With Christmas music spreading from every shop we pass by and the holiday season in full swing, many of you Pandas might be feeling inspired to spread a little joy, do some good deeds, and generally help everyone feel merry. However, good deeds don’t care much about the calendar. The Spirit of Giving tends to visit us no matter what time of the year it is, whether it’s the holiday season or not.
Well, to inspire you to be even kinder and to spread cheer to your family, friends, and community, near and far, we’ve collected some of the most altruistic stories from the internet. In a thread that has gone viral recently on Reddit and elsewhere, internet users finally opened up about the good deeds they’ve done purely out of the goodness of their hearts.
Warning: your hearts might grow three sizes today, Pandas. Don’t forget to upvote the stories that warmed you up inside. And if you’d like to share your own stories about you or someone you love being kind, then the comment section is there waiting for you with open arms.
This post may include affiliate links.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was volunteering at a local pizza shop to distribute slices to kids who otherwise couldn't get fed because the schools were shutdown.
There was a woman with 3 kids that came by every few days to get slices. Turns out the father had died unexpectedly right before the pandemic started and they lost their house because of the slumlord they were renting from. The mother lost her job because she had no one to watch the kids. They were living in their minivan and things were bad for them.
They were so nice and grateful, but ashamed when they'd come by to get slices that I genuinely felt for them.
I had lost my job and got a pretty decent windfall of 2 months worth of unemployment and the CARES Act at once. My landlord had a few properties open and is a close friend, so I got in touch with him and we worked out me paying their security deposit and the first 2 months of rent and he'd cover their utilities.
I gave her his number and said he might be able to help and they moved in the next day. They've been there ever since and are doing extremely well now.
I was getting some breakfast one time after a late night out. I was sitting in the restaurant waiting for my food and this younger boy comes in - probably 13-14 or so and orders some food. By the way he was dressed and how he looked you could tell he was definitely living in rough times.
He ordered and when they told him the total he pulled some wadded up $1 bills from his pocket and some change - he ended up like 4-5$ short.
He had this defeated look on his face and apologized and turned to walk out. I stopped him, asked the cashier to re-ring up his order, added a large drink and an extra burrito to it, and paid for the whole thing. He tried to give me the money he had and when I refused he just stood there and slowly tears came over his eyes. I told him to stay strong and not give up because things will get better.
I walked out and barely made it to my car before I broke down too. I used to be that kid.
When I was 19 I needed blood work done and it was super icey out. I just finished and was getting ready to leave when two elderly ladies came in. They commented on how slippery it was and if the clinic had anyone to help them walk back to their car.
They were told no, so I sat back down and waited. Half an hour later they went in and the receptionist told me I could leave, I was done. I told her "I know" and sat there.
When the ladies came out they looked a little scared to walk outside and I stood up and said I heard them ask for help and I would help them to their car.
I walked the ladies one at a time, letting them hold me for support as I shuffled us to their car. Then, after they were both safely inside, I scraped the ice off their car so they could leave.
They offered me money, but I refused and just wished them safe travels.
After they left I went to my own car, where I proceeded to fall on my butt fives times.
The team at ‘Action for Happiness’ shared with me earlier that kindness, doing things for others, and altruism all play an important role in our overall happiness.
"Think about how you can reach out and do things for others, help a neighbor or volunteer for a cause, we get happiness high from helping other people. Or start small and simply list three things that you can be grateful for each night before bed,” Sarah Vero from ‘Action for Happiness’ told Bored Panda.
Sarah also shared the 10 keys to happier living: “Giving, relating, exercising, awareness, trying out, direction, resilience, emotions, acceptance, and meaning. We are likely to be happier if our lives have direction, meaning, and purpose and if we are part of something bigger than ourselves," she explained.
I am an atheist, wildly so. No one in my family knows, for safety reasons. But they have been pestering me to go to church services more and to study the Bible more.
Last Christmas, I was forcefully taken to a church service after which they took me to a local orphanage. The kids at the orphanage gave a performance of Christmas songs. Then they took us to their newly furnished dining area, with new tables and chairs and linoleum, where we were served a Christmas tea.
My family made it a point to lecture me in front of the entire group about how these kids have nothing but still find the faith to praise God and whatnot. They said that I should be more grateful to God for what I have.
The priest who runs the orphanage looked at me very uncomfortably and I could see that he was feeling a bit ashamed. I didn't blame him though.
You see, what my family didn't know, and what only the priest knows, is that I was the one who paid for that entire dining area. I paid for the chairs and the tables and the linoleum. I also paid for a few more bedrooms.
I didn't need to publicize it. Reddit is anonymous so no worries about letting people know here.
I don't believe in God anymore. But I still would like to see a world where every child has what they need to be a child.
I'm a police officer in a European country.
One day me and my partner had a call to check on an elderly couple that hadn't been seen for days. We arrive at their house, knock and a little old lady with a big smile opens the door. We ask if we can step inside, she says yes. We ask about her husband, she tells us he's slightly sick and bedridden. We go to the bedroom. The poor man was a living corpse. Malnourished, filthy, weak.. We call an ambulance and start talking to the lady. She tells us she was making lunch. Rotten cheese and a bit of moldy bread. It broke my heart. The ambulance arrived and took the old man to the hospital. We told the old lady we would return. No words were needed between me and my partner. We called our central, told them we would be busy for 30 minutes. We went to the local shopping and spent 1/10 of our monthly wage in food, personal hygiene products and even light bulbs. We returned to the old lady and gave her the huge basket. She started crying and hugged us. We stored the food, placed the new light bulbs where needed and then left. We never told anyone at work about this, and only my closest family knows I do those random acts.
I also know my partner accompanies an old widower to his monthly medical appointments.
We can't change the world, but small gestures like these make the difference.
When I was in high school, there was a girl that never talked to anyone, was all alone, and I never once saw her speak for long periods of time, unless it was for projects or something, but that really isn’t the main thing. The first time we had the Valentines Day party, I noticed she seemed really down, because (I think) all the other girls where getting flowers and such from the boys (you could buy flowers and other stuff for someone if you wanted), so I kind of felt bad. I decided to buy her a flower, but anonymously. When she recueved the flower, she seemed...confused, but at least she smiled. The next year, same thing happend, every girl with flowers except for her, so I did the same, this time she once more seemed surprised, but not bad surprised, happy surprised. Next year I did the same, but this time I gave her a whole bouquet of flowers, she seemed overflowing with joy. People asked her who gave her those, and she said she didn’t know, but was happy. Maybe not the most interesting story here, but putting a smile on someone really made me feel happy.
Meanwhile, Vanessa King, the Head of Psychology at ‘Action for Happiness,’ stressed the fact that we’re a social species. Helping each other out is the “social glue that keeps us together.”
According to Vanessa, when we participate in group activities and community events, we become happier. “When we do things for others it activates the reward center in the brain, so when we give a gift it feels the same as receiving a gift," she said.
The expert explained that altruism is a learned skill. In short, we can learn to become more altruistic, more giving by changing small things in our lives. The key is consistency. “Small daily actions one at a time can help us to make altruism a lifetime habit. You could start out small by deciding you are going to smile at everyone you meet or pay three people a compliment today,” Vanessa shared with Bored Panda.
I lost my mom earlier this year and am still working through the grief. The first week a came back my coworkers had gave me a check for several hundred dollars as a kind gesture. I was truly overwhelmed by the generosity.
The following week I came into the break room to find one of the techs with a lost look on her face. She had just gotten a phone call that her brother had been murdered the night before. She had moved to our city just a year prior and didn’t have any family close by. As I held her and listened to her cry, I booked her a flight home. It was several hundred dollars as she is from a small town and the flight was for later that day. I told her to go be with family and let me know when she was ready to come back. I had no doubt that is exactly what my mom would have wanted me to do.
Whenever I see cashier having a tough day, I always look at the candy selection, if there is one, and look stumped as to what to get. I ask them "I can't decide. What's your favorite?" I buy whatever they say, then hand it to them after the sale and tell them they're doing a great job and to have a great day. It perks them up every single time.
It's my little thing.
I was extremely stressed and took a mental health day, planning on going to mom's and crying myself to sleep. We ended up going to the mall, and even though money was really tight for her, she wanted to buy me lunch (we split the bill). She realized that she lost a newer $50 bill while walking around. She was devastated.
I traded my smaller bills to a cashier for a newer $50, folded it like she would, and tossed it under the seat of her car. The next day she called me, almost crying because she was excited to find it and said that without it, groceries would've been pretty tight that week.
Taking me out that day prevented me from having a full breakdown. I think $50 was a small price to pay for what she did for me that day.
Some things that you can do to help others can be as simple as giving money to charity or donating to a food bank. If you have more time on your hands or if you want to make a deeper impact, you can volunteer for a cause or leave a food package or note for an elderly neighbor.
“All of these actions help others and boost your own happiness and if we are happier, research shows we are even more likely to help others,” Vanessa said.
Waiting to see my doctor. I see an elderly man with a walker talking to a driver service for seniors/handicap peple about gettign him a ride home. Apparently there was a mix up and they couldn't get a driver there. My doctor called me in and when I came out, the elderly man was still there talking to the driver service. I told the guy if he trusts me I'll take him home. He responded "but I haven't seen the doctor yet" I told him I'll wait. Dude looked like he was going to cry.
He was actually a really nice man and it was a plesant ride.
Back when quarantine and stuff first started, I was headed back from the store and came across a broken down car. He had almost made it into the CVS parking lot, but the car gave out just outside of it. I pulled into the parking lot and asked if he wanted a push out of the road, he did. I pushed the car, and got it half way up the little incline going into the parking lot, but couldn't get it any further by myself (he had a bad leg and couldnt help...plus he needed to be behind the wheel), but it was out of the street. I asked him what happened, and he told me he had run out of gas. Asked if he had a gas can, and he pulled out a small gas can, I offered to run it down to the gas station and bring it back. On the way back from gilling it up, I began to think to myself that this little bit of gas wouldn't get him very far, and as I had just gotten paid and had just pulled some cash from the bank, figured he could use a little help.
When I got to the guy, I gave him the gas can as well as $40 and I told him, "I'm not sure how far you need to go, but that little bit of gas isnt gonna get you very far, I hope this helps you out some". He just looked at the money and back at me, like I'd given him the keys to a new house or something. He started telling me, "I get paid tomorrow, I can give you my address and I will pay you back" but I insisted I didnt want anything in return. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. He explained how he had just gotten out of jail a few months before and was trying really hard to stay on the right path, working an honest job and everything, but that it was hard. He told me he would take my kindness as a sign that he was on the right path and thanked me several times. Had I known how much it meant to him, I would've given him more. I hope hes doing well
My fiancé lost the ring I made her and she was super distraught about it. I hand crafted our rings myself, (I metal work) they are interlocking one of a kind designed and made entirely by me. So she lost it and we couldn’t find it. She was so sad since she loved it, I worked from home during the pandemic so every time she went to work I started to make a new ring. And in about 4-5 days I said I found it and handed her the one I made brand new. She still doesn’t know. I’d like to keep it that way as well. I don’t need her feeling terrible.
In the expert’s opinion, it’s perfectly fine to “fake it till you make it” if we’re not used to being altruistic. Forget about moral conundrums about whether or not you’re being kind purely out of self-interest or not: you should focus on the act of giving.
“Maybe at first, you start out doing things to help others only to get attention and praise, but you will find that doing things for others helps you feel good and when you see people’s responses. Once you see the difference you can make in the world and to your own happiness and altruism can grow naturally," Vanessa explained. From there, our altruism will, step by step, make people happier and more likely to help others, in turn. And that’s how you create a better, kinder world.
There's a semi-secluded bus stop beside a store I used to work at, and a homeless guy started sleeping there on the bench halfway between the stop and the parking lot one winter.
One day I got to work 15 mins early and saw him sleeping, wearing just a flannel and jeans. So I ram into the store, bought a blanket, and covered him up with it.
He didn't wake up so he didn't know it was me. Every time I saw him sitting on the bench he had the blanket wrapped around him.
I love this and thank you for doing this. I was homeless many years ago and to awaken with a blanket around my shoulders would have given me much warmth (in more ways then one).. A sign that someone cared, when you're at your lowest really matters so much. Xx
Used to shovel this ladies walk way and car. It took me only like ten minutes and she would always give me a huge wave from the window. I was dating this girl and she slept over and was like why are you doing that it's not your responsibility with lots of attitude. I was so repulsed by that I broke up with her
Bought insulin for the child of a lady in front of me at the pharmacy. The woman (single mom) was in tears & didn’t have the $200 copay for that month. I gave her my number & told her to call me within the next few days. That was a few years ago. She now manages the office at my practice, makes enough $ for anything she needs/wants, & is one of my closest friends. (And now she has excellent insurance for herself & her son!) Be kind—it can literally change lives!
A lady was fleeing an abusive marriage without much more than her kids and the clothes on her back. Word went out within a whisper network requesting a few essentials she needed.
Packed up several things from the request list and also one thing that wasn't requested. I make jewelry as a hobby. Put a pair of handmade earrings into a gift bag: silver and pearls. Added a handwritten note that every woman deserves something beautiful and sending good wishes her way.
I was in my art class in high school and there was a girl who I didn't really know a few grades younger. I could tell she didn't have many friends but was really sweet. She was talking to me one day and told me her birthday was soon and that she was so excited. I decided to send her those balloons and whatnot you can get through the student store on her birthday, though she didn't know me very well so I didn't sign my name. It just so happened that the student store worker brought them in during our art class and I got to see her reaction. She lit up and kept telling us it had to have been her mom or her best friend who did it, and how she couldn't believe that someone got her something and she wouldn't stop smiling the whole rest of class. I never told her it was me, I was just happy she felt special. That was a pretty good day.
In my last year of high school one of my required classes was an ethics class. Early on in the semester the teacher (male) told us about how he collects donations for a facility that supports women and girls who were victims of domestic violence and r*pe (he usually gets one of the female students to drop off the donations because the presence of a man can be bad for obvious reasons).
Not to long after he told us that I started my first job at a fast food place, and after two weeks I get my first paycheck. The next day at school, I hung back after the bell rang so it was just me and him in the room and I went over and gave him a $20 bill for the donation. It was the first thing I spent my earned money on.
I’ve never even told my husband this story.
I work night shift and one night before work, I stopped at the local Walmart to grab a few snacks etc. This young guy stops me in the parking lot and asks me for money. I said I was sorry I didn’t have any cash.
It was blistering cold outside. Where I live, in the winter the wind blows so hard and so cold you can get frostbite.
I got to the door of the Walmart and turned around and went and found him in the parking lot. I told him to follow me in and wait at the McDonalds inside. I went into the store, bought him long underwear, a thermal shirt, wool socks and gloves. I got back to him, gave him the stuff and bought him a meal at McDonald’s. He was so thankful for the warm clothes he started to cry. As I was leaving the McDonald’s, a lady put her hand on my arm and said “that was very nice of you. I watched everything you did.” I just nodded and walked away. Don’t need recognition for that. He needed something and I was in a position to help him, so I did.
I went to the web site: onesimplewish.org which specializes in providing foster kids with things they wouldn't ordinarily get. An 11 year old was asking for a bike for his birthday, but his foster family couldn't afford to buy him one. For less than $200 I paid for the kid's new bike.
If im walking a trail and i see a tree or sapling is damaged i do my best ro either mend its injury or remove the broken part to let the tree grow unincumbered. Its rewarding to come back after a year or two to see the sapling you helped take good roots and refuse to wither
only my mom, boyfriend ,& i think a close friend know about this. when my grandma was dying, the whole family rushed to her side. my aunts and uncles live scattered around the country, so it took a few days to get everyone here. about a week goes by, and my grandma is still holding on. some family have to leave and go home for work.
around two weeks, one evening i asked to have a moment alone with my grandma, who was sleeping. my grandfather passed away when i was 2, so it had been quite a long time without him for her. we all knew she missed him more than anything, and we knew he was there with us. i sat down next to her bed, held her hand, and told her that it was okay to go. that everyone was going to be okay, and that we all love her and were going to miss her. i thanked her for being the best grandma in the entire world, and for always caring about me more than i felt anyone else did. it was one of the hardest things i’ve ever had to do, but i knew it was time, and i didn’t want her to suffer anymore.
i woke up the next morning, and my mom told me that my grandma had passed away shortly after midnight that same night. i’m not sure if it was because of what i told her, or it just happened. but sometimes i like to think i was the one who gave her final peace of mind, maybe she needed to hear it from me. i’m the youngest cousin/grandchild, so i always had a special bond with her. she was/is the greatest woman i’ve ever known, and i’m so grateful i had that last moment with her.
My mum had saved forever to buy herself her dream dining table and chairs. They were super expensive but she had a picture on the fridge, saved for a year and knew she’d have them forever.
I visited one day when she wasn’t home (my parents have no issue with us coming over without them there) and noticed the dogs had gotten in and absolutely destroyed one - they were still untrained puppies and had ripped off all the material, buttons, etc.. I popped it in my car, threw it out, found a place an hour away with the same chair and bought it ($300 chair so wasn’t cheap!).
She doesn’t know because she would’ve A) been shattered but found a way to fix it as best as possible, which honestly would’ve been impossible. And B) refused for me to replace something at that cost.
I’m just glad it was me who saw it first. She’s happy and always comments on how nice her table is and how she will have it forever, lol!
Once I was delivering a huge order of pizzas from pizza express and the customer wouldn't answer the door so the restaurant said I could keep the pizza, too much for me so I drove around town and handed most of them out to the homeless
My friend from college was struggling to get the money to pay for his cat’s surgery. We did everything we could to raise the money, I even asked my father to put this little donation box on his craftbeer bar, but we were still missing a few bucks. My friend doesn’t know it, but I added some really good money to the box before handling it to him and, omg, I still remember how grateful he was when he saw the money was more than enough… He also told me, after the surgery, that he never believed we could make it but he saw the dedication I put into it and believed in me
I was at a mall running errands and I decided to grab some lunch at the food court. I had just finished eating when a boy, probably 13-14 years old and looking pretty scruffy, politely asked if I could give him some money for lunch because he hadn't eaten all day. I didn't have cash but I told him to go order whatever he wanted and I would pay with my debit card. He looked shocked. He said, "I didn't really think anyone would help me." I told him to get extra for later but he was happy with a sub and a drink. He was grateful. I wanted to say something wise like "go home", but then realized that maybe that was the worst place for him to be. I'm not a social worker so I didn't think of how else I could help him, but at least he wasn't hungry for a while.
I do IT work, usually small business and a lot of home repair. I have many wealthy clients and a few not so fortunate. It is not unusual for me to go to a home and it is obvious they are barely scraping by. So I either don't charge those people, or make it a nominal fee. I also refurb the old PC's and give them to people who have one that is not repairable.
My best fee ever was a basket of home grown creole tomatoes, damn those things are delicious.
This is a small act and probably a bit weird, but growing up as the oldest daughter by 7 years left my younger siblings and I's relationship a bit distant. There just wasn't much to relate to(my flavor of adhd also makes emoting really hard for me), and honestly I just always found younger kids annoying so I wasn't a very good sister to them- to be honest I was just a bully. But when I was around 14-15, my siblings came up to me to show me a couple shiny coins they found- they seemed so excited about it. The youngest, my sister kept talking about how rich she was with one of those ear-to-ear grins kids get when their excited about something. It was really refreshing to see my siblings so happy, and it was honestly adorable. Since then whenever I had spare change I'd "drop" it somewhere I knew they'd notice around the house and just let them find it whenever. They got so happy every time they found one. Now I'm 19, (my siblings are 12 and 8), I still on occasion sneak a dollar into their laundry or something, and we're a lot closer now. I have considered telling them since I'm moving out really soon, but I think this'll just stay a secret. At this point telling them will just ruin the magic.
I've been taking my giant friendly dog downtown to visit the homeless lately. They light up when they see him. It is as much a karmic therapy for me as it is for my dog just to love people
On winter weekdays when I go downtown to practice the organ, there's usually a destitute man on the front steps of the locked church.
When I unlock the door, I invite him in out of the cold and let him sleep on a cushioned pew in the relative warmth of the building while I practice or teach organ lessons.
He's always very appreciative of the relief from being outside and leaves with obvious appreciation when it's time for me go.
Before anyone carps about this not being much, I would remind you that elsewhere park benches are being designed to make sleeping uncomfortable
My friend told me he was "between leases" for about a month. We had a sleepover one night and basically, I just never told him to leave. I lived in a micro studio, so we shared the bed, I bought the groceries, and let him wear whatever of my clothes fit/were appropriate (I'm a chick). He'd cook for me, clean while I was asleep, other nice things that showed he appreciated it. We never talked about it, I never told anyone he was living with me. Our friends just thought we were hanging out a lot, which we did do before so it wasn't weird. He stayed with me for about 3 months. When Thanksgiving came, his own family didn't reach out to him, so I hosted him at my parents' house (they were living in a different state at the time but didn't sell the house). I am pretty sure I saved his life, he was depressed at the beginning. I definitely saved him from being homeless. I have no idea where his possessions were or how he had money, but honestly, I didn't care. I just took care of him any way I could, and he paid me back in love and AMAZING bbq chicken once a week.
I’m a boss. One of my employees just had a baby and his son is in nicu with some pretty grim diagnosis and remained in. ICU for months after birth.
I arranged for his family to secure an RV to stay at the hospital to eliminate the constant commute back and forth to hospital, as well as set up a fundraiser within our department to get this family support.
We raised a lot of money and have secured all necessary resources. The family is supported on every imaginable way (post traumatic birth doula for the mother, healthy food, house keeping, etc).
The employee is encouraged to take leave as long as possible to ensure the health of this little baby boy who is now home but on oxygen.
The employee thinks this is a company benefit. In reality, it was mostly my pocket and efforts.
My grandfather died when I was 16. During the week we stayed at grandma's house, I noticed that their dog was looking really down. She was this sweet, adorable little papillon named Dixie (I know, I know), and she loved my grandpa more than anything. The poor thing was dragging her floofy tail around and being incredibly sad. So I looked up how to help a dog with grief, dug through his laundry, and put something from the top into her cage. She started cuddling it and it really seemed to perk her up.
When my grandma found it, she burst out crying. You see, he had killed himself to avoid being put on a respirator the next day- his ALS was so bad that she was finding evidence of his struggles everywhere, like the gas cap on his car not getting screwed on again. Finding the shirt in Dixie's cage made grandma cry because she thought HE did it.
Grandma thought he did it before killing himself as a way to prepare the dog for his death. She was so moved by it that I just never told her. She died last year, 15 years later, and I never told her.
When I worked retail at a Walgreen’s in Denver, there was this little old lady, Maggie, who would come in every Monday and Friday to go grocery shopping. She couldn’t walk very well, so I would try to always help her with her cart and ring her up so she didn’t have to wait in line.
One time in passing, she mentioned she lived only one or two houses down from the store and told me her address. Said she really only ever leaves her house to walk over for groceries. During the two years I worked there, whenever it snowed on Mondays or Wednesdays, I always got up super early to go and shovel and sprinkle salt on her steps and the sidewalk to the Walgreen’s so she could safely make it for groceries.
Saw a homeless guy walking on the sidewalk in the middle of a 100 degree day and it was clear that his feet were severely burned. He was hobbling and his feet were clearly sunburned.
I had a brand new pair of shoes in my trunk so I pulled over and handed it to him. He literally cried and said that I would never understand what this meant to him.
It broke my heart.
It’s not much, but whenever I see a work of art online, be it a painting/drawing, original music, a dance, creative writing, etc, I always try to leave a small compliment/acknowledgement of their work because I know how much courage it takes to post your creative work online.
I donated a kidney to someone I didn't know because I have two and they needed one. Even my wife thinks the scar is from an accident.
I saw this homeless man eating some pizza and after we talked a bit, I let him use my shower and offered to let him sleep on my couch for the night. He declined the couch, but his laughter in the shower made me really smile. I've never told anyone this.
I'm crying reading this. I don't think a lot of people realize how much of an impact a shower makes in the life of a homeless person.
I was cleaning out my car at one of the big stops where they have pull up parking with a vacuum hose on both sides. This car pulled in next to me trying to park in the space between the spots. Me being cynical I'm annoyed and grumbling in my head. Turns out it was this little old lady. For some people the soft spot is kids or animals but for me it's old people. Anyway, I helped her get her parking sorted and ended up vacuuming her car out as well. In my eyes it looked pretty spotless already. My grandma treated her car the same way. By the end she was in tears when saying her thank yous. What took me all of 10 mins would have taken her much longer. Felt good.
One weekend when I was in my teens, I was wandering around outside daydreaming as bored teenagers with no close friends tend to do. In the vicinity of an old one-room schoolhouse, I found a plastic jar that said "OPEN ME" on the lid, and I did so.
The jar was filled with dry black-eyed peas, plus, buried within, a small illustrated flier that said "Goodbye, Earl!"
It was a certificate from a local country music station redeemable for free tickets to a Dixie Chicks concert. I found out the next day from a classmate that it was part of a contest in which the station gave out daily clues during airtime as to the jar's location, so listeners could search for it. I had stumbled across it entirely by coincidence.
I had no interest in country music, but I knew that a girl in one of my classes was a Dixie Chicks fanatic. A couple days after finding it, toward the end of class, I left the certificate on the floor by her desk where she would find it. (I had never spoken to this person, nor would I go on to - beyond the shared space of a classroom, our milieux did not intersect.) Her look of sheer, incredulous joy and the way she rushed to catch up with one of her friends to show her as the class filed out was the highlight of my day.
A lot of homeless people in Lahaina (on the island of Maui) get by on fishing.
One night, while leaving a restaurant, my girlfriend and I saw an elderly man sleeping near the Old Banyan tree. She pointed out that the fishing pole next to him had been snapped multiple times, with splintered ends and everything (probably by some a-hole tourist).
Knowing that fishing pole was how he'd kept himself fed and seeing his livelihood compromised like that really bothered us. So my girlfriend and I got in my car and drove to the only Walmart on the island in Kahului (all the stores in Lahaina usually close by sundown).
We bought a new fishing pole and gear and drove back to Lahaina. Fearing the cops might suspect him of stealing this new gear, my girlfriend wrote a note on the receipt saying, "Hold on to this," and left it in the tacklebox. When we got back to the Banyan tree, I set the gear down next to the old man.
The next day, we saw him fishing with the new pole on Front street.
Please remember to Practice Aloha.
I have an ongoing silent feud with one branch of my family (my dad's cousins and their kids, my second cousins), and we haven't spoken or really seen each other in over 10 years. I've pretty much written them off, and I don't really care if we live out the rest of our lives without patching things up.
Two months ago, one of my cousins from that branch unexpectedly died at the age of 38. Their immediate family had always had financial troubles, so while I didn't fly across the country to attend the funeral, I quietly sent my sister a bunch of money and instructed her to pretend it was hers and pay off part of their funeral expenses.
And then just last week, some of my other relatives started a GoFundMe for one of my aunts in that branch (she's my dad's oldest cousin). She has Stage IV cervical cancer and wants to leave the hospital to pass away at home surrounded by her loved ones, but the hospital won't release her until her medical bills are paid in full (this is in another country). I haven't told my dad or anyone else in the family, but I anonymously donated my last paycheck plus the money I had been saving for my upcoming birthday trip. I don't really consider it out of the goodness of my heart, though. It's just that the thought of an elderly, terminally ill person dying alone somewhere that isn't home eats away at me so much that I physically couldn't sit by and do nothing.
Here’s one from the other side. My son is disabled and as a result we have a lot of therapy throughout the week. When he was about four I took him to his therapy in the morning and then to Hippotherapy (horse riding with a PT assisting). The stables were about an hour away from our house so when it was all done we were both tired and hungry so on the way back we stopped at a diner. I got him his favorite (believe it or not, an adult portion of salmon with broccoli) and a wrap for me. We had a lovely meal and as usual played with games throughout. We didn’t speak to anyone else yet, when I asked for the check, someone else had paid for us. This person had no idea how tough our week had been or what we’d been through that day but by doing what they did I felt lifted so high and still smile whenever I think of it. People are sometimes wonderful.
When I was around 12-13 I gave this homeless man a bottle of water and sandwich Everyday for 2 months. I was in a summer program and broughht my own lunch, since they also gave us lunches I would give it to him
Saw a minivan lose control on a gravel road and roll into a slough. I u-turned back and went in to pull the driver out. It rolled onto its roof and was roughly half submerged upside downs. I had to go in through the back hatch to get the driver out.
I sneaked $50 into a woman’s purse upon overhearing her tell her child that they “couldn’t afford peanut butter.”
In high school, we had this thing called "lollies for love" and you could send lollipops to people in the school for Valentine's Day. You would fill out slips and put them in jars according to students' home room. I noticed there were no slips in the special ed class's jar. So I went home and asked my mom to do extra chores for a little allowance and bought everyone in the class 2 lollipops anonymously.
In high school, my theater group friends found out that I'd not had my own birthday cake before. I probably did as a small child, but I don't remember. I've always either had no birthday acknowledgement, or shared the event with someone else because our days were close. (I was never really bothered by the latter situation. I don't mind sharing).
For my 16th birthday they bought an ice cream cake, kept it in the teacher's lounge until lunch, and then came into the cafeteria carrying this thing all ceremonial-like, BELTING out Happy Birthday. I was mortified and delighted and I will never ever forget how special that made me feel.
I'm also mortified looking back that we didn't divide it up... just 10 teenagers, a giant cake, and a bunch of forks.
My mom was sitting with me at a Costco food court. She saw a family and children were hungry crying. My mom get up split our whole pizza and gave it to the family and kids. I was so astonished my mom did that out of nowhere
I'm a member of a Sims group on FB where people talk about the game, expansion packs etc. I noticed a comment by a teenager who said her favourite pack would be Pets but she can't afford it. I went onto her page and saw that she really loved horses. I could also tell from her pictures that her mum was disabled and money looked tight. I was fortunate enough when I was her age to always get the packs on the release dates and I used The Sims as a wind down from revising and school. I thought that this girl needed the escapism way more than I ever did so I bought every expansion pack, messaged her the activation codes, a link to a YouTube video on how to use them, and a short message saying I hope you enjoy playing and to keep smiling.
I really do wish her the very best.
I grew up with not a lot of money and definitely not in the best neighborhoods. My parents struggled with drug and alcohol abuse so we never had any money. I got myself through college and finally landed a pretty good job. I was visiting a friend of mine who still lived in the same neighborhood and saw there was a girl scout table out in front of a convenience store. Nobody was really buying the cookies. I had just gotten my first bonus from work and had a couple hundred bucks on me. After I left his place I went over and bought $500 worth of Girl Scout cookies. The little girls were so excited! Over the next few weeks I just randomly gave all those boxes of cookies away.
Husband and I gave away to a local charity all the money that was gifted to us at our wedding. It came out to about 1500$ I think. We had asked our guests to not give gifts and we chose a wedding that fit our budget. After a wonderful night, we went to bed and found the bed covered in envelopes from everyone sneaking their cards and checks into our room. We donated the whole thing to a charity that teaches local kids how to cook as we share a love of cooking!
What a beautiful way to celebrate your Union of love! I think you're going to have a very fulfilling life together.
I gave a guy who worked at a Pizza Hut $700 that was in my pocket. He worked the counter and the line was huge. Customers were being d**ks and he looked stressed. I was like 22 and doing excellent for myself at the time. Just handed him the $700 and told him to keep the change with my order. After I gave it to him he cried and said he had a newborn baby and was stressed out over money. Felt pretty good.
Not an exact match but I secretly funded a family of 4’s childcare (essential worker single mom with 3 kids) in the early days of quarantine.
When after school childcare was closed I reached out to the local facility that was only open for essential workers and asked them if they had a family in need ( so technically I told the admin / staff person). I declined to have my info released and made sure the sponsorship was anonymous.
Their first term expired ( 2 weeks to flatten the curve, hah). And the facility reached out again - I reupped.
Have never told anyone ( not even my household and we take care to communicate on spending)). It was expensive (not quite 2k).
The family sent a lovely letter to the facility to pass along and also were very appreciative. I do wonder how they fared.
I’m happy to have done it and would do it again.
I (F) was at a shopping centre loading up the car to go home and noticed a woman struggling across the parking lot with a bunch of groceries. She noticed me looking and I said I didn't mean to stare but I was trying to think of how to ask if she would like a ride home. She didn't want to impose but I didn't have anywhere I needed to be, and I remember how hard shopping could be before I had a car. We chatted during the drive and she was super nice. I never saw her again, and I never told anyone because I didn't want to sound like I was looking for praise or anything.
Whenever one of my old coworkers was having a bad day, I’d slip a $20 into their locker with a little note that said I hoped their day got better. I never signed my name and made sure to do it whenever no one else was around. Everyone thought it was one of the managers. Probably gave out well over $500+ every year, but it was worth it.
I bought a homeless man a plane ticket to get back home. This was probably 3 months ago.
He was hungry, illiterate, and had been riding the rails for months. Went by JD. I got him a new SIM card for an old phone he had and fed him, then got him on a flight to Mississippi. I can only hope he's OK now.
A woman I met had been severely beaten by her ex. She got him arrested but he was the breadwinner and it was just before Christmas. I sent her $1,000 to buy presents for her seven kids.
I was at a hot topic once buying a pusheen for a friend and when I brought it up to the counter the cashier gasped with glee. He told me how they were on sale 3 for 2 and was going to get one for his best friend but he couldn't afford it. So I bought the sale 3 and gave him 2 for him and his bestie. Besides helping the homeless and being kind to humans in general, That was one of my favorite times. I love seeing people happy.
I'll go to toy stores and find one I would have liked as a kid, buy it, then donate it.
This is beautiful. I started a tithing box. Every time I go shopping I buy something nice and new for someone else. I have no kids but I will buy beautiful blankets or the biggest pack of diapers, gourmet tea, new shoes for a little boy, cleaning supplies, medicines etc. When the box is full or reaches a $ threshold I take it to one of 2 shelters in my region and my donation is always anonymous. I have donated steel water bottles, menstrual cups, art supplies, books, coats, toys, jewelry and hair care, supplies for the cafeteria, etc etc. I try to out-do myself with creativity and think very hard about what each person might need or enjoy of any gender identity or age and in our particular region.
I had a coworker, in a health clinic where I used to work. he was upbeat, kind, full of positivity. I noticed that he didn't have decent shoes. For some odd reason I felt compelled to do something, I guess it was because I kinda knew how it feels like.
Payday comes and I said f**k it, I secretly knew what size he was and bought him a brand new pair of running shoes and had them delivered at the workplace, never put my name on it. He was so happy when he found out, he was wondering where could have the shoes come from. I told him in jest: "Maybe it was from your fans".
I had a neighbor I didnt know very well at all. She had a young kid and a boyfriend who yelled a lot. We exchanged numbers for some reason. She texted me out of the blue and asked to borrow money but wanted to meet me at a gas station instead of at the house. I assumed it was so I could just put gas in the tank but went and got cash. She was so squirrelly when I got there and I felt like something was up. I gave her a 50 and I filled her tank. She kept saying I was helping her out so much and no one else would and the she would pay me back. I told her I don't lend money, it's a gift.
I never saw her again. I have no idea what the was about, what she did with the money. I'd nearly forgotten about it. I hope she's okay.
Was walking back from the smoke shop and I saw a woman with her loud whiny child who had clearly just come back from the grocery store with many many bags. We were at the base of the hill, she needed to get up to 16th and 4th from the base of the hill. For those who don’t know, trust me when I say it’s damn near a hike.
Context: this is Duluth, Minnesota in the summer. Was like 90+ Fahrenheit.
I am not a nice man, but I felt for this lady. I offered to carry her bags as her child was exhausted and didn’t want to walk (I think 4 or 5 years old) anymore.
Didn’t get a thank you, but I’d like to think she said it internally.
A buddy of mine was having financial trouble. I mailed him several hundred dollars cash from another town so he wouldn't suspect it was me.
A friend of mine called me in tears because she heard her neighbor beating her child. I managed to coax her into calling CPS and then stayed on the phone until her panic attack subsided.
My friend thanked me, I guess she was triggered as a result of her own childhood abuse and she late told me that her neighbor lost custody of the child then moved out
Followed a guy from the gas station to a McDonalds 10 minutes away to give him his gas cap that he'd forgotten
Gave away my title as Valedictorian. When I was graduating elementary school, our class got to vote on who we wanted as Valedictorian at our graduation ceremony (which is a HUGE deal when you’re 13).
My friend had been talking all year about how badly she wanted to get this title, and it meant a lot to her. I, on the other hand, get extreme anxiety when public speaking so the thought of me doing it never really crossed my mind. Low and behold, the day comes after our class and teachers make a vote, my teacher pulled me aside and said; “Congrats! You’re our Valedictorian!” and I looked him in the eyes and said “Give it to ___, this means more to her than it will ever mean to me.” He was astonished, and told me nobody in his nearly 30 years of teaching had ever turned it down.
My friend got told that she won, and I think to this day, 9 years later, it is her biggest accomplishment. She would always talk about it, put it on her resume, got fancy gifts from family for the title, etc. We are no longer friends, but I never let her know.
I was at costco and a cart was left unattended and started rolling towards a car. I sprinted across the lane and caught it and took it to the cart spot.
I had a co-worker who had run up a dental bill due to an emergency, and they couldn't afford to pay the bill. I called the dentist's office and paid off the bill with my credit card, and asked them to never tell my friend.
I brought a homeless guy a pair of socks, but he couldn't bend over to change them. I offered to do it for him, and got to remove his very well worn socks and dress him in my new ones.
When I was 21 and living in nyc, I walked past a group of homeless ladies outside a CVS after a night out. I told them to come into CVS with me and let them all pick out a few items they needed
My mom sent me flowers but missed the delivery so I went to pick them up at the florist shop. It was a small mom and pop shop and the owner was stressed with all the orders and didn’t have help. I explained my background with flowers and volunteered at his shop for 2 days to help cover until his reliable help was scheduled to come in. He was incredibly thankful. Have never told anyone.
I used to work in food and beverage for a theme park, every now and then I would give out free desserts for people who were celebrating stuff. if someone didn’t have enough money or something, I would often just “forget” to ring up an item.
One time I had a group ask me for directions while I was trying to leave, so I walked them to the ride and they were awesome so I talked to one of the attendants and got them on faster.
The company did care about treating guests well, but I just did it because I liked seeing people happy.
I was packing up my belongings from my house getting ready to move, came across a name brand purse my ex-best friend said she really loved online (it was her favorite brand and I hadn’t used it yet) I really liked it too and it was in new condition and the night before I moved out I dropped it off in a wrapped box in front of her house. We hadnt been friends for years and she might’ve even hated me, but I left her a gift just for kicks because she was a really important person to me when we were friends. never contacted her or anyone from that town again. Don’t know if she knows it was me, but I’ve never told anyone. Hope she liked it.
Just two days ago I saw a dollar bill laying there next to someone’s stuff at work. for some random reason I decided “f**k it” and pulled out a dollar out from my wallet and put it in with the other $1 bill. to whoever owned that $1 now you have $2.
I told this girl that made fun of me.in middle school that she could come get a bunch of food from.my house for her and her kids because she said they were starving...turns out she just wanted money which I ended up giving her 100 bucks..she said it was for the kids, I don't believe her but just in case it was.i figured she could use the money
Unfortunately when you live in Africa there is a lot of need. So a short list of things I've not told anyone before: (1) Gave away two bags of new clothes to a homeless guy. (2) Periodically buy homeless guys groceries if I see them in the store. (3) Give a percentage of my salary to a coworker on a lower payscale every few months. I don't explain, just ask for bank details and send it.
And then something commonplace that a few people do: at every traffic light there's a person begging. So once a month I draw cash, change to silver coins (ie not copper), and then hand them out at every stop, till they're used up. Usually lasts about 3 weeks before I run out.
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Friend just broke into tears the other day telling me how she was buying a few small items, and the man behind her said he'd pay. She was shocked. She has the money! And he said, "That's not why." And he paid for her few items, and she felt *seen* for the first time in ages, and yes, I cried!
Sometimes it's not about the bucks but about the acknowledgement that you exist and people see you. I get this.
Load More Replies... Unfortunately when you live in Africa there is a lot of need. So a short list of things I've not told anyone before: (1) Gave away two bags of new clothes to a homeless guy. (2) Periodically buy homeless guys groceries if I see them in the store. (3) Give a percentage of my salary to a coworker on a lower payscale every few months. I don't explain, just ask for bank details and send it.
And then something commonplace that a few people do: at every traffic light there's a person begging. So once a month I draw cash, change to silver coins (ie not copper), and then hand them out at every stop, till they're used up. Usually lasts about 3 weeks before I run out.
Load More Replies... Friend just broke into tears the other day telling me how she was buying a few small items, and the man behind her said he'd pay. She was shocked. She has the money! And he said, "That's not why." And he paid for her few items, and she felt *seen* for the first time in ages, and yes, I cried!
Sometimes it's not about the bucks but about the acknowledgement that you exist and people see you. I get this.
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