You might have missed these stories in the mainstream news, but the random acts of kindness will leave you feeling the human race isn’t so bad after all. Get some tissues handy.
To celebrate the 89 years in the life of her late great grandmother, Samantha Manns, 18, is doing 89 random act of kindness. She recently complete her eighth and you can follow her progress by liking her Facebook page. Her acts of kindness range from paying for strangers’ meals to donating blood. She’s becoming an inspiration to her 7,000+ followers on Facebook.
The good news is, this particular Ohio teen isn’t the only one out there performing random acts of kindness. Here are a few more stories to give you hope.
When a tree fell on 8-year old Johnny Karlinchak’s neighbor’s house, he did everything in his power to help. After emptying his piggy bank fell far short of the required $500, he set up a lemonade stand. He exceeded his goal by selling lemonade and cookies and earning money bit by bit. He was paying it forward with this act of kindness. When his 6-year old sister died in a car accident 4 and a half years earlier, the neighbors came together to help family and raise enough money to build a park in her name.
Doug Eaton, of Oklahoma, spent his 65th birthday handing out 5 dollar bills at an intersection. The act of giving proved to be a fulfilling birthday gift. While he enjoyed giving out the money, he was also moved by those who refused it, but were appreciative, and told him to give it to someone in need.
Aaron Collins died just before he turned 30, but his last wish was to give the waiter/waitress at a pizza place a $500 tip. He didn’t have much money saved up, so his family raised the money through donations and made his wish come true. Their mission is still going, as they continue to raise money. Their current goal is to do this in all 50 states. Check out their website and you can donate to the Indiegogo campaign.
This anonymous act of kindness was caught on camera in Russia. A man leaves his SUV to help an old woman, who was having some difficulty, cross the street. It’s sweet to see that boy scout cliche play out in real life.
An American living in China touched a nation when he offered a homeless woman some french fries and water. Jason Loose was working as an intern in Nanjing when he took the time to sit down with a homeless woman and offer her fries. The act was caught on camera and Loose became an internet sensation. He was dubbed the “American French Fry Brother.”
Ryan Garcia committed a random act of kindness each day last year for the whole year. He called his mission 366 Random Acts of Kindness and was driven by a desire to have a more peaceful world for his young daughter to live in. His good deeds included donating blood, complimenting strangers, reading to kids and much more. His final act of kindness is undoubtedly his biggest–he began the process of adopting a child.
Redditors can be compassionate. After Alexis Blackburn’s father posted a picture of her to the site, 136 cards showed up at her hospital room, using a program that lets anyone design a card that the hospital will print out and deliver. That act of kindness inspired a Get Well subreddit that gives people the chance to cheer up others around the world.
Redditors also helped out a terminally ill Scott Widak after Widak’s nephew, Sean O’Connor, posted his story along with P.O. box to the site. One of Widak’s favorite things to do is receive mail, so the redditors helped out in full force, comforting a man on his last days.
Carlos Vasquez put a sign outside of his dry cleaning business that said, “If you are unemployed and need an outfit clean for an interview, we will clean it for free.” It was Vasquez’s way of giving back to his community in New York. His simple gesture and generosity actually helped some of his clients get jobs.
If you can’t get enough of reading about random acts of kindness, then check out GivesMeHope.com, which features short but powerful stories. And you can visit RandomActsofKindness.org to join in on the movement.