or at school settings, to be like,
"Okay, you go talk to this person,"
but if you don't have like a common ground,
it's pretty difficult, and I think when I thought
to bring Coffee Cart to Lawton,
I just really thought there could be nothing better
to improve our community, and give the kids
in my class more opportunity to become part
of the greater school community.
I think everyone was a little hesitant to start.
They didn't really get the purpose, but once I kind
of explained how we're learning job skills and independence
and responsibility and all these functional skills,
and we're being a part of the community,
it kind of started to click,
and then when we started doing it, it just rocketed.
We go to Devil's Teeth, which is a local bakery,
and we get a baked good donation.
Nathan, walk, please.
We're now out in the actual community, showing people really
what we're capable of, then we have
to learn transportation skills,
which are really important in big urban cities.
We then have to take the transportation
to get the baked goods, where we do kind
of like social interactions with strangers.
Safe strangers, obviously.
- Hello, my name is Noah, and I'm from Lawton Middle School,
and we're here to pick up the baked goods.
- Awesome.
We're gonna get those right out for you, Noah.
- Yeah!
- Yum, action.
- [Woman] I think we're good.
- [Man] Noah.
- So Coffee Cart's kind of cool,
because we're creating community within our school,
and it's mobile, so my students are getting
out of the classroom.
They're being seen as very productive,
contributing members of our school.
- Coffee. - I hope they love it.
- [Boy] Coffee.
- Oh, you have my favorite scones.
So I would like a scone to accompany my tea, please.
- Give her a scone.
- Any school in this country could take this example
to help transform their own school community, to make sure
that every child feels accepted, that every child feels
that they belong, that they have a place.
- They're incredibly charismatic.
There's something about each and every one of them
that makes you want to talk to them more and see them more.
Coffee Cart does such a special, unique thing
that no other students get to do, so they're kind
of big man on campus kind of thing.
They really like it, and feel important when they do it.
I see so much in them, and kids with disabilities
in general, so when I hear people kind of,
even unintentionally put them down
or not expect the best, it's hard.
- Even if you face challenges,
those challenges aren't necessarily the important part.
It's more like, what are the skills
that you do have that you're gonna use to move forward?
So it's less about what are you struggling with,
it's more about how awesome can you be?
- [Reporter] The disaster in Dickinson, Texas started
under the cover of darkness.
- [Reporter] No one was prepared.
- You couldn't see anything.
It was bad.
You can hear screams.
The helicopters was flying over us,
but they was going to other areas.
We couldn't get no help.
- As rains submerged the city,
a surprising hero emerged in the disaster.
- [Reporter] What a story this is.
This 13-year-old...
- I can't believe it myself.
I can't believe it, but he did it.
He did it.
- There was water coming in through the door.
The water started getting higher,
so we went outside to go see if we could go see something.
We saw V there swimming around.
- They say they can't swim.
I have to help them.
I have an air mattress, and he said,
"I'm fixin' to swim back."
He went behind this building,
where his friend called him, and brought them back.
They was all drying off.
Virgil was standing up there, and we heard screams,
and Virgil said, "I hear someone screaming,"
and it was this lady over here in the wheelchair,
so Virgil came down, swam with the air mattress,
burst a window right there, got the lady out,
and then his mother thought about a little cute,
little dog she had, and she wanted her dog too,
so Virgil put the dog on the air mattress too.
After the last person, they brought the air mattress back.
It burst, and that was it.
- You know, I don't think a lot
of the kids know that it was him.
He didn't go around bragging to people.
We didn't even know it.
He came into school, and continued
to be the person he is.
- The plan today is to celebrate him,
and give him a standing ovation.
He has no idea.
- He did something that not very many people can do.
He went out at two o'clock in the morning
on an air mattress, and saved 17 people.
- He did a good thing to help people.
- Everybody just started looking at me,
and I'd just seen cameras all around my face.
I feel pretty good about everybody clapping for me.
I feel pretty good.
- You've grown up to be this beautiful young lady.
- Having kids young was hard for them,
and they had to give up a lot of stuff for that.
I think someday we'll be able to give back
to them what they gave to us.
I'm very thankful for my parents.
- [Director] What are your hopes and dreams for them?
- That they get to live their dream.
- And Joshua, you are my baby boy.
You are my little cuddle man, and I appreciate that,
because sometimes this world needs a man
who is not afraid to show love.
- I really love her a lot.
I don't think I tell her "thank you" enough.
I appreciate that she takes time and spends time with me.
- I'm doing everything I can to make sure
that she becomes the most successful person
that she wants to be, and that she's in control
of her own destiny.
Aww!
Love you.
Love you, love you, love you, love you.
Love you, Shooby-Dooby.
- They're crying the whole time.
- Thank you for saying all the good things about me.
- Well, I like that we spent a Sunday afternoon
just opening up and talking about
what we mean to each other.
It's nice.
It's nice to do that for each other,
and it's not even Thanksgiving, so that's great.
- That was so amazing.
- Don't think that we stop living because we had children.
You were part of the dream.
You guys both were.
- We're here today because Ms. Flexer has been teaching
for 41 years, and she's retiring, so today we just want
to surprise her with a room full of her former students,
and let her know how much we appreciate her.
- [Woman] Come on in!
- Look at your first-year student.
Over here, the red shirt.
- Oh, my.
Aww!
- [Woman] I love you.
Oh, my gosh.
And I was just talking about you.
Oh, my God, I keep looking at 'em, and, oh, my God.
I keep, I don't, I...
Y'all, I'm so embarrassed I don't even...
- Ms. Flexer, everyone has either prepared something
to say to you, or they've written you a letter.
- Oh, my God.
- I believe it was 1994 when I was in your class.
You were always my favorite teacher.
You also have my little cousins here now.
- You wrote the sweetest letters in my report cards.
You were definitely one
of the sweetest teachers I've ever had.
- I remember in the first grade, you pushed me and my sister
to do so well, and I think that's
what makes you the great teacher that you are.
- I remember one particular day in school.
For some reason, you asked me to sing a song or something,
and you got really excited, and you were like, "Oh, my God."
That's so wonderful.
Go next door and sing it for them.
You had me walk around to, I think,
two or three different classrooms singing this one song,
but the first time I didn't feel like I was awkward.
I felt like something I could do that was special.
I really appreciate it.
- Thank you. - Thank you so much.
- I was a timid little blonde,
and your love for me gave me the confidence
to grow into the woman I am today.
You hold such a special place in my heart,
and I will cherish the impact you've had on my life forever.
- Okay, so Ms. Flexer?
- Yes, ma'am?
- This medal is presented to you on behalf
of all the teachers and all the students,
and most importantly, by Kid President,
this is your Medal of Awesome.
- Oh, thank you.
I was very, very surprised.
I'm never at a loss for words, really,
I was sort of at a loss for words.
- Welcome to Lava Mae.
- [Woman] What services do you need the most today?
- Coffee and a haircut.
- I'm Doniece Sandoval, and I am the founder
and CEO of Lava Mae.
Lava Mae started off as an organization
that transformed public transportation buses into showers
and toilets on wheels for the homeless.
Here in the city of San Francisco,
we've created pop-up care villages
where we're actually bringing as many providers
as we can out to the street where people are.
- I haven't washed my hair in a week.
- [Stylist] We'll get you freshened up.
- Thanks a lot.
- My name is Brocklyn Grever.
I'm from Wisconsin.
I'm a singer/songwriter.
I'm an artist.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I don't belong on the street.
I really don't.
Going in.
- You watch one person go on to get a shower,
and a totally different person comes out.
- And I'm out.
Ta-da!
Last time I had a shower was probably a week
and a half ago, but I'm thankful for the services.
- Lava Mae is really about what we call radical hospitality,
that the way you serve people is as important
as the service itself.
All too frequently, people end up feeling invisible.
- A lot of time, they just need acknowledgement,
and some human contact goes a long way.
Good to see you, ma'am.
Right on, brother, you look good.
We'll be out here again for sure.
All right?
- All right, I'll come see you at the barber shop.
- There you go.
Good to see you, my man.
Thank you.
All these people need friends.
We all need friends.
- But the heart of this is restoring
or rekindling a sense of dignity in people.
You have to lead with love.
These tiny acts of kindness
and compassion can transform almost anything.
You have no idea what the impact might be for them,
and then beyond.
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