Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Ripples From A Smile Card Gesture

I went into a local cafe for breakfast one quiet morning with a friend of mine.  I grabbed a smile card as I left my car, not knowing quite what I was going to do with it.  During the meal, I noticed a woman sat by herself, absorbed in a book,  at the table next to us.  I walked over to the waitress, asked how much the woman's check was, and handed her the money and a smile card with the instructions to give the woman the card, with the paid check, but to make sure not to tell her who had done this. When the woman left, the waitress came to the table and told me that the woman was shocked and very happy, said she really needed someone to do this for her, and couldn't wait to pass it on.  But what really touched me was that the waitress said the owner of the cafe had ... Read Full Story >>

5222 Reads

The Joy in a Simple Cappuccino

I have been wanting to use one of my Smile Cards for a while now. 

In the past I have sometimes bought cold drinks for the guys selling newspapers on the street corners or for the homeless handicapped people on the corners.  Well, a few days ago, I decided I would buy a Cappuccino and giving it to one of the newspaper vendors.

This morning (it was a little chilly) I bought two cappuccinos, one for me and one for one of the guys.  Being kind of cold the guys were not out at first.  I drove around looking out on my way to work but didn't find anyone so I kept driving past my work until I finally found a guy just starting to sell his papers. 

I stopped to buy a paper and give him his cappuccino.  I wish you could have seen his surprise and joy at receiving the cappuccino.  His smile was so big and really blessed me and I hope I blessed him on this chilly morning.

1842 Reads

Gifting a Portable Care Package

Yesterday, I chopped hundreds of tomatoes to contribute to a massive, free vegetarian feast that took place today in a park.  As I departed my home to attend the feast, something felt a bit off.  I did not feel right leaving solely with the intention to receive.  Though I had worked many hours to prepare the food, I felt a strong compulsion to continue giving.  So I decided to make a gift out of some leftover vegetarian curry that I had cooked.  I filled a container with the curry and placed it in a plastic bag with a fork and napkin, creating a portable care package. As I went through my day traveling to and from the festival, I kept a watchful eye out for someone who was sincerely hungry (the "sincerely" part is not always easy with many people begging for drug money).  On my way home, I saw a ... Read Full Story >>

2856 Reads

Three Strangers Come Together to Help

It was a busy and stressful day at work. I decided that I had done what I could do and it was time to face the hour-long commute to the East Bay. It was stop-and-go as usual when I finally braved through the Bay Bridge traffic and reached the Powell Street exit ten minutes from my home in Berkeley.  About to exit the freeway, I noticed a large black pick-up truck parked a bit abruptly to the right shoulder. A small Hispanic woman got out of the driver seat and opened the back door. I could barely see her through the tinted windows but something didn’t seem right. Just as I pulled over behind her and got out of the car, she came running towards me -- screaming. As the tiredness of the day slipped away rather quickly, I tried to remain calm and inquire what the situation was and walked ... Read Full Story >>

5880 Reads

An Example in Kindness From a Sister

I don’t have to travel far to find someone whom I greatly admire as a fountain of compassion and kindness.  She's the kind of person who would give someone the shirt off her back or the car that she drives.  My sister, Cindy, actually did give away her family van (a second car) to a young man who was struggling financially and needed transportation to get to his job.  That’s just one of the generous acts that has caught my eye and softened my heart.  She also helps countless families with food and clothing donations. During the Christmas holidays, she and her family of daughters and grandkids pile in the car for a giving extravaganza. Over the years, many homeless people have benefitted from a pair of gloves, a hot meal and more as Cindy and her clan make stops along their goodwill route.   It's really amazing. There are many, many acts of generosity that ... Read Full Story >>

2693 Reads

No Words Necessary (A Photo Story)

This is the kind of stuff that helps renew ones faith in the human race. ... Read Full Story >>

13.5K Reads

'Being the Change' through Card Art

Gandhi once said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  One day I was contemplating this quote and wondering what I could do to make a positive impact on other people’s lives.  I wanted to make a difference because so many people have impacted me that I wished to give back to them and the community.  Since I am a junior in high school, kids and youth who face difficult situations from poverty to homelessness have inspired me to help improve their lives. I have always enjoyed painting, and have been doing so for five years.  But what could I do with my creative skills to change the world?  I decided I needed to take it to the next step and copy and size my paintings to a card.  I then participated in an autumn craft festival selling my handmade and painted cards.  There was still ... Read Full Story >>

1647 Reads

The Power of a Simple Smile

I work in a pharmacy, on the main cash, full time. I love it, it's the perfect job for where I am in life, I feel like I'm learning so much from people. I always tell everyone who I serve to "have a great day" as they leave, and I always add a smile. A few weeks ago a lady was in the pharmacy.  She wallked by me close to the end of the night, looking concentrated, but calm. I told her to have a great day, and as usual, smiled at her.  To my surprise, she broke down in tears. I don't know why she was crying, but it was pretty obvious that she must have been having a horrible day. She quickly said:  "Thank you, that means more right now then you can imagine." And managed a smile, even though she was still crying. I wanted to go over and hug ... Read Full Story >>

8003 Reads

An Opportunity to Help a Blind Person

I was sitting in the local bus station with some friends when I saw a blind man tapping his walking stick to make his way through.  He was struggling because he bumped into many people who did not accommodate his disability.  I could tell he was having a rough time, so I asked where he was going.  He replied that he wanted to get to the end of the bus station.  Desiring to make his trip more smooth, I told him to link his arm with mine, and I led him to the end of the station.  Doing this made me feel so much better, made my day, and I hope made his day as well :)

1421 Reads

Learning and Helping Others

I am currently enrolled in an online course called “Interpersonal Neurobiology” with a professor who I love to connect with.  There are 91 participants for this course, spanning five different continents.  I am simply overwhelmed by the energy and amount of information related to the course.  In one session, it took me four hours to read the content and filter out what was needed! Given this challenge, I created an online Google worksheet, which allows people to share information and leave details about themselves.  People from various countries, such as the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, Scandinavia, etc., have work interests ranging from family and marriage counseling, parenting, and organizational management, to trauma, homeopathy, etc.  The worksheet I created and shared has grown to 26 people who are now sharing much energy and information about different areas of expertise from around the world.  Can you believe this?  :)  One common theme that ... Read Full Story >>

1527 Reads

A Strong Urge to Say Thank You

All the money I had on me yesterday was some loose change, so I went without lunch (I had a freezer full of food back home but I was out and about) and  well, hey, I could stand to miss a meal or ten!  Luckily, it was the end of a little financial lean period. That evening a sizable payment for some work I had done arrived in my bank account. Great! Which bills to pay first? But before dealing with any of that I had the strong urge to say thank you for my blessings. (Oh, it wasn't as clean-cut as that. I had more than a little mental turmoil about giving away money I could be reducing our overdraft with.)  I decided to give a percentage of my payment to a young woman I know who works with abandoned children in Romania - so I electronically zapped the money over. This morning I had ... Read Full Story >>

7032 Reads

Taking a Moment to say Thank You

I just came from watching a sixth grade drama performance at my son's school.  I was so inspired by the teacher that I just wrote her an anonymous "thank you" letter/card and put it in the mail.  This took me all of five minutes to complete, but I hope that it puts a big smile on her face and lets her know how much her work is appreciated. 

1505 Reads

Kindness Makes for a Wonderful Day

I have just got back from my university library and I am feeling over the moon! I was so loaded down with a big stressful assignment and all the articles from academic journals, industry reports, research books and trade magazines I had to find. I didn't know where to start. But that all changed when I met the kindest librarian ever! She spent an hour going through everything with me... teaching me how to find the best articles, reports etc...and then she showed me different ways to get to the next steps. She gave me a number of amazing books, articles, journals that I would have never come across if it wasn't for her. I'm so excited to get right into the assignments now! She inspired me so much by her positive attitude, friendly way, her kind and caring nature! She was a person who makes you want to come back again. People like this who set a ... Read Full Story >>

1726 Reads

The Improbable Dance

In a Chinese modern dance competition on TV one very unique couple won one of the top prizes. The lady, in her 30's, was a dancer who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in life, she lost her entire left arm in an accident and fell into a state of depression for a few years.   Someone then asked her to coach a  children's dancing  group. From that point on, she realized that she could not forget dancing. She still loved to dance and wanted to dance again. So, she started to do some of her old routines, but, having lost her arm, she had also lost her balance.   It took a while before she could even make simple turns and spins without falling. Then she heard of a man in his 20s who had lost a leg in an accident. He had also fallen into the usual denial, depression ... Read Full Story >>

6275 Reads

A Kind Man We Couldn't Have Done Without

Several years ago, when I was a single mother with 2 teenage boys, I took a trip to Florida, with my youngest son and dog in tow, to visit with my daughter while her husband was in basic training.  

On my return home to Michigan, the engine on my car blew.  I was stuck in northern Florida with a car that wouldn't go anywhere, very little money, a 17-year old son and a dog.  A very kind man not only stopped and picked us up, but began to make calls to find a place that could repair my car and which was close to a motel we could afford to stay in.  

We bypassed two towns because he didn't consider them safe for us to stay in.  When we reached Valdosta, Georgia, he dropped us right at the door of the motel and made sure that we had a room, as well as making sure that our car had been towed to the local repair facility.  

I don't know what we would have done without the kindness of this man, who asked for nothing in return.  I wish I could find him and tell him how much this one act has affected my whole life.  I have tried ever since to do what I can to help others.A KI

1715 Reads

A Muffin Packed With Potential

As I walked along the city streets, I passed a man who was rummaging through a small strip of land that contained a mix of leaves and debris.  Finding this slightly odd, I asked him, "What are you searching for?"  His response, very simply, was bills of money.  Upon further conversation, I found out that he had become homeless just a month-and-a-half ago after getting laid off from his job and dropping out of college.  Since then, he had been working odd jobs and alternating between the doctor's office and the food bank.  The man seemed fairly competent, albeit dirty, and I was somewhat puzzled why someone like him would be rummaging through debris searching for buried dollar bills. I offered him a fresh-baked whole wheat peanut muffin from a batch that I had baked that day.  His eyes lit up, and he eagerly jumped on my offer.  He immediately unwrapped the ... Read Full Story >>

1701 Reads

A Humbling Experience in Receiving Random Kindness

Many of the stories that I read on HelpOthers are all about helping other people, doing acts of kindness for someone else.  Often times it's easy to forget that no matter who you are, you're not always the giver - sometimes it's we who receive that random act of kindness.  When it happens, it almost feels odd to some extent that you are on the other end - receiving vs. giving. In some way, it can be quite a humbling experience.   And so my story begins .... My daughter and I had gone into Subway one evening to get sandwiches for the two of us, plus one for my wife.  Prior to going to Subway, I had checked my bank account to make sure that I had money on my debit card.  I had moved what I thought to be several hundred dollars to my card.  Come to find out in ... Read Full Story >>

8048 Reads

Waiting Room Patience

I'm fairly young and I'm disabled and therefore I have to go to different doctors quite often.  I have always noticed that people in waiting rooms seem bored, they sit quietly ignoring each other, and everyone seems concerned about their own problems. 

I always try to take a few of my recent magazines to add to the racks, because their magazines are usually old and torn up.  I often offer a few to anyone there and try to start a conversation with them.  Anything to get them talking and to get their minds off their problems. 

The nurses accuse me of "working the waiting rooms like a stand up comedian" because I have jokes that I tell - only clean ones, usually!- but I have found that most people really want to pass time by talking about something other than what they are there for.  I respect someone if they choose not to participate, but so far everyone has enjoyed some very lively conversations. Even if you aren't a "chatty cathy" like me, you could try to start a conversation and you'll find most of the time, others will carry it for you.

1590 Reads

Showering People With Card Kindness

My aunt, a very young 70, has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.  The diagnosis in itself has been shattering, all she thinks about is how her family is going to react.  She says "I'm going to go crazy", and we're all trying to explain that's not the case.  It's reasonable to say she's been going through depression, and she tells me she cries herself to sleep at night. 

I went shopping and bought a ton of funny cards.  Every three days I mail a card to her - she's out of state - and eventually she called me. "I want to know", she said, "did you recently buy stock in a card company?"  I write little funny notes inside each card, sometimes on the envelope, too. 

Maybe if you have a relative, or a sick neighbor,  or a new mother around you, you could anonymously shower them with cards.  I get a kick each time I send one to her. I hope she's enjoying them, too, I don't want her to forget that I love her.

1723 Reads

Goodness Begets More Goodness: How a Muffin Changed Our Day

Four of us walk into a coffee shop -- Jessica, Russell, Michelin and I.  We're all super committed to birthing a gift-economy world view.  Like all activities rooted in generosity, our conversation also takes on an escalating charge as we speak about the nature of things -- "Goodness just begets more goodness.  Lots of people don't trust that, because sometimes it takes time, but sooner or later, goodness does beget more goodness."   Right then, the waitress comes over and offers us a bran-muffin as a gift.  Completely stunned, we look at her silently begging for an explanation.  With a smile that says everything, she adds, "You know, we're closing and the muffin won't survive the night, so instead of wasting it, I thought I'd give it away." The waitress disappeared quickly, but we were bubbling with compassion that was very pregnant for expression.   We find the janitor, thank him for his ... Read Full Story >>

6349 Reads