Stories by HelpOthers.org (84 matches)

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 >>

Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal

After learning my flight was detained 4 hours, I heard the announcement: "If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic, please come to the gate immediately." Well -- one pauses these days. Gate 4-A was my own gate. I went there. An older woman in full traditional Palestinian dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing loudly. "Help," said the flight service person. "Talk to her. What is her problem? we told her the flight was going to be four hours late and she did this." I put my arm around her and spoke to her haltingly. "Shu dow-a, shu- biduck habibti, stani stani schway, min fadlick, Sho bit se-wee?" The minute she heard any words she knew -- however poorly used -- she stopped crying.   She thought our flight had been cancelled entirely. She needed to be in El Paso for some major medical treatment the following ... Read Full Story >>

My Hour On the Streets of New York

On Nov 11 of 2006, I made a deal with myself that I would give $1 to every homeless person who asked. Call it a moment of clarity or whatever, but I woke up from a rough night of partying in Vegas and just felt like this model of taking wasn't working for me anymore. Still, to be honest, I embarked on this experiment thinking that I would just bleed money, that there would be 20 or so homeless people a day coming up to me in NYC and that I would run out of money soon. This never happened. When I returned to NY, it took 8 days before I walked past a homeless person who asked me for some spare change. And by that time I had seen the folly of my own mind and was more than happy to part with a measly dollar. It wasn't about the money, ... Read Full Story >>

21 Ways To Celebrate Life

After Nancy Rothstein's son, Josh, passed away unexpectedly, she was seeking a way to offer a tribute for family and friends to honor his birthday. With each passing birthday, she adds one more item to the list. Last April 16 would've been Josh's 21st birthday, and true to her tradition, Nancy shared these 21 ways to celebrate life: Smile. Smiling makes you and those around you feel good. If you don’t feel good, a smile can trick your brain into feeling better.   Eat ice cream.   Run on the beach. If you can’t physically do this, use your imagination.   Call someone who is ill or lonely. Listen to their story. Take the time. Tell them your story, if they ask.   Listen to music that touches your heart and soul.   Sing in the shower, or out loud if you are comfortable.   Visit the grave of a loved one and celebrate your continued BREATH. And tell your loved one what’s on ... Read Full Story >>

Today You, Tomorrow Me

During this past year I’ve had three instances of car trouble: a blowout on a freeway, a bunch of blown fuses and an out-of-gas situation. They all happened while I was driving other people’s cars, which for some reason makes it worse on an emotional level. And on a practical level as well, what with the fact that I carry things like a jack and extra fuses in my own car, and know enough not to park on a steep incline with less than a gallon of fuel. Each time, when these things happened, I was disgusted with the way people didn’t bother to help. I was stuck on the side of the freeway hoping my friend’s roadside service would show, just watching tow trucks cruise past me. The people at the gas stations where I asked for a gas can told me that they couldn’t lend them out "for safety ... Read Full Story >>

For the Man Who Hated Christmas

[ Note: This story below was written by Nancy Gavin and originally published in the December 14, 1982 issue of Woman's Day magazine. You can watch a video of this story here.] It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years or so.   It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas--oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it--overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma---the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else.   Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an ... Read Full Story >>

The Man Who Planted Trees

In order for the character of a human being to reveal truly exceptional qualities, we must have the good fortune to observe its action over a long period of years. If this action is devoid of all selfishness, if the idea that directs it is one of unqualified generosity, if it is absolutely certain that it has not sought recompense anywhere, and if moreover it has left visible marks on the world, then we are unquestionably dealing with an unforgettable character. About forty years ago I went on a long hike, through hills absolutely unknown to tourists, in that very old region where the Alps penetrate into Provence. This region is bounded to the south-east and south by the middle course of the Durance, between Sisteron and Mirabeau; to the north by the upper course of the Drôme, from its source down to Die; to the west by the plains of Comtat ... Read Full Story >>

What The Geese Taught Me

Next fall, when you see Geese heading South for the Winter, flying along in V formation, you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way: As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. People who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going, more quickly and easily, because they are travelling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone ... and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay ... Read Full Story >>

15 Ways to Love Your Neighbor

I recently came across 15 Ways to Love Your Neighbor, by Joanne Brokaw.  Wonderful ideas! Loving your neighbor doesn't require a huge bank account or selling your possessions and moving to the desert (unless, of course, God is calling you to do that). Here are practical ways you can love your neighbors: 1. Write a note. In these days of electronic communication, receiving a handwritten note is a rare treat. Today, ask God to bring to mind someone who could use a little encouragement. Then take a few minutes to jot a quick note or postcard and drop it in the mail, just letting that person know you're thinking about them. 2. Recycle. If we love God, then we love his creation, and taking care of the earth is one way you can be a good neighbor. You don't have to hug a tree or buy a hybrid, but you should follow your ... Read Full Story >>

Random Act of Consciousness

Just before Christmas of 2007, almost exactly a year ago, I steered into a Starbucks drive-thru line for a cup of tea on my way to teach a morning tai chi lesson. There were a few cars in line, and I got in behind them. When my turn came I gave my order at the billboard menu and moved up as far as I could while waiting patiently for the cars in front of me to get through the cashier line. While the South Florida weather would probably would have felt tropical to much of the rest of the country, I was a bit chilled and was looking forward to my hot drink. The fellow in the SUV behind me reached the menu. Dissatisfied with the alignment between his mouth and the microphone, he laid on his horn, leaned out his window, yelled an insult and exhorted me to move up. ... Read Full Story >>

24 Photos of Acts Of Kindness

Sometimes its the small gestures that count.   1. When Reddit users got together to send this dying man hundreds of letters and packages. imgur.com / Via reddit.com 2. Sophia’s letter to the president about her dads. lettersofnote.com …and his response. lettersofnote.com 3. When this older couple paid for a younger couple’s Valentine’s Day dinner. reddit.com 4. This small gift. smilesmakemyday.tumblr.com 5. The driver captured on dash cam. youtube.com 6. The family who got a complimentary meal after their 3-year-old blurted out that their house had recently burned down. reddit.com 7. This guy. faithinhumanityrestored.com 8. The couple who does what they can for each other. amazonintl.in / Via buzzfeed.com 9. A shared umbrella. reddit.com 10. These men protesting domestic violence by “walking in her shoes.” Flickr: walkamileinhershoesinternational Flickr: walkamileinhershoesinternational 11. A sign. Twitter: @ThatEricAlper 12. This man who loves going to work every day. reddit.com 13. Wendell, the brave 10-year-old who saved a cat from being tortured by a group of boys. buzzfeed.com 14. The man whose final wish was that his family give someone a $500 tip. youtube.com 15. The softball players on the opposing team who carried Sara Tucholsky to each base after she injured her knee touching first on ... Read Full Story >>

Pay-It-Forward Books and Videos

Below are some adult and children's fiction/non-fiction books and video. If you have any additions, please do leave a comment on this story. Adult Nonfiction Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times --By Zoe Weil Instructions for raising children to be compassionate, to respect people and the environment, and to make wise choices during the early, middle, teenage, and young adult years. How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas --By David Bornstein By sharing the stories of innovators, activists, and social entrepreneurs, Bornstein presents the four basic practices of successful innovative organizations and six qualities necessary for social entrepreneurship. An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life --By the Dalai Lama A treasury of teachings founded upon two ancient Buddhist texts, this work builds a bridge between everyday life and the spiritual pursuits of compassion, happiness, and wisdom. Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference: Helping Your Family Live With ... Read Full Story >>

Celebrate Pay It Forward Day, April 26th

Pay It Forward Day is coming up on Thursday April 26th and we invite you to celebrate with us by doing an act of kindness!   Below are some kindness ideas, based on some of our favorite real-life HelpOthers' pay-it-forward stories.  And we invite you to share how you celebrated by leaving a comment on this story! 1.  The tried and tested - pay for the coffee for the person in the line behind you.   Andrew was a bit anxious when he tried to do this for the first time and wasn’t sure it would work - a week later, the coffee shop tags him with a free cup of coffee for being cheerful and friendly!  [more]   2.  Anonymously pay for someone’s meal at a restaurant.   A grandmother is sharing pancakes with her family when she decides to pay for the meal of a man eating alone, so she has the waitress deliver him ... Read Full Story >>

Vision For A Free Hospital

I entered medical school in 1967 to use medicine as a vehicle for social change. I used my free time to study the history of health care delivery around the world and to look at contemporary models with the idea of creating a medical model that would address all the problems of the way care is delivered. I didn't intend to create a model that would be the answer to the problems; but to model creative problem solving, and to spark each medical facility to design their own ideal rather than succumb to the garbage of managed care, or a resignation to the impossibility of humanistic care. Beginning in the climate of the political "war on poverty," I felt confident that a free hospital to serve the poorest state, West Virginia, would find easy funding and that we would be built in four years. I smile writing this as we ... Read Full Story >>

Family Hosts 200 Homeless People for Dinner After Daughter's Wedding Gets Called Off

When an engaged couple calls off the wedding, it is usually a time of sadness and anger. But one family in Atlanta found a way to turn a terrible situation into a beautiful one. Carol and Willie Fowler's daughter Tamara was set to get married at the Villa Christina catering hall, when the wedding was called off just 40 days before the event. Initially the Fowlers were upset to hear that the lavish gathering they had planned and paid for was not going to happen. Then they had a genius and generous idea: They invited 200 of the city's homeless to feast on the four-course meal that would have been part of Tamara's wedding reception. The Fowler family called Elizabeth Omilami from the Hosea Feed the Hungry organization for her help in getting the group together. At first Omilami thought she was being pranked! Carol Fowler said that even daughter Tamara ... Read Full Story >>

Top 10 Kindness Stories of 2012, Story #3 - Girl Gets Up At 5AM To Decorate Her Entire Street

As part of her personal mission to try to bring some unexpected cheer to her neighbors, UK-based Zoe Green—who goes by the moniker Pea Green Girl—got up at 5 one April morning, or what she calls “Happy Street Day”, to decorate her entire street.  Along Shelbourne Road, she hung balloons at a bus shelter, post-box and telephone booth; stuck Post-Its with encouraging messages on a telephone pole; and pasted a “Good Morning!” sign along the bridge so that people who drove under it could see the greeting.  Green’s little project aimed to inspire people, and it must’ve brightened up someone else’s day—and it was her tiny step to changing the world, one smile at a time.  “I don’t intend to change the world, but I know that if you brighten one person’s day, they are highly likely to brighten someone else’s day,” she wrote on her blog.  If you left your house one morning and walked down the street to ... Read Full Story >>

What Kindness Means to Me

Kindness to me is being in a mode of here/now ... despite differences ...

Kindness to me is sharing my feelings, ideas, thoughts to the other and being open to trusting my loved ones' feedbacks ... If I disagree, I feel, the great way seem to agree to disagree non-violently.

Kindness to me is respecting the time/efforts given by the other and show genuine gratitude.

Kindness to me is the sudden spontaneity at times filled with positive words and appreciation for what the other does, despite my own current troubles and shortcomings.

Kindness to me is treating friendship positively at challenging times, for being who the person is and not despite being who the person is.

Kindness to me is helping a person without losing one's true self to negativity. If yes, then not too long.

Kindness to me is being honest, firm and gentle when challenged.

God bless.

Love Thy Neighbor

When my wife, Beth, and I moved from the suburbs to a warehouse loft in the center of a large city, Beth embraced every aspect of urban life -- even the sirens, the parking problems, and the car alarms at night. The homeless people made me nervous, but Beth learned their names. The only neighbors who bothered her were the guys who ran the tattoo parlor across the street. They got into traffic-stopping fights, harassed women on the sidewalk, and intimidated men. They were the reason Beth didn’t walk on that side of the street. For two years she glared out our window at the row of men sitting in front of the shop and fantasized about shooting out their tires. Then one day she called me at work to tell me she was getting a tattoo. She’d never wanted a tattoo before and had even taken pride in being one of ... Read Full Story >>

How To Make Someone's Day For $20 Or Less (Or Even Nothing)

I struggled through St. Louis’s Lambert International Airport with my toddler and a heap of coats and carry-ons to catch a 6 a.m. flight. After making my way through the security line, I landed by the gate with my laptop still hanging out of my briefcase and my sock-footed son trying to make a run for it.   I stared longingly at Starbucks. It was only 15 yards away, but it might as well have been 15 miles, since a loudspeaker kept warning that leaving your bags unattended was not allowed. Then I noticed a well-heeled woman observing me. As she walked toward me, I was sure she was going to reprimand me for being such a disorganized mess. But instead she leaned over and said, “How do you take it?” “Huh?” I said, confused. “Your coffee, how do you take it?” I stammered out “cream and sugar,” and watched in shock as she waited ... Read Full Story >>

Do I Have Enough?

I was doing some last-minute shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well, with a roll of money clamped tightly in her little hand. When she came upon a Barbie she liked, she would turn and ask her father if she had enough money to buy it. He usually said "yes," but she would keep looking and keep going through their ritual of "do I have enough?" As she was looking, a little boy wandered in across the aisle and started sorting through the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neatly, but in clothes that were obviously rather worn, and wearing a jacket that was probably a couple of sizes too small. He too had money in his hand, but it looked to be no more than five dollars or so at ... Read Full Story >>

Give One, Get Two Skates Free

In December, I went to the Cavalcade of Lights at Nathan Philips Square. As I was sitting at the side of the rink taking off my skates, a little boy about 6 or 7 walks up and asks "Are those your skates?"

I answered ‘Yes’ and wondered if he thought I had stolen his skates, since I wear boys hockey skates. He said: "Oh, I don't have skates." For some reason, I blurted, "Do you want mine?"

I told him to first ask his mom. He ran away excited and his mom asked if it was really okay [and I said yes.] He was jumping up and down in excitement. After he put on the skates, I watched him take off with a big smile.

Two weeks later I was in the recycling room in our condo. Residents leave items for others to salvage. I found two Bauer boxes with new skates, both in my size!

I gave one pair to a friend who was there the evening I gave the boy my used skates. She shook her head and said: “You give away one pair, and you get back two”!

Day # 11 - Spending time with the elderly!

Yesterday I invited my elderly neighbor over for lunch. She accepted but with the heavy rain that we have received she decided this morning that she preferred to remain inside today.

I was still moved to share a delicious meal with her so instead of giving up, I decided to go ahead and prepare the lunch and then fill a basket with a tin of her favorite chocolate chip cookies and a small potted plant.  

I took the lunch to her and she was delighted. She enjoyed and so did I and it reminded me of the special times spent with my late maternal grandmother, who I miss dearly! She and I would get together over a cup of coffee and some type of homemade goodie and have the most wonderful conversations. It was wonderful to remember Grandmother with a smile while sharing a smile with another sweet lady. What a nice afternoon!

Secret Santa of Kansas City

In 1971 a young man who grew up very poor was traveling across the country, trying to make a new start for himself. Along the way he had completely run out of money and was forced to spend the night in his car. This continued until one morning, after a week of sleeping in his car, he walked nervously into a diner and ordered a big breakfast. After eating his first good meal in weeks, he found himself lying to the waiter, telling him he had ’lost his wallet.‘ The waiter, who was also the owner, walked behind the stool where the young man had been sitting. He bent down, and came up with a $20 bill that looked as if it had fallen on the floor. ’Son, you must have dropped this,‘ the owner said. The young man couldn’t believe his luck! He quickly paid for the breakfast, left a tip, ... Read Full Story >>

No Glass Ceiling, Just Blue Sky

Kindness, as Mother Teresa so beautifully said, is the only language that we all understand. We’ve all heard the saying, “What goes around comes around,” and the following true story is a wonderful reminder of how simple acts of kindness can come back to us when we least expect it.   His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.   The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the ... Read Full Story >>

Small Stories of Small Kindnesses

Acts of kindness and generosity come in many different forms: Giving food to a hungry stranger, donating one's time to aid homeless people or helping a fellow tenant make the rent. But it's their ability to touch us and stick in our memories that makes sometimes even small gestures a powerful and lasting force in our lives. A couple years ago, NPR invited listeners to share stories about "good deeds" they had witnessed or heard about.   The original audio program highlighted some of the stories, but there were many more that couldn't be fit into the short time slot.  Below are some of those gems: After the Storm Beverly Jordan witnessed an extraordinary act of generosity after Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida in 1992, leaving a wide path of destruction in its path. Jordan, a nurse, volunteered to go door to door in Miami delivering emergency relief. Her relief van pulled up to ... Read Full Story >>

Blanket Of Warmth

It's never too late to share a kindness story even when you are about to go on holiday. It begins with a hobby of mine...knitting. My nan and mum bless their hearts taught me to knit many years ago and it has always been a passion of mine making things for people and over the years I have made a few things for family and friends. I have always found it very therapeutic and relaxing. Now my biggest enjoyment of knitting is making large blankets..some square patterned and some embroidered. Over a long period of time I have managed to make about 15 and have kept them in storage but have always hoped one day I would be able to give them away free to people that needed them. A few years back I found out that Oxfam would not be able to take them off my hands for me and send ... Read Full Story >>

How A Bookstore Can Change Your Life

[by Jeremy Mercer, Ode, Nov 2007] One of the more romantic literary notions is that a book can change a person’s life. Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Ford, for instance, claims Walker Percy’s novel The Moviegoer made Ford the author he is today. Or a book can have more immediate consequences for people, such as my grade-school friend who read My Side of the Mountain and promptly ran away from home with nothing but a penknife and a ball of twine. If a book can change your life, a bookstore can utterly transform it. In my case, I found one, or perhaps it found me, at a critical juncture when I was turning my back on everything I had known. It was a damp January day in 2000 when I discovered the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris. I had left my home in Canada a month earlier, having burned out in ... Read Full Story >>

A Perfect Stranger Restored My Faith

Anymore, it seems like all we ever hear about are the horrible things people do to others. I can't even turn on the news at night (we get Kansas City, Mo. news) without hearing of at least 3 people who were shot and killed plus numerous other acts of violence. Also, with families everywhere pinching pennies everywhere they can, not everyone is feeling as generous as they normally would be. But I found out that even in tough times, people can do simple things that might greatly improve a stranger's day. Not long ago, I was having one of those end of the week, everything fall apart, rotten days. I had a hard day at work, my week didn't go well and problems just kept popping up everywhere. Things broke or quit, unexpected bills came in and I was struggling to keep from loosing my cool from all the stress. Then ... Read Full Story >>

An Experiment in Teaching Children Philanthropy

Once a year, I give my two children money. The only hitch is, they have to give it away. I give them each $100. They know it is a lot of money, so they are careful how they use it. It is their job to find out who in our community is doing things that they feel good about, and then decide who will get the money, and why. Giving away money, even if it is only ten or twenty dollars, is a tremendous way to learn about the positive work people are doing right in your own neighborhood.  It makes us get out of our comfort zone, ask around, talk to people we wouldn’t normally talk to, and ask questions about what the problems are and what people are doing to make them better. Everyone wins. My kids learn about the community, about the power of giving, and people in ... Read Full Story >>

Pre-school Acts of Kindness

Ethan is six and three quarters and Emily just turned seven, and they are best friends. Their pre-school teacher, Kathleen Albert, has been teaching them about kindness. So, for their graduation project, Ethan and Emily decided to raise money to help feed hungry people by collecting cans. When they were done, they had raised 5,304 dollars for the San Francisco Food Bank - enough money for 15,912 meals!

Releasing Books Into the Wild

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The Happiness Entrepreneur