NICE Person of the Week: Patty Solyntjes

I am so excited to start this feature on Operation NICE! I think it'll be a lot of fun, and I hope you all enjoy it!

This week's NICE Person was submitted by Sarah Karnas of Minnesota. She nominated her mom, Patty. Say it with me, "Awwwwwwww!"

What makes Patty so NICE:

Everyone thinks that their mom is the nicest! But while my mom is the "best mom ever" and would do "anything in the world" for me, she is special because she consistently goes out of her way for others on a daily basis.

To demonstrate, here are two examples from opposite sides of the spectrum... the simple gesture and the extreme effort... both of which we know can make a big difference.

The simple gesture: Starting long before my grandma recently passed away, my mom was at the nursing home nearly every day. Spending so much time there, she really got to know the staff. On occasion, she would surprise the staff with a box of donuts or cupcakes or other treats to brighten their day. I think it was a really simple way to show them how much their hard work is appreciated when many people probably take them for granted.

The extreme effort: It is difficult to begin to express all of the details of this story, but I will try to provide enough of a summary to capture the true level of "niceness". Basically, my mother came across a listing on Craigslist from a young woman that was looking for inexpensive baby items. My mom often collects and purchases items when she comes across a good deal so that she can donate them later. So, she replied to the woman and told her that she could have the items if it matched what she needed. When the woman arrived to pick them up, they got to talking, and the woman revealed her story to my mom. She was about 7 months pregnant, and her abusive boyfriend and father of the baby had just left her. He took all of the baby items with him just to be mean, and she was left with nothing. Furthermore, her parents had cut off communication with her because they were upset that the daughter had gotten pregnant at a young age, and that the man was of a different race. Before the woman left, my mom gave her $100. She admits that she didn't entirely know whether to trust the woman, but decided that regardless of whether her story was true, she needed the money. The woman cried, making it pretty obvious that her unfortunate story was true. Anyway... the woman and my mom ended up developing a very strong friendship. My mom continued to help out in little ways here and there, provided emotional support, and welcomed her at family holidays. When the baby was born, the woman gave her the middle name "Patrice" after my mom. A really sweet tribute, I think.

This is a woman who actually shops for donations! Amazing! She is generous, gracious, and compassionate, and she's the perfect person to kick off this feature. Thank you, Patty Solyntjes! The world needs more NICE people like you! And thank you, Sarah, for sending in your nomination!

Do you have someone that you'd like to nominate as the NICE Person of the Week? If so, CLICK HERE for more details.