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 a Smile Card instead of the bill. This leads to a wonderful pay-it-forward chain reaction at the restaurant. [more]
3. Gift something from your home to someone who might appreciate it.
This family shares their home-grown ‘cukes and zukes’ with their elderly neighbors. [more]
4. Get your friends together - organize a ‘Pay-it-Forward’ activity with
people in your community.
This group of friends got together to give out cupcakes, Smile Cards and pay-it-forward bracelets in London’s Hyde Park. Sounds like it was a lot of fun! [more]
5. If you can’t organize a group, you could do a pay-it-forward activity on your own - like giving flowers or chocolates to random strangers.
A young lady skips lunch and uses the money to spend on extra flowers to give away just to make people’s day. When she tells the florist what she’s going to do with the flowers, the florist gifts her some flowers to give away too! [more]
6. Leave a surprise gift somewhere for someone to find with a Smile Card so that they understand what it’s for.
This woman who was going through a difficult time was left feeling overwhelmed by kindness when she found a $20 bill wrapped around a Smile Card left in a pay phone at the a mall. [more]
7. Teach children about the concept of ‘pay-it-forward’ - it's never too young to start!
A 6 week old baby girl has a wonderful opportunity to pay-it-forward. What a great lesson for when she grows up! [more]
8. Do something to honor the public service workers in your community.
These two school friends baked cookies, cakes, pies and brownies and gave them out at fire-stations, a hospital, the post office, the police station, and even chased down some bus drivers for three blocks! [more]
9. Go big - this year think of something really big or completely unexpected!
This young man gave up his first class seat and got his colleague to do the same – just to see a couple of people smile! [more]
10. Finally – don’t forget to spread the word!
This woman had to make two trips to Walmart and speak to the management on the phone to explain that she wanted to carry out a pay-it-forward action before she could finally do her pay-it-forward act. [more]
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 a Smile Card instead of the bill. This leads to a wonderful pay-it-forward chain reaction at the restaurant. [more]
3. Gift something from your home to someone who might appreciate it.
This family shares their home-grown ‘cukes and zukes’ with their elderly neighbors. [more]
4. Get your friends together - organize a ‘Pay-it-Forward’ activity with
people in your community.This group of friends got together to give out cupcakes, Smile Cards and pay-it-forward bracelets in London’s Hyde Park. Sounds like it was a lot of fun! [more]
5. If you can’t organize a group, you could do a pay-it-forward activity on your own - like giving flowers or chocolates to random strangers.
A young lady skips lunch and uses the money to spend on extra flowers to give away just to make people’s day. When she tells the florist what she’s going to do with the flowers, the florist gifts her some flowers to give away too! [more]
6. Leave a surprise gift somewhere for someone to find with a Smile Card so that they understand what it’s for.
This woman who was going through a difficult time was left feeling overwhelmed by kindness when she found a $20 bill wrapped around a Smile Card left in a pay phone at the a mall. [more]
7. Teach children about the concept of ‘pay-it-forward’ - it's never too young to start!
A 6 week old baby girl has a wonderful opportunity to pay-it-forward. What a great lesson for when she grows up! [more]
8. Do something to honor the public service workers in your community.
These two school friends baked cookies, cakes, pies and brownies and gave them out at fire-stations, a hospital, the post office, the police station, and even chased down some bus drivers for three blocks! [more]
9. Go big - this year think of something really big or completely unexpected!
This young man gave up his first class seat and got his colleague to do the same – just to see a couple of people smile! [more]
10. Finally – don’t forget to spread the word!
This woman had to make two trips to Walmart and speak to the management on the phone to explain that she wanted to carry out a pay-it-forward action before she could finally do her pay-it-forward act. [more]
21.8K Reads
- Posted by HelpOthers
- Apr 25, 2012
- Comments (14)
Readers Comments
Michelle wrote: I was the recipient of gracious people who combined gave me and my son a fresh new start when we didn't have much in our home. I was starting over and was so blessed that complete strangers enriched our lives with the pay-it-forward act. I will continue this and do my part to pay-it-forward and remind my son how we were so blessed to have special people in our lives.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Anonymous wrote: I used spare change from my jar on my desk and placed random envelopes on coworkers desks with have a soda on me, and a smile card inside. -fl
Anthony Schmitt wrote: A few years back, on mother's day i was eating breakfast alone at a restaurant after sunday mass. An older woman was eating alone, i paid for her breakfast and told her that my mother was no longer alive so this was my mother's day present to my mother. Best mother's day present i ever bought!
debra wrote: When i shop at my local food store, i bring my own bags. I always buy one of the store's bags for the cashier to give, anonymously, to the next customer who hasn't brought his or her own bag.
Elizabeth B. wrote: Although it isn't entirely anonymous, i will work a 12th step today in my recovery programs and call newcomers.
sethi wrote: Thank you for sharing. It is beautiful.
Carla wrote: I will cook dinner for for a sick friend.
Noor a.f wrote: I was happy today from 12 am to 5pm but from this 30 minute ago. Am disappointed to hear that they withdrew the only one 50 since last two months. I am feeling hope after reading people are paying forward. Yes let us pass pleasure to people. From my small experience i learned that people like to be happy but there is a fact that we can't happy all times. So we resist sadness. I like this great idea of giving though i feel am the most destitute of today. I borrowed today and not sure if i will repay the lender.
Yes give
Yes give
Ganesh Singh Bhandari wrote: One day i was walking along the street , i saw a note of rupee 500( nepalese currency) on the way, which i picked up because it was totally alone. On the corner of the road side , there was a beggar asking money from all passerby , but more or less were not responding him. I gave that currency note to the beggar. Some people ask me that i donated a big amount to the beggar. I told the reality to them, mean while a person claimed the same money who had lost on the way before some minutes ago. Again i paid rupee 500 to him. I laughed with this event, i was quite happy with this matter.
sabeha wrote: I rarely tell anyone about what i do, but i will today, just to give an idea.
Almost every time i go over the greater new orleans bridge, across the mighty mississippi river, i pay the toll for the person behind me. Then i speed up so they can't come up beside me. Just an act of kindness. Hoping their day is a bit better, and they will do something nice for someone else.
Almost every time i go over the greater new orleans bridge, across the mighty mississippi river, i pay the toll for the person behind me. Then i speed up so they can't come up beside me. Just an act of kindness. Hoping their day is a bit better, and they will do something nice for someone else.
