Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Rescuing Two Children from Abandonment

I recently rescued my two stepdaughters from their mother's house. She abandoned them for 3 days, and we found out she was in Colorado. The apartment they were staying in was completely flea-infested, and there wasn't any food. The girls, ages 11 and 14, had been staying with their papaw since there mother had left. After a 30-minute pack job to take just their clothes, we left without looking back. Since then, their mother has only called once, and that was to see if she was still getting child support.

I got everything washed and re-did their bedroom here. My husband and I don't know what we are going to do financially, but we pray for a miracle ever day. The girls are so happy now, and they get to be with their little brother. We may be strapped financially every day, but the children love just being loved.

Smile Deck Art

I have been a fan of the HelpOthers website for several years, and I love reading the amazing stories every week. I recently ordered a Smile Deck and was delighted when it arrived in the mail shortly thereafter.

I am a massage therapist and run my business from home, so I thought I would share the deck of cards with all my clients. I went to a custom frame shop and had the cards presented beautifully for all to enjoy:

Now when clients come into the room, they are greeted with an inspiring piece of art. I also have a stash of Smile Cards that I hand out to each client so s/he can keep the kindness circle going!

Thank you for the Smile Cards and for the Smile Deck. They continue to motivate and encourage me every day!!

Placemats for Seniors Who Made Our Existence Possible

We make crafts with the children of the community at our local outreach center every week. Once a month, we make crafts for others, and I have a comment box so the children can give their own ideas. The children LOVE making crafts for others, they have shared lots of reasons for doing so, and we often go over the reasons we are giving to others.

One of the young children wanted to make placemats for seniors.  We have done this before, but this little girl was not previously in attendance :). We created placemats, and I asked her why she wanted to make them for seniors.

She responded by saying something that I will never forget. From a 6 year-old's mouth: "We are everything because of those that lived here before us." Amazing! We then went to our local seniors' home, and the kids set the tables, including the placemats that they made. They also sang to the seniors during the seniors' lunch. We had many smiles...seniors and children alike! It was wonderful!!

I hope that others do this also...it was very enjoyable for all involved!

It's in the (Reusable) Bag

I was at the grocery store today and noticed that its reusable grocery bags were on sale.  I always hate to see people using plastic bags for many reasons, mainly because we live near the ocean, I often see plastic bags being blown around, and many end up being eaten by whales, dolphins, and other animals that think the bags are food.  I bought 4 of the reusable bags and asked the cashier to give them to the next 4 people who didn't have a reusable bag.  The cashier thought it was a great idea and added a few more bags :-).

Dining with Mr. Yepp, a Smiling Face in the Cafeteria

I was a freshman in college when I met Mr. Yepp. He was friendly and smiled a lot. He was almost always standing by the cashier that checked us into the university cafeteria, and I would run into Mr. Yepp during three of my daily meals. However, as the years past, I became annoyed by him. He would stand there and shake every person’s hand that came through the cafeteria. This was a problem for me because I did not want to offend him by refusing his handshake; however, I did not want to shake hands with him before coming into the cafeteria to eat because he was shaking every single person’s hand, and I had sanitary concerns. When we had the swine flu outbreak at the university, I started to avoid him by going through the back door. I am out of college now, work full-time, and Mr. Yepp is still ... Read Full Story >>

A Two Dollar Tip That Was Worth Much More

A Smile Card Wins The Lottery

  While I was in hospital for back surgery recently I was looked after by a nurse called Deitrich. She worked the night shifts and took very good care of me.   One night things were quiet and when Deitrich came in to take my blood pressure we started to talk about our family situations. Then she asked what I enjoyed doing most. I replied that I liked helping people and doing charity work. Deitrich  said she thought she would enjoy doing that kind of thing too, perhaps with her church.   The day I was discharged we hugged and she gave me a kiss on the cheek. In return I gave her a Smile card and ten dollars. She didnt want the money but I told her to read the card  and assured her the money was from my heart. "Now you have the power to do something for yourself or make adifference for ... Read Full Story >>

I Could Not Feel More Blessed

Sundae In Dallas

  I got back to Dallas yesterday after a two week trip and  the first thing that hit me was the scorching heat! A forty degree change in temperature, almost hitting a hundred degrees Farenheit.    On top of that the apartment's air conditioning went bang and wouldn't work any more.    On the plus side I also got my package of Smile cards today, so I decided to use some of them right away.    My friend and I went to have an ice cream at our favourite store. Once we had placed the orders I told the man behind the counter I wanted to pay for an extra ice-cream sundae and told him to give it to the next person who asked for one, along with the smile card.   We were still enjoying ours when we saw the next person get their free sundae. And it was delivered with a smile card too!    It was worth it ... Read Full Story >>

Old Clothes Become New Gifts

Many of my friends meet on Wednesday in the early morning to go to a specific parking lot sale held at a thrift store. We love it because we can put whatever fits into the grocery bag  for just $1. As we finished one day, paid our dollars, and stayed to talk a bit, we noticed the clothing that remained was being scooped up and being thrown into their dumpster. We asked why, and they said they had no room for the extra clothes and it would pile up very quickly. I asked them why they have not contacted other places like churches, shelters for women and children. They said they did several times in the past and they only came two or three times and stopped as they had to be there at a specific time in the morning which was right after the parking lot sale. After coming a ... Read Full Story >>

A Simple Pleasure In A Disaster Zone

Nature's Beautiful Church

  I love hiking and being outdoors. I loved it even more when I found I could use my passion to help others.   Some of the other moms I meet on the school run are either single parents or have a child with special needs. So, I offered to take their child or children (usually boys around my son's age) on hikes with my son and I. This allows the mother to have some respite care and for herself without having the costs associated with hiring a sitter.   Today I offered my friend  that opportunity and took her son with us on a hike to Paradise Falls.    The weather was perfect, just enough sun but still cool and breezy. During part of our trek we were gently misted with sprinklings of rain that refreshed us and kept us cool as we made it to our final destination - a stunning forty-foot waterfall that cascaded ... Read Full Story >>

It's People That Always Surprise You

I had little in the way of money when I took this job at McCrory's in Ft. Lauderdale. In fact to ease me through hunger pangs at noon, I sat outside at a little park/bus stop area and had a piece of bubble gum, ate half with a glass of water. I was okay with that. I certainly would not starve to death that quickly. I minded my own business and enjoyed the sunshine, birds and people, wiping out any problems I had. Life is always beautiful and things always change is how I think. A tall man approached me who was not disheveled and struck up a conversation about little things. I always dressed clean and neat, well that must have given him the impression I had money. He said, I wanted to ask you ''if you could give me some money.''  I said ''I don't have any.'' He kept on asking, ... Read Full Story >>

Make someone smile :)

Inspired by the idea of making someone smile everyday by giving them a small gift anonymously.

My friends and I were sitting in a restaurant.  There was a traditional day being celebrated in a college near by so the place was full of the college students dressed up beautifully in ethnic wear.  We were just looking around and we saw this really pretty girl wearing a simple blue and green colour saree and she had a lovely smile.  We had a small, palm size, colourful kite with us, so we wrote a small note on it for her about how pretty she was and asked the waiter to give it to her.

She looked shocked initially but then she read the note and she smiled.  The look on her face was priceless.The waiter pointed towards us and told her that we gave it to her, she said thankyou to us.

She looked really happy after that.

I felt really great after that and ever since then I've been smiling too. :)

Its a small act but its just the start. :)

We.

Many of you I know here, are souls who are oftentimes caught on fire ... Some of you are homeless, jobless, or your spouse is jobless, lonely due to the loss of your loved ones, seeking loved ones, seeking new ventures come your way, been through terrible illnesses, emotional rollercoasters due to family issues ... and going through plenty of other problems. The strangest truth being, life and nature has been FAIR in choosing people beyond color, caste, race, creed, country.  Each challenge shows us things about life and nature ... Now I take this moment to make an unconditional prayer for each of you ... the following way. 'May you find a roof above our head, a morsel to feed you and a hand to reach out to your loved ones. May you find a place with money awaiting your presence. May you just know your loved one had to go ... Read Full Story >>

Few Quotes To Motivate U !

Hi Friends, Am posting you few Quotes to Motivate you all. Men take only their needs into consideration, never their abilities. Napoleon Bonaparte Start living now. Stop saving the good china for that special occasion. Stop withholding your love until that special person materializes. Every day you are alive is a special occasion. Every minute, every breath, is a gift from God. Mary Manin Morrissey You’ve got to sing like you don’t need the money, love like you’ll never get hurt. You’ve got to dance like no one is watching. It’s gotta come from the heart, if you want it to work. Susannah Clark The consciousness of loving and being loved brings a warmth and richness to life that nothing else can bring. Oscar Wilde Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. Thomas Carlyle Nor has he spent his life badly who has passed it in privacy. Cicero The art ... Read Full Story >>

Giving To A Community Who Have Lost So Much.

A very rare and vicious storm unleashed it's wrath on a small community called Grantham in Queensland, Australia - just west of Brisbane.  No-one was warned, no-one was prepared...

The storm was described as an inland tsunami as a 20 metre wall of water tore through the entire town, taking with it whole houses, businesses, cars, livestock and people.  Many people lost not just all of their possessions but family and friends too.

Our small community here in Rainworth, Brisbane who have also experienced local flooding but not as severe are banding together to buy school supplies and swimming gear so that the children of Grantham can start school, and hopefully experience a normal routine again, something very important for their emotional well being while their families are coming to terms with their shocking losses.  I am overwhelmed with tears thinking that our donations will bring some light to the eyes of others who are only seeing darkness at this stage of their lives.

The Power Of Being Kind

Hello, my Name is Maik and I am 37 Years old. I am new on this Page and I'd like to share one experience I made a few days ago which teached me the power of being kind.  About 15 Years ago I was studying at a University in Münster, Germany. The people I spent most my time was a group of friends. we were about 10 people. Sometimes we went out together for parties, but most of the time we did our own parties back at someones home. First we sat and talked and at some point during the night we put away the chairs and tables and started dancing. It may not sound that special when I write about it, but what was special to me was the support we shared for each other. For example, when someone had to move from one flat to the other, these friends ... Read Full Story >>

Smiling in College!

As an upperclassman at a small, private college, I have been blessed with the support of many friends and family throughout the years. Additionally, I have fallen in love with the school I am at and continually remind myself the opportunities I am afforded here. Nerveless, when you head to college, it is still not home. Making cards, packages, and small notes has been the highlight of my days!

After my freshman year of college, the number of packages I recieved greatly decreased. Recently, I had not received mail in a few weeks and was blessed to find a wonderful “Smile” card and piece of candy in my mailbox!

What a fantastic surprise; my spirits were lifted. I decided to pas on the Smile card to one of my international residents (I am a RA on a first-year women’s hall).  It was so nice to share!  

My Giving Friend!