KINDNESS

The good and kind things ordinary people do far outweigh all the evil in the world. Here are some reminders.  Enjoy!

June 1, 2020. Nashville neighbors stepped up after a man posted on social media that he was scared to leave his house alone in the wake of George Floyd’s death. They marched together. Today. Photo credit: Shawn Dromgoole.

May 13, 2020. A TSA supervisor had been making masks to hand out to law enforcement, healthcare workers, pharmacy workers and others in her community to protect them and the people around them from COVID-19. When she got her stimulus check, she decided to use the money to make even more masks. Fox 45 News. Photo credit: Samantha Mudge.

April 29, 2020. A librarian wanted to help children feel less isolated at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Every week, she selects a few books to read to them by video. ​ “We talk about it, we draw about it, we write about it,” she said. ​ All of the books are about kindness and helping neighbors. ​Story and photo credit: CBSDFW.COM.

March 18, 2020. People are using Nextdoor.com to organize neighbors to help their neighbors with shopping and medicine during the corona virus pandemic. Those who need help can ask, those who are healthy and can help leave items on the doorstep. Nextdoor.com Photo credit: Nextdoor.com

February 5, 2020.  A self-employed outfitter would have lost his business if not for the kindness of others. After his RV and camping equipment were destroyed by an arsonist, a stranger donated his old RV and organized a drive to replace all the camping equipment. He did this to pay forward the kindness others had shown him after a similar loss. 13KVAL  Photo credit: SBG

January 24, 2020. A woman’s husband was in the hospital recently and was critically ill. A kind neighbor cut their grass and helped with raking leaves. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Photo credit: Pixabay.

December 27, 2019. Several firefighters were treated with kindness when their trip to the grocery store was interrupted by an emergency call.  When the crew returned to the store, they discovered someone had paid for all their groceries and the employees had them ready in the cooler. 13WTHR.com Photo credit: Fishers Fire Department.

November 25, 2019. While on patrol last week, two Guelph police officers purchased a pair of warm socks and boots for a woman walking barefoot in the cold. GuelphToday.com Photo credit:  Kenneth Armstrong.

October 16, 2019. A small gesture by a sanitation worker left the family of an elderly woman forever grateful.  An elderly woman suffering from dementia fell and was hurt while trying to bring her trash can back up her driveway. A Waste Management worker was there to help her up and has brought the can back up her driveway every week since.  Fox5DC.com.  Photo credit: Collette Kingston.

September 6, 2019: A 93-year old woman was struggling to get to her car in the pouring rain. This young man ran across a store parking lot, took off his own jacket and shielded the woman from the rain all the way to her car.  “It looked like she needed help,” he said. “I was raised to, like, do right toward anybody. It doesn’t matter what race or anything.”  Tribune Media Wire Service.  Photo credit: Joe Holt.

August 15, 2019: A state trooper was caught on camera serving out a small act of kindness to a stranger. He noticed a drifter and decided to check up on the man. “I asked him the last time he had anything to eat or drink because he looked thirsty. I offered to buy him something to drink and to eat.” Stephanie Robusto, WHEC. Photo credit: Jonathan Lynch.

July 12, 2019: A manager at a restaurant was quick to help when he saw that a 96-year-old WWII veteran barely made it to the store on only three tires.  He helped change the mans’ tire before helping him with his regular meal. David Williams, CNN.  Photo credit: Rudy Somoza.

June 5, 2019: A police officer in Georgia helped a young man with his tie before his high school graduation. Photo credit: Patricia Wood.

March 18, 2019. A firefighter helped an elderly woman up the steep stairs of a rodeo arena. “If you’re alive and breathing, you shouldn’t need an excuse to help someone else,” he said. “If they need help, help them.” Story credits: Amir Vera, CNN. Photo credit: Shayla Harwell.

February 25, 2019. A computer repairman works overtime to donate used computers to students who cannot afford them. Story and photo credits: Brenda Robleto, newschannel6now.com.

January 1, 2019: When a young girl told a police officer she got a new bicycle but did not know how to ride it, he helped her learn how. Story and photo credits: KWTX.com and KPD.

December 4, 2018: When a man boarded a public bus announced he was just then officially homeless after his home was condemned, the driver offered him food and called around to get him into a community shelter. Story and photo credit: Christina Maxouris and Saeed Ahmed, CNN.com.

September 15, 2018: A trooper saw a young man lagging behind in a 5k footrace. He decided to the young man a moral boost and ran alongside, encouraging him the rest of the way to the finish line. Story credit: Austin Jackson, wcmessenger.com. Photo credit: Unknown.

August 6, 2018: A construction worker stopped what he was doing for a moment to help an elderly woman cross the street. Story credit: Travis Hunter, DenverCBSLocal.com. Photo credit: Travis Hunter.

July 6, 2018. A driver working for a delivery company saw a young boy fall off his bike and get cut up. He stopped and helped the boy put himself back together.  He didn’t have to, but he did. Story credit: Laura French, WTVR.com. Photo credit: Regina Gallagher.

June 1, 2018. A woman had been returning home from Europe after a long day of travel when she learned her airline now charges extra for a carry-on bag – but she was out of cash and her banks weren’t accepting her credit cards due to her changing location. A stranger happened to overhear her troubles and paid for the extra fee.  It turned out he is a NFL player! (Story and photo from Delilah Cassidy and SunnySkyz.)

May 16, 2018.  A young man was picking his mom up from work downtown when he saw an elderly woman sitting in a wheelchair waiting for a bus. It was an unbearably hot day. He had an umbrella in his car, so he took it over to block the sun for her.  The bus didn’t show up for an hour and 45 minutes, but this young man stayed with her throughout and they became friends.  His mother says she’s seen this selfless side of her son before when he rescued his grandmother who was trapped during Hurricane Harvey.  He says there are ways we can help others every day and acts of kindness, big and small, are reminders that there’s still good in the world. (Story from KTRK-TV News.)

April 18, 2018. A man recently lost several family members including his mother and daughter. He inherited his childhood home from his mother, but the house was in need of several repairs. He didn’t have a way to pay for them and wound up living in a facility for homeless veterans.  He was finally able to move back into his rightful home after over 70 Indianapolis volunteers helped repair and restore the house. (Story and photo from Fox59.)

March 9, 2018. A Scottish woman is being called a superhero after she made an 8-mile hike through a blizzard so she could operate on a patient with colon cancer. Her colleagues at the hospital were quite surprised when she finally arrived at the hospital dressed in a her winter gear with goggles and snow poles. (Story and photo from the BBC.)

February 10, 2018. A Young couple in a parking lot in San Antonio, Texas lot noticed a man trying to rob an older woman. They interrupted the attempt and sent the robber running.

Photo credit; KABB, San Antonio, TX.

November 11, 2017.  A volunteer firefighter from Long Island, New York, decided to bring an act of kindness to each town or city that the 58 victims of the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting had come from and to pass along bracelets carrying the victims’ names. He, his daughter, and a friend expect to visit some 20 cities or towns in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. His only request of those receiving these small acts of kindness is that they “pay it forward” with their own acts of kindness.  (Story and photo from St. George News and #Honor58.)

October 5, 2017.  Students in Oregon have adopted a 5-year-old boy with cerebral palsy as part of the Sparrows Club program.  He endured six surgeries in just the first year of his life. Now, middle school and high school students will raise money to help pay for his medical costs, while also providing emotional support for the boy and his family. (Story and photo from KPTV)

September 13, 2017. A newlywed couple who had just escaped hurricane Irma had car trouble in Tennessee.  A restaurant manager saw their situation, helped fix the car, got them seated at a restaurant and gave them $200 to help them out. (Story and photo credit: AJC.com)

September 12, 2017. Here’s a big thank you to all the people and businesses who have volunteered their time, services, and money for disaster relief across the USA and around the world. You are all wonderful. Keep it going! (Photo credit: WGNO.)

August 10, 2017. Members of the Cardinal Huskies football team were enjoying a canoe ride when they found an elderly couple, Pam and Hal, in trouble on the river.  The team members chose to stop and help the couple get to safety. “I would appreciate it if they are recognized for what they did,” wrote Pam. “We wanted you to know what fine boys you have on this team at your school and, if you have special awards for random acts of kindness, they and their coach certainly deserve it.” (Story by Ann Wishart, Geauga County Maple Leaf.)

Photo credit: Cardinal Huskies.

July 23, 2017.  A resident of Springfield, MA, who suffers from a degenerative brain disease, isn’t focusing on his troubles. He makes every day count, giving bicycles to deserving children.  He was recently joined by two local service organizations who provided extra bicycles and bike locks. (Story and photo credit: Sy Becker, 22News WWLP.com.)

Photo Credit:  22News WWLP.com

June 13, 2017. The Giving USA Foundation reported that Americans gave $390 billion to charity in 2016.  Most of that, $282 billion, came from individuals rather than businesses or foundations.

May 23, 2017:  When he saw all the young, scared, bleeding victims at the Manchester bombing, this homeless man rushed in to help.  Now others are helping him. Photo credit:  GBITN – ITV

April 18, 2017:  When this marcher from one side fell ill, several protesters from the other side dropped what they were doing to help. One of them had the following to say about the incident: “We’re on polar opposite sides of the political fence.  … At the end of the day, he’s God’s child. He’s somebody’s daddy, somebody’s husband, somebody’s father.”  (Kenosha News. Photo credit: Brian Passino)

December 29, 2016:  These six upperclassmen took a morning off of their holiday vacation to serve as pallbearers for a man they had never met. (SunHerald.com Photo credit: Cathy Warden)

September 27, 2016:  A state trooper drove a grieving man 100 miles to his sister’s funeral after his car was impounded as part of a traffic stop. (CNN. Photo credit: Mark Ross)

September 25, 2016:  A Philadelphia mosque provides breakfast to almost 1,000 police officers.

August 3, 2016:  An Uber customer raises the money for her driver to see his son compete in the Olympics. (People.com. Photo credit: Liz Willock and Ellis Hill)

July 31, 2016:  Many Muslims across France attended Catholic Mass in a gesture of solidarity after the murder of a priest on July 26th. (Story and photo: BBC.com)

AFP/Gety Images

July 19, 2016:  More than a dozen people helped rescue a man trapped beneath his car.  Bert Sorin put a video on his Facebook page.

July 17, 2016:  Instead of facing off at a protest, police and Black Lives Matter organized a picnic and dance in Wichita, Kansas. (CBSNews.com)

July 10, 2016:  A young girl showed compassion for a homeless man, giving him her pocket money and kind words. Her mother, Kenyatta Lewis, recorded the moment on her Facebook page: