Stories of Kindness from Around the World

One Garbage Bag at a Time


--by emackaroni83, posted Feb 20, 2013

I live in an apartment building where there are several elderly people and other tenants that are on a low or fixed income. There is a older gentleman neighbor of mine that is always willing to help out and go out of his way to help anyone in need.

A few weeks ago, I was taking a large amount of trash out to the dumpster. This neighbor saw me and stopped to help me as he was taking out his own trash. When we got to the dumpster, he dumped his trash out of the bag. However, he kept his trash bag.

"Why don't you throw the trash bag away?" I asked him.

He replied that he has been using the same trash bag for a couple of months because he really didn't have money to spare to buy new ones. This immediately made me tear up. I thought about how we can take having something as simple as trash bags for granted.

So, of course, upon hearing this story, I started working out a plan. I went to every apartment in the building and told them what was going on. I asked each household if they could donate at least one trash bag. I got almost 100 bags. I then assembled them in a gift basket and left an anonymous note saying that they were from his grateful neighbors.

A few days later, he told me about the wonderful blessing of trash bags that he received. I, of course, did not tell him where they came from. Then, later that afternoon, I came home and found this very neighbor using all those gifted trash bags to help another neighbor move out!

Now that's what I call Paying-It-Foward!

8916 Reads

Readers Comments

FairyBubbles wrote: Hi, that's so lovely. If all neighbours could be just like you and yours what a wonderful world this would be.
(((HUG)))
starryskies wrote: Thanks for caring about your neighbors! :)
Bluebell wrote: Thank you for your kind heart. Love, Light and Endless Blessings for you and for all your neighbours.
MakeSomeoneSmile wrote: Awww, what a nice story! Simple things can make a wonderful difference. Thanks for taking the time to care and round up some kindness for your neighbor! :)
Jannie wrote: What a great story!
Hasifa wrote: love it. its important for all of us to remember that we must be the change we want to see in the world.
thank you for sharing
~Hasifa
Hasifa wrote: and you getting other poeple to help out is a wonderful way of spreading kindness, it really does keep the world afloat. what a simple effort that I'm sure made a big impact.
jsmc10 wrote: Thank you for noticing and being there to help your neighbours. You are a wonderful, invaluable person :)
annjav wrote: What a great, simple, helpful thing to do, and he must be the perfect person to help--since he paid it forward right away! Great story. Thanks for posting.
Mish wrote: Great ripples of kindness. :)))))

Add A Comment