Pay it forward

Well, Jodi Champagne, whose act of generosity I wrote about on Saturday, wasn't one of the featured stories on Monday's "Oprah," but it was still a cool story.

In October, "Oprah" had given each audience member $1,000 and asked them to spend the money to help a total stranger. Champagne was in the audience and she decided to help some local families who had lost their homes and possessions in a fire. First, she helped sisters Jenna and Baily Schryver, who lost everything in an apartment fire Oct. 15. Then, using an additional $1,000 that Wal-Mart provided, together they bought clothes and furniture for the Lopez family, who lost everything in a fire just a few days after the Schryvers.

Anyway, Oprah had a lot of heartbreaking and heartwarming stories about helping kids, helping patients, helping the homeless. So, a good hour of television even without a local connection.