During five agonizing months in the hospital, physical pain, emotional anguish and unceasing monotony were constant companions. And yet, one thing I treasured was the sound of the door opening each afternoon with the hospital volunteer delivering mail.

Over those months, I was blessed to receive hundreds of get-well cards, love notes and care packages. Sometimes I’d recognize the sender’s signature, but far more often the note of encouragement would come from someone I had never met. Each note though- whether from a friend or stranger- provided a lifeline to a world outside those four walls, reminding me that someone, somewhere, was thinking of me. It didn’t necessarily change my day, but it reminded me I wasn’t alone.

I thought of that kindness when I read the story of this month’s On Fire For Good honoree. Let me explain.