Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Feeding the Soul by Helping People

Hi all, I would just like to say what a FAB site this is, and I feel blessed to be in this with soooo many beautiful people. At the tail end of 2007, my wife at the time told me that our marriage was over.  It hit me extremely hard emotionally, physically, and financially.  I had my faith in a lot of things taken away from me.  But that all changed because of the love of the person that I was put on this earth to be with!! To cut a long story short, I put my house on the market (selling it at the worst possible time due to the economic meltdown), made a pittance on the sale, but I did not mind because at least I wasn't in negative equity.  Being grateful for what I have, instead of dwelling on what I don't have has really kept me in ... Read Full Story >>

50 Acts Of Kindness in 15 Days

I had decided to do as many acts of kindness as possible during the month of September, and I must say that I have surprised myself. I I never thought that I would get that much done in such a little space of time. I haven't done anything  extra-ordinary, but I have been making sure to keep doing them. For example today is the birthday of a friend from HO and also from a very good friend (almost like a sister) from PT so I decided to top up their birthday presents by donating a small amount to a charity on their behalf that is going to allow 1 child to have clean water for a year, and 1 child to have medical care for 3 months, that didn't cost me the earth and I think it gave their birthdays a RAOK touch.  Other things I've done include: sending a card to a ... Read Full Story >>

Smile Cards in Action at School

I've mainly been using my smile cards in paying for the person behind me at the Burger King and McDonald's drive-thrus that I go to.  However, sometimes I find myself yearning to be more creative with them.  I have over 250 of them to distribute since I "made" my own and ordered them through a website that prints and ships out custom cards.  I have decided to bring kindness to the staff and students at the school where I work.  I will keep my eyes and ears open to see whose day could use a smile.  I'm sure I'll get to everyone sooner or later or better yet, everyone who receives smile cards will eventually be able to help out and spread the smiles with me.  Today, I enlisted another co-worker to anonymously deliver a smile to my first recipient.  She was more than happy to be included and said she just loved things like ... Read Full Story >>

A Little Bit of Help for a Stranger

I was shopping in a large thrift store when I overheard a conversation between a young man who worked there and his supervisor.

The young man was obviously sick and was asking to go home. When the supervisor said he could leave the young man said he would walk over to a friend's house (some distance away) and borrow $10 so he could get his prescription filled and make it back to work the next day.

Something about the thought of that sick young man walking all over town to try to borrow money for medicine really touched me. As he walked past me to leave the store I held out $10 and said "This is for your medicine."

I'll never forget the look on his face which bordered on shock and then melted into relief as he accepted the my gift. His appreciation was a gift to me!

Kindness For A Bride

Imagine a remote and war torn region where two couples decide to wed. Imagine they had nothing but what the church  and their friends could contribute. I was heading to my home town, the same town where this couple were trying to become husband and wife. As I arrived, the preparations were already under way. What little was being done for them came from the kindness of the community. That's how I came to hear the matron speaking to the bride and suggesting they could sleep in the church the night before, wake up early, and go to a nearby building where they could get ready before the service. They didnt have anywhere to stay, nor any money for a hotel. So, I asked the bride if i could invite her to my house (after explaining who I was to her.) She gratefully said, "Yes." I spoke to her church leaders since the wedding was set for the ... Read Full Story >>

Stories for an Extra Special Listener

 This isn't so much a kindness story as a lovely moment. Every once in a while I go along to a local radio station to record some stories that go out as a 'Thought For The Day'. Usually the sound engineer is very fussy about background noise when we are recording. Sometimes there are other people in the studio and he makes sure they know silence is the order of the moment. Today there were two people in the studio. One was teenage boy working at a computer keyboard. The other was a woman who might have been his mother or his helper. We exchanged some pleasantries and she asked if I was doing 'Thought For The Day'. I said, "Yeah," but joked I was self-conscious. "So, nobody listen," I said in a mock raised voice. Then we began to record. While I spoke into the microphone I noticed the woman talking to the boy - ... Read Full Story >>

Kindness Returned After 35 Years

My grandfather was the head of his village for nearly 20 years until we moved to a different city. About a month back, my grandfather was out for his usual evening walk to a nearby garden and didn't return. We were worried and searched for him everywhere but we could not find him. Later in the morning, we got a call from a hospital from an unknown person who had remembered my grandfather.  All he remembered was his childhood nickname. We rushed to hospital to find that my grandfather had been hit by a vehicle and it was this person from 35 years ago who helped my grandfather reach the hospital.  This good samaritan had stayed with him the whole night and paid  for all his hospital bills (you can't get treatment unless you pay the bills first). All this, and he only knew my grandfather with his childhood nickname.  My grandfather was not even able to recognize that person.  We thanked him deeply, and offered him the money he ... Read Full Story >>

Joy from Joining Helpothers.org

This is my first time so please bear with me. I am VERY new to all of this. I am still learning from HelpOthers.org. I came across this site while doing research for a presentation I did on "Positive Attitude at Work and at Home". I was inspired by the stories I read and enjoyed reading the daily kindness stories. I have been doing this for about 4 months (reading stories but not "participating" in submitting any stories). I am not computer savy so have been a little weary about joining a "group". I don't facebook, twitter, or any of that stuff so you can understand my hesitation. I finally got the courage to join and have not regretted that decision (in fact I know I should have sooner). The very first day I created a profile - I got two welcome messages and karma bucks. I was pleasantly surprised. I am truely ... Read Full Story >>

Tagged by Mail

I'm going to do something that I think is new because I haven't read this on any site yet.

I have printed the kindness booklet available on the site with some very beautiful kindness stories in it. I get tears in my eyes just by reading some of them.

I'm going to select the most beautifull ones (or not, i'm in the process and they are all so beautiful). I'm going to put them in an envelope with a smile card in them and just hand them out to people.

I hope that people have the same reaction to the stories as I had and try to do something nice for people.

I'm going to do this more in the future just for the fun of it. This is my kind of act of kindness.

I know people are always curious when you give them something and they don't know what's inside yet, it's a small gift, an awareness, and then they are tagged, just to give something to someone else.

Let me know what you think of this idea.

Book Store Happiness

I have a quick story to shar about a random kind act that  Ive done about 4-5 times  now.

Whenever I go into a book store, if I have a little extra money, I find a book that relates to finding happiness or getting out of a slump or anything like that.  Then I slip a $5 bill and a Smile Card of course ;) just to show the person who finds the book that there is good in the world and someone really truly does care! :)

A Circle of Kindness From Our Neighbors

Last year my family was moving from New Hampshire to Washington State.  In the process of selling our house, giving away most of our belongings (we were moving to a much smaller house and didn't need most of it) and saying goodbye to all the friends we'd made over the past 22 years there; our 27-year-old daughter, who was living with us, became progressively more ill, eventually becoming unable to sit up or walk. Three weeks before we were supposed to close on our house, she was diagnosed with both Lyme disease and a brain tumor, which was pressing on her brainstem.  Her excellent neurosurgeon was able to remove the entire tumor, which was non-cancerous, and within days she could walk again and use her arms.  Intravenous antibiotics took care of the Lyme disease.  When we returned home from the hospital (after 11 days away), there was a big sign welcoming us home ... Read Full Story >>

Heart Shaped Pizza From The Heart

This past school year one of my best students found out his Dad had cancer. His dad is one of the most involved parents we have at our school. He goes to fundraisers, meetings and is also so active in his family life - it's amazing!He and his wife are raising 2 great kids! When we, the teachers, found out, we were so sad and really wanted to help out. A group of friends to this family started up a roster to make the family food some nights. All you did was sign up for a night and bring them supper. A group of teachers, decided to go in on a night together. I collected money and headed out to get supper. We had decided on a Wednesday evening Pizza Party :-) I ended up buying a yummy fruit salad and Papa Murphy's Pizza.  It just so happens that it was this couple's wedding anniversary that ... Read Full Story >>

Spring Flowers Just When They Are Needed

Is it possible that another person can feel that your spirits need a lift? 

Well I'm sure my gorgeous friend Paula could tell!

I had been arguing with my husband for a couple of days (over very unimportant things) and was sitting on our couch feeling down when the door bell rang. 

Paula had bought me a bunch of spring flowers while buying flowers for her own house. The smell of the flowers gave me an instant lift and brought a smile to my sad face. How thoughtful to share this wonderful idea with another, brightening my day and house with the smells of spring.

Each day I look at the flowers, get an instant lift and feel very loved!

Inspired By A Moment of Trust

In my line of work we often hold conferences and workshops. The university I work for kindly provides food for all attendants (and anyone passing by at the right time) but it bothers me that they throw away all leftovers - and there's usually lots! Last week I finally made my point and was allowed to take a huge tray of very nice sandwiches away with me. They were yummy and healthy and it would have been a real shame to see them ending up in the bin. The guy from catering even allowed me to borrow a large tray to carry them on. I went looking for the homeless guy that usually sits in front of our local supermarket. He was sitting there reading and petting his dog on a blanket, and was thrilled when I showed him the food. He had nothing to carry the food in and offered to bring ... Read Full Story >>

An Act of Kindness Not Forgotten

Years ago I was working in our yard and our youngest child Mia, at the time perhaps two years old, was playing near the small creek on the side of our property. She started crying and as I went to her I realized she was being bitten by a large number of bees! I ran with her to a water hose and hosed off bees.  I was stung quite a bit in the process. I then took her inside and put her in a warm bath and called the pediatrician, whose nurse advised Benadryl and an emergency trip to the hospital!  She explained that Mia could possibly have a severe allergic reaction that could be life threatening. I did not ask what the reaction could be and at the time I did not know what it could be. I scooped up my baby, gave her medication, strapped her in her car seat, and made a mad dash to the recommended hospital on the other side of town. I kept ... Read Full Story >>

Love Is Stronger Than Fear

My Daughter and I recently encountered, as we often do, in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, a Homeless man, who was hunkered down for the night, under a few sleeping bags with his book and all of his belongings. We encountered him as we were walking home after dinner. We had been so hungry at dinner, after a day of touring colleges, that our eyes were too big for our stomachs and we ordered too much. The appetizer ended up being enormous, and ravenous as we were, we ate it hungrily. There was still some to spare. When our meals arrived, we picked at them, out of obligation, but decided to take the whole portions home, although we were staying in a hotel, and leaving early the next morning, and likely wouldn't have even eaten it.  As we were walking home from dinner, we passed the homeless man and he made some gesture to us, ... Read Full Story >>

Caring Enough to Help a Stranger

I remember an incident from when I was visiting the USA. I was in Los Angeles in a big store. Everyone was busily buzzing around like bees doing their errands and no one really paid attention to the other people around them. As I was going around this big shop, I saw a woman standing. She seemed to be in real pain. She was holding on to her belly and everyone around her passed her by without even noticing. I walked up to her and asked her what was wrong but she didn't know. I tried to spot a chair or anything she could sit on and helped her walk to it. Trying to get someone from the shop so we could call for some help was not easy thing to do as no one seemed to care. Finally, I got mad and demanded that someone called an ambulance and finally they did it. All along this woman was thanking me. ... Read Full Story >>

A Small Kindness Example For Some 5th Graders

It was raining when I walked into the school this morning and I noticed a piece of folded paper getting wet on the ground.

I just wanted to run into the building and not get any wetter, but then I thought the piece of paper might be something important. So, I ran over grabbed it, and then went into the school. 

I unfolded it and found it was homework with the name of the student at the top.

The teacher was talking with the children and I handed her the paper. She thanked me and as I walked away,  I heard her say, "Now that was a perfect example of an Act of Kindness, children. Mrs C didn't have to pick that paper up outside but she thought it might be something important - and it was. Be observant today and see what kind act you can do."

I was smiling as I walked down the hallway, knowing that I had helped the teacher with her lesson on Act of Kindness.

Honoring My Mom With Acts of Kindness

My mom passed away on September 8, 2009. Throughout my grieving process, I have found that the one thing that comforts me most is showing kindness to others. I have always considered myself to be a kind person and am so very proud to honor my mom in this way. A while back, my brother gave me some "Random Act of Kindness" cards, with a special place to write my mom's name so others know that kindness is done in her loving memory. I was at a Hallmark Store recently and found some little red glass hearts and angel pocket charms that came with a small card with a special poem written on it. Even better is that Hallmark had the perfect-sized little white boxes for these special gifts to fit into! I bought bunches of these tiny gifts and left with a HUGE smile on my face. I had a ... Read Full Story >>

Top Ten Kindness Stories of 2010

 1:  A 15 Year Blessing From A Homeless Person On the way back from work every evening, more often than not there would be a homeless man standing at the exit of the freeway...  He always waved at every car, he was always happy and smiling and sometimes almost dancing.  Every day after work I would remember to gather any spare change, and put it aside to give to him if I saw him. A feeling of joy would come over me every time I saw him, as I came off the ramp.  He had that effect... Occasionally the red light would be on for a minute and we would ask each other about our day. His answer would always be the same, “I’m blessed!”.  Then one day I was called into my boss’s office and was told that I was being laid off due to the economy... [more]”      2:  Turning ... Read Full Story >>