Rebels with causes

Modesty Zone has a section that features a Rebel of the Month. Stereotypical rebels these are not, but they are counter-cultural in one way or another. "Our rebels make James Dean look like a chipmunk," says the site. Frankly, it's a delight to read about these rebels and what they're doing. Debbie Tenzer is one of them, whose story is excerpted below. Her background is in advertising and marketing, and among her most popular clients were Columbia Pictures and the Walt Disney Company. Monday mornings also find her on a radio show. How she got to start www.DoOneNiceThing.com is in her story. Excerpt:

Debbie didn't know how to end world hunger, but she realized that she could donate some canned food. She couldn't do much about poor schools, but she could send them her kids' old books. LA traffic is always pretty bad, but Debbie saw that she could try to drive more considerately and give a little 'thank you' wave when someone let her into their lane. "I saw opportunities to help all around me."

That's when Debbie committed to doing one nice thing each week. She chose Monday as her "Nice Thing" day because "that's the day that we need help the most."

Each week DoOneNiceThing.com shines the spotlight on one exceptionally kind individual, and invites visitors to submit their own "nice thing" ideas. These are then posted, along with the names and photos of kind people who are nominated.

So far DoOneNiceThing members have:

• Donated hundreds of free mammograms for women who can't afford them.
  
  
• Cheered nursing home residents with hand-made drawings.
  
  
• Given backpacks to foster children who now have something to carry their
  clothes in as they move from home to home.
  
  
• Sent numerous supportive emails to American soldiers.
  
  
• Donated hundreds of books to libraries, children's hospitals and schools,
  including to schools affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Read about Debbie here. Check out other rebels like Sarah Pevey and a band called Barlowgirl.