Small Acts, Big Love

When I asked Elle my golden question, “What have you learned about love from this experience?” she got teary eyed with me. And I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt love so deeply. We reflected together on how a lot of our world has been chaotic lately.  However, even when disasters strike, there are still good people in the world that want to help out. Elle has created three Amazon lists to help people out. Her most recent followed the Road 203 fire.

A year ago, Elle created her first Amazon list to help support Juniper, a beagle she found running along the highway that had been shot in the head. After she rushed her to the vet, they told her that things didn’t look good and suggested that she put her down. But Elle felt deeply that she found this dog for a reason. The vet explained that she would have to drive several hours away to get a surgery for Juni that may not even fully work out and it would cost $5,000 dollars. It was then that she took a leap of faith and asked people online to help her through an Amazon list. This list had things like dog food and items needed to care for Juni. Before she knew it, her following grew tremendously because so many people were touched by her story and wanted to help her and her dog. 

In addition to this, Elle has a friend who is a Kindergarten teacher. For Valentines Day she had a dream for her students to receive letters from people in all 50 states. Elle loved all the heart that was going into this project so she went to her online community to spread the word. People were asking if the class also had an Amazon list so she created her second one and shared it with her community. This list featured simple items like pencils, pens, and paper for the students. In the end they received over 2,500 letters and many supplies. 

Her most recent Amazon list was started about a week ago and is still active. Since some of Elle’s family has been directly affected by the Road 203 fire, she felt deeply about finding a way to help out. At first she didn’t really know what to put in this list so she did research by asking a gas station worker what the firemen usually pick up. Now this list includes survival items such as lip balm, phone chargers, eye drops, wipes, snacks, gatorade packets, and tylenol. 

Elle’s heart is so pure and selfless, I was almost certain she was born and raised in small town Nebraska. But during our conversation she told me she moved to her grandparent’s ranch in 2021. She is originally from a big city in Northern Virginia that’s close to D.C. Initially, she didn’t plan to stay so long in Nebraska but she quickly fell in love with the culture and the good hearted people. 

During times of tragedy, we often do not know what to do but I’d argue that we all want to do something. In times like this, things seem so overwhelming and we feel powerless. Elle’s Amazon wish lists remind us that we can make helping others simple. Afterall, the small acts really are the big acts because most big acts do not get done. Many people do want to help those in need in any way they can, they just don’t know how to. So if we create simple actionable steps, the help can be largely impactful in the end. 

THAT’S LOVE.

The Heart of Omaha is grateful to connect with fellow Nebraskans during difficult times. Thank you Elle for sharing your story with us. I invite you to follow her on her journey of taking action on spreading kindness. You can follow Elle on social media at Tails on the Prairie.

Shana Schoone writes “The Heart of Omaha,” a weekly column celebrating all the ways love is shown in the O.