First responders have each other's back

Troy Hill's place of employment was getting rid of a fully-stocked trailer that was no longer needed. The boss' wife had suggested the trailer be donated to someone who lost their home in California's recent Camp Fire, and the boss wanted Troy's help tracking down the right person.

Frustrated by his inability to tell a real need from a scam, Hill suggested they contact a first responder. He called the sheriff's department in Butte County, California, and within hours was connected with a young officer who had lost everything in the fire. Hill and his boss knew this officer, his wife, and their two children were indeed the family to receive this gift.

All they had to do now was transport the trailer 450 miles to the homeless family. Again within hours of Hill's plea for help, two off-duty officers volunteered to drive with him (900 round trip in one very long day.) A local business donated their heavy-duty truck to carry the load, and friends showed up with bags of toys for the family's children.

Stranded in an airport for 7 months, refugee finds a home thanks to a Canadian stranger

Hassan Al Kontar was stuck. A member of a targeted religious minority, the 37-year-old had fled his native Syria and worked in the United Arab Emirates for several years. When his work permit expired and Syria was still inhospitable to him, he scrambled to find a country that would issue him a visa.

As a Malaysian travel visa was about to expire in March, he readied to board a flight to Ecuador. The flight was delayed, and by the time it was ready, that travel visa had expired. There he was at the Kuala Lumpur airport, terrified to return to his native Syria, unable to find a country that would accept him.

He needed to do something. He created videos of his plight and tweeted them to thousands of followers. He washed in the airport bathrooms, slept under stairwells, and ate whatever leftover airline food generous employees offered him. He crocheted, watered airport plants, and hoped for a savior.

Thousands of miles away in Whistler in the Canadian province of British Columbia, Laurie Cooper was touched by Al Kontar's story. A media relations consultant living in a log cabin, Cooper volunteers with charitable nonprofits and rallied others to the man's cause. They raised over $20,000 to sponsor him, secured him a full-time job offer, and identified close relatives living in Canada. All that effort and leg work for a perfect stranger. 

Despite a number of complications, including Al Kontar's arrest and detention for loitering without a boarding pass, Cooper and friends persevered. Al Kontar was granted asylum in Canada. His saviors were present to greet the thin, unshaven, incredibly grateful man when he arrived in Vancouver this week.

Misdialed number sends Jimmy John's driver to pick up a vet and deliver him to the ER

Lisa Nagengast calls it 'divine intervention.'

She was on the phone with her brother, Navy vet Greg Holeman of Columbus, Nebraska. He was home recovering from back surgery and told her about post-op complications he was having. She wanted him to call an ambulance, but he was worried about the expense. Unable to help in person from her home in Florida, Lisa dialed Greg's social worker at the Department of Veteran's Affairs in Nebraska.

At least she thought she did.

She actually reached Jimmy John's, the sandwich franchise, and told the story to Lupe Rodriguez, the woman who answered at the shop. Lupe handed the phone to the night manager, Jason Voss, and Voss listened to the panicked woman on the other end of the phone.

Within minutes, Voss had talked the situation over with one of his drivers, Zach Hillmer. A vet himself, Hillmer volunteered to help. With Voss' blessing, Hillmer called Lisa back to get Greg's address.

Lisa was confused and wondered why the social workers didn't have access to her brother’s information. That's when she learned she'd called a sandwich shop.

With details in hand, Hillmer picked Greg up and delivered him to the Emergency Room. 

Because a number of people responded to Greg's need with empathy, he is now back home and doing well. "It was meant to be," Lisa says.

Elderly Portland man gives brooches to people who 'need a little sparkle'

Portland, Oregon's Myron Boyer is a familiar face at the local farmers market. For the last six years, he has ambled through the market with rhinestone and enamel brooches pinned to his T-shirt. When he sees someone who looks sad, distracted, or just plain busy, he stops to speak with them. While chatting, he offers them a brooch. According to the owner of a local coffee shop, folks "...kind of blush a little, look a little frazzled, but they're very accepting, because he's a very approachable man." 

Now fondly nicknamed 'The Bling Fairy,' Boyer started the giveaway after his friend Bob Lamberson died. Lamberson was a 'bigger than life' character and heavily involved in theater. While he was hospitalized, Boyer brought him brooches to cheer him in that sterile environment. After he died, Boyer gave the brooches to the nurses. A tradition was born. 

Boyer doesn't ask names, but folks who accept his gift tend to tell their stories: a woman struggling with depression, someone who just received a cancer diagnosis, a homeless couple who appreciated being noticed. Boyer listens, then watches the transformation as the brooch is fastened to a shirt or lapel. "Putting one smile a day on someone's face is making the world better," he told a local newspaper. "And that's basically where it's at."

Kindness of 'Charlie's Cooler' spreads to 15 states and overseas

I'm so thankful to be healing well. Now, back to reading and writing and actually participating in life!

Over five years ago, New Jersey resident Charlie Poveromo watched sanitation workers pick up  neighborhood trash during a brutal heat wave. The men were sweaty and pale, so Charlie ran out with a jug of cold water and some cups for the workers. That same day, he started a summer tradition: stock a cooler full of iced drinks and leave it open on his lawn for overheated landscapers, sanitation workers, mail personnel, etc. Dozens of people helped themselves to Charlie's kindness every week for years.

Charlie died unexpectedly in March. This summer, his widow, Velvet, set out the cooler with a note stating that she would do her best to carry on her husband's tradition. Social media spread the word. Now Charlie's Coolers have popped up throughout New Jersey, plus 15 other states, the Virgin Islands, Italy, and Japan.

Velvet is delighted with the response. Seeing the way Charlie touches people even after his death "helps heal me," she said. "And it all started with this: a cooler on a lawn."  

Nail salon refuses a woman with cerebral palsy, so Walmart employees pamper her

Angela Peters of Burton, Michigan is an artist and poet. She also has cerebral palsy. A familiar face at the Burton Walmart, Peters drove her power wheelchair into the nail salon within the store last week. The salon refused to do her nails because she "moved too much," their description of her movement disorder.

The scene was witnessed by horrified Walmart cashier Tasia Smith. She spread the word among other Walmart employees, including Ebony Harris who works at the Subway within Walmart. Harris offered to do the woman's nails herself. Other employees helped out by buying the nail polish and other supplies. Peters chose her colors, and Harris got to work. 

Tasia Smith captured the scene and shared it on Facebook. Harris later said, “She moved her hands a little bit and she kept saying she was sorry. And, I told her don’t say that. I said you’re fine.” Harris doesn't want bad publicity for the nail salon, but agreed to share her kindness because she wants others to do the same. "She wants to look pretty," she said of Peters, "so why can't she?"

As for Peters, she is delighted with her manicure. Smith, Peters, and Harris have already lined up a dinner together to cement their newfound friendship. 

Grocery store clerk allows man with autism to help him stock shelves

Jordan Taylor was just doing his job at Rouses Market in Baton Rouge, LA, stocking shelves and cooler cases. He noticed a man and his teenage son, and as he later told a reporter, "Something in the back of my mind was just like, 'Ask if he wants to help you.'" Taylor did as his heart directed, and the teen accepted the offer to help stock the cooler while his father and sister videotaped.

Why? Because the teen, Jack Ryan, is autistic. Interaction of this type is difficult for him. But with Taylor's gentle instruction, Jack Ryan stocked the cooler case for 30 minutes, which his dad Ed calls "a miracle." 

Ed asked Taylor what plans he had for the future. Taylor shared his hope to become a teacher, and Jack Ryan's sister Delaney promptly set up a GoFundMe page. In just one day, over $92,000 has been pledged to offset Taylor's future college expenses. 

And what might be the best outcome of all - Rouses Market has offered Jack Ryan a job stocking shelves.  

Bus driver stops his route to help a blind passenger across a construction zone

Milwaukee, Wisconsin resident Gene Hubbard has been riding the transit bus to work for years. The 69-year-old is blind, and knows exactly how to navigate from the bus stop to his place of employment. 

As bus driver Thaddaus Turner approached Hubbard's usual spot, he saw it was blocked by construction. Despite knowing he is responsible to keep the bus on schedule, he stopped the bus and followed Hubbard down the stairs. He then took the man's arm and led him safely across the construction area.  

A driver in oncoming traffic snapped a couple photos and a video of this small kindness. Without knowing either Hubbard or Turner's identity, he shared the video with local news outlets, who in turn broadcast the good deed. 

Turner dismissed his act as something he and his fellow bus drivers do most every day. Hubbard praised Turner's kindness. “If I don’t have a regular locating point to start from, I may as well be in the middle of the ocean.” 

Cyclist rescues injured dog by carrying him on his back out of the woods

Jarrett Little was cycling with friends through a wooded area near Columbus, Georgia. When they stopped for a break, a dog limped out of the woods.

The dog had a broken leg and road rash. Plus, he was thin, so the cyclists surmised he'd been hit by a car some time earlier. They fed him and watered him from their own supplies, and talked about what to do from there. They couldn't get a car to this location - it was too remote. And they certainly couldn't leave the dog where they'd found him.

So Little put the dog on his back and cycled to the nearest town seven miles away. To stabilize the injured dog, he had to do some of the ride without using his hands.

They stopped at the town's bike shop to inquire about where to buy the dog some more food and water. Andrea Shaw, a Maine resident in Georgia for work, happened to be in the shop at the time. She had an instant connection to the dog and set about adopting him and caring for him. She found a vet, paid for the dog's care, and arranged for his transport to her farm in Maine. In honor of the place he was discovered, she named him Columbo and even started a Facebook page to document his adventures.

Columbo now has a forever home with Shaw, thanks to Little's willingness to piggyback him out of the woods. 

Publix employees comb through landfill to find 3-year-old's stuffed bunny

We all know that child whose 'lovey' provides comfort. For 3-year-old Madison, it is a stuffed flop-eared rabbit named Bunny she had since the day she was born.

Jenna Rachal, Madison's mom, knew the girl had taken Bunny into the Publix grocery store in Daphne, Alabama. But when unpacking at home, Bunny was gone. Rachal returned to the store and was told that no one turned in Bunny. 

The desperate mom sent out a plea on Facebook. After hundreds of shares and a couple of days, the post drew the attention of Mike Gayheart, the Publix store manager. He scanned surveillance footage and saw what happened to Bunny - it was left in the shopping cart and then, horror of horrors, thrown in the trash. That trash had then been taken to the dumpster which in turn went to the landfill. 

Without letting Rachal know of the attempt, Gayheart asked three Publix employees, Alex Chandonnett, Jordan De La Rosa, and Bobby Barnhart, to join him at the landfill in the search for Bunny. Unbelievably, the men agreed. Even more incredible, they found the stuffed animal. 

Gayheart took Bunny home and washed it repeatedly. Then he called Rachal to deliver the stunning news. The happy Madison was soon reunited with Bunny. Rachal again went to Facebook to share her delight. “This is above and beyond," she said, "a true example of the good people in the world!”

Animal shelter gets 12,000 pounds of food thanks to a third grader's birthday wish

Adisynn Kiker didn't want gifts for her 8th birthday. Instead, she asked for people to donate to the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake near her home in Tool, Texas. Her mom Jessica posted Adisynn's request on Facebook, and it went viral. 

Adisynn and her mom helped with collections, and donations poured in from individuals and businesses. In a few days, the shelter posted a list of everything received in Adisynn's name:

• 580 pounds of cat litter.
• 11,591 pounds of dog food.
• 152 pounds of cat food.
• 28 cans of cat food.
• 43 gallons of bleach.
• 7 containers of laundry soap.
• 7 containers of Simple Green.
• 60 rolls of paper towels.

The shelter posted, "Thank you again for everything!!!! Our fur babies greatly appreciate it." 

He bought as many AC units as he could afford, then gave them away

It's been a hot summer in the northeast. With temperatures over 90 degrees for several days last week, Chad Foster sure appreciated the air conditioning at his home and at his business, a tattoo shop in Schenectady NY. 

Foster has always had a soft spot for children, and his own comfort made him think about kids without AC at home. He called around and learned a local Home Depot had windows units available. He bought six, then posted this on Facebook: "So I just left Home depot with as many air conditioners as I could afford. If you know of a family with kids that can't afford one, let me know!!!!"  

Within hours, the post was shared hundreds of times, and families in need were identified. Foster delivered the AC units himself. One appreciative recipient said the gift "made my summer.” Of Foster, she said, “He's like Jesus but with a better beard.”

This couple turned grief into a monthly birthday party for hundreds of homeless kids

Mary Davis and her husband Ari Kadin grieved. They'd suffered two painful miscarriages and were uncertain if they'd ever be able to have children of their own. 

They decided to turn their yearning for children into a celebration of other children.  The couple founded Worthy of Love, a 501c3 non-profit which throws a monthly birthday party for homeless children who live in Los Angeles' Skid Row. Almost six years ago, their first party drew about fifteen people. Things sure have changed.

Held on a rooftop so kids feel 'they're on top of the world,' parties now average about 200 people. Each Skid Row child who has a birthday that month is invited, and their family joins in the fun. They're treated to games, cake, party favors, and Skiddy Cat, the mascot known to high five and dance the night away.  

Since starting Worthy of Love, Davis and Kadin have celebrated birthdays with over 6,000 kids and the help of volunteers and donations. Now they have a child of their own, a daughter, who they say will celebrate her birthday with the other kids on the rooftop. Davis said, "I want her to grow up knowing there are kids that don't get everything that you have. You have to bless others and bring happiness and joy to those that need it most."

Because every kid needs to build a box fort!

Six-year-old Brandon Bailey was excited. The new refrigerator his family waited two weeks for was due to be delivered. Brandon had big ideas for the refrigerator box - he'd build an awesome fort. So when the Lowe's delivery man, Alejandro Porter, showed up with the refrigerator already out of the box, Brandon was crushed. 

Porter saw the boy's disappointment and made a decision. Saying, "Every little boy needs an awesome box fort!" he went back to Lowe's and got a refrigerator box for Brandon. To say Brandon was delighted with the turn of events is an understatement. 


Brandon's mom Wendy Bailey was so appreciative, she posted a photo of Porter delivering the empty box on her Facebook page. She said, "it was a moment to talk to my son about the fruits of the spirit and how a simple, small act of kindness can make someone else so very happy."

She sat there for 45 minutes until this amateur boxer came along

Twenty-four year old amateur boxer Bilal Quintyne was about to start a run with his trainer near his Smyrna, Georgia home. He spotted a woman, later identified as 67-year-old Belinda Whittaker, sitting alone in a wheelchair by the side of the road. He approached her and asked if she was all right. She related that the motor on her power wheelchair had conked out about 45 minutes before, and she'd been thrown from the chair by the initial jolt. A stranger helped her back into the wheelchair, but literally powerless, she'd been sitting there waiting for help to get back to her senior housing complex. Despite her location near a car wash and a church, no help had arrived. 

Rather than call for help, Quintyne decided to be the help Whittaker needed. He began to push the 360-pound wheelchair to Whittaker's home, a good 30-minute walk away in 90 degree heat. En route, Quintyne's trainer Tony Willingham drove up expecting to start a training session. Quintyne explained he was just taking Whittaker home. Willingham shot a video of this impromptu training session. Once home, Whittaker hugged the sweaty Quintyne and thanked him profusely. 

Quintyne's kindness was praised by Whittaker's pastor in a sermon, and by the millions of people who viewed the viral video Willingham shot. 

Man sees puppy stuck in drainage ditch, builds a drone to rescue it

Out for a morning walk, Milind Raj heard a strange sound. A puppy had fallen into a filthy drainage ditch 20 feet below street level and it lay in the mucky water, whimpering. Unable to reach the animal himself, Raj had an idea and hurried to his lab.

An engineer who works in robotics and artificial intelligence, Raj worked for six hours. He returned to the site with his invention: a drone with a robotic arm. 

Raj flew the drone into the ditch and lowered the robotic arm into place. The arm, equipped with an AI heartbeat sensor to monitor the puppy's condition, grasped the pup around the middle. Raj used the AI information to judge the arm's grip. Once he had the pup secure, Raj used the drone to lift it from the ditch and fly it across the street to safety.

Even better than the rescue, Raj has adopted the pup. Its name? Lifted.  

This second-grader raises funds to buy rain boots and ponchos for the homeless

While driving with his family through Vancouver, BC on a rainy September day in 2016, six-year-old Ryder Moore noticed something - people wearing ragged clothes and no protective footwear. Ryder asked his parents about this, and a conversation about poverty and homelessness followed. Touched by what he saw and learned, Ryder suggested he give away his own boots. His parents guided him toward a way to make a greater impact. 

Now in its third year, Ryder's Rainboots raises funds to buy Rainy Day Kits containing new rain boots, a poncho or rain suit, gloves, socks, and a hat for men, women, and children. Eight-year-old Ryder adds a personal note to each kit, saying “Hope these boots keep your feet dry. From Ryder’s Rainboots xoxo.” He delivers them himself to the Vancouver area homeless shelters. 

All totaled, Ryder's project has raised over $10,000 since its start in 2016, allowing him to deliver over 200 Rainy Day Kits! His goal for 2018 is to raise $5000 by mid-October to prepare the homeless for the fall rainy season in Vancouver. He says, "I want people to have fun and jump in the puddles, and most of all, feel like someone cares for them."

Bus driver stops to feed a stray dog every day for 2 years

A couple years ago, a Canadian bus driver spotted an emaciated stray digging through the trash. A volunteer with Feed the FurBabies Canada, the anonymous woman was touched. She returned to the site with a bag of dog food and offered it to the stray dog. He devoured it. The next day, she spotted the same dog waiting along her route, wagging his tail. She stopped her bus and tossed him another helping of dog food. The pattern was set.

Every day since then, the dog has waited for her bus. In all kinds of weather, tail wagging, he stays beside the road while she pulls up and stops the bus. When she opens the door and tosses the bag of food, he grabs it in his teeth and hurries off.

The local animal shelter does not have enough room to house all the area's strays. There aren't enough foster homes for them either. Even so, this woman saw something she could do to help this dog. And she's done it every day for the last 2 years.

Small kindness of Waffle House waitress goes viral, lands her a scholarship

Laura Wolf was eating at a Waffle House in La Marque, Texas earlier this month. She overheard an elderly customer on oxygen ask a passing waitress for help. He said his hands weren't working well and needed help cutting his ham. Eighteen-year-old Evoni Williams was that passing waitress, and she did what she always does - stopped and helped. Laura captured the small kindness on her phone and shared it on Facebook. The post went viral.

As word spread locally, Evoni was thrown into the spotlight. The public learned she works at Waffle House to save for her college education where she plans to major in business. Last week, various officials met her at the Waffle House including media to record the event. The mayor issued a proclamation, declaring Thursday Evoni Williams Day. She was given a huge vase of flowers and got to meet Laura, the woman who captured the kindness to begin with. Then, a representative from Texas Southern University came forward. He presented Evoni with a $16,000 scholarship to be used toward four semesters' tuition.

Evoni is understandably delighted with the accolades, but doesn't quite see what all the fuss is about. She says, "I was just doing what I do every day."

High school junior creates win-win program giving jobs to San Diego's homeless

A TED Talk about a program in Albuquerque called A Better Way left San Diego's Kevin Barber inspired. The 16-year-old saw how readily A Better Way served two needs - cleaner city streets and paying jobs for the homeless. Through his mother's work as an ER physician, Kevin was aware of San Diego's own homelessness problem and the downward spiral that so often haunts the people affected. He and his mom talked about it and came to a decision. With her emotional and financial support, Kevin launched Wheels of Change.

The program's van picks workers up at one of the city's homeless shelters and takes them to a location in need of clean up. They may pick up trash, clear weeds or brush, whatever needs to be done. At the end of the work day, they are brought back to the shelter and paid $11.50 for each hour worked. 

For many of the program's participants, this is the first paid work they've done in years. They report feelings of empowerment and restored dignity, as well as the hope they can eventually care for themselves.  

This win-win program has received support from San Diego's mayor and city council. A GoFundMe page takes donations to expand the program with more vans to transport more workers around the city. 

Kevin hopes the program's success in Albuquerque and now in San Diego will serve as a model for similar programs around the country.