Many years ago I was sitting down in the hall at west edmonton mall and I saw a little boy (not more than 3) run across the hall. A minute or two later a lady ran out from the same direction and stopped in the middle of the hall looking panicked. I asked if she was looking for a boy, she said yes, and I pointed out the store where he had gone. Not a big deal. Anyway, now I have a runner of my own, and I have been in that situation SO MANY TIMES! God bless the little old babas who sit by the front door of the co-op and see where he goes!!!

My daughter (6-years-old) had been earning money by doing extra work around the house. She decided to get a pair of water wings for herself. We were at the store and she found some for a dollar a pair. She picked out ones that she liked then asked if she had enough money to get both or her little brothers a pair (one is 4, the other 2). I told her yes and without hesitation she told them to both pick out a pair.

This thread has hit a very soft spot for me. My kids always say you are always helping people and asking nothing in return. I tell them that the smile on their face or twinkle in the eye is enough to let me know that it has helped.

I have stepped in front of a very young girl getting beat up by a group of boys to protect her. I told them to either stop or hit me and find out what happens. I didn't know the girl but stopping my car at the side of the road to help made my day. Later that day the girl's father found out where I lived and came to thank me for what I did.

I help everyone everyday that I can whether it is holding a door, helping with packages, giving a quarter for a cart or someone in distress. Life is too short to not help and put a smile on someone's face.

I thank all these wonderful people on this site for the acts of kindness and hopefully many more to come. Someday it will come back to you.

I feel that if a person is in a position to give....then they should give. This thread is proof that you don't have to be rich to make a difference in someone else's life.

This thread really shows that there are still people in this world that care. Many years ago, when I first began my law enforcement career I worked as a jailor in a very small rural county jail. At Christmas time one year we had 3 female inmates all asking for razors. THe county had cut budgets that year and ordering razors was out of the question. I told the girls I would bring in our bush hog if they needed that, but they weren't to keen on that idea. When I got off work I went to the local Wally World and bought then a 10 pack of razors. Didn't seem like a big deal to me at the time. Now, fast forward 12 years, Last week I was at a function 50 miles from home and ran into several people I had previously been the "keeper" of. One of the women was from those days long ago. She came up to me and ask me if I remembered her and I told her yes. She then looked at the woman I was with and told her how much I meant to her, and that I would never know how she will never forget me and when I bought them the razors. I had forgotten all about even doing it. It seemed really small but I still smile when I rememeber.

It was a pleasure reading all the wonderful stories. It really encourage me to do more.

I just wanted to say it really does come back to you!! I am always willing to help when I can and yesterday I received it back.
I was on my way to pick my kids up from school when I noticed my turn signal wasn't working (I thought, great...one more thing to go on this van), well then my radio shut off, and my air conditioner, then I couldn't roll down the windows. I realized pretty quickly my car was shutting down. I called my DH and told him I was about to be stranded. I prayed to at least get to my kids' school safely, which was another 6 miles up the road....somehow it got there. Once there I walked up to the school where 2 parents were standing, they saw my distressed look and said "What's wrong?", I said "Oh, my car just died...I think it's the battery" one lady said "I've got jumper cables, where are you parked?" and the other lady said "Great, you jump her and I'll follow her home...just to make sure she gets there alright"

How amazing is that????? There wasn't even a SECOND of hesitation on either of their parts!!
This world isn't quite as bad off as everyone thinks, I'm convinced of it!

I was picking my daughter up at school one warm day last spring, when a grandmother (she picks up her grandson every day) suddenly collapsed in the parking lot! I rushed over and stayed with her while one of the other parents ran inside to get the nurse and another called 911.

I took off my jacket (which thinking about it I dont know why I was wearing one in the first place since it was such a nice warm day) and was able to dab some of the blood off of her face (she fell face first onto the pavement) and cushion her head a bit. She regained conciousness almost immediately and was very disoriented. I explained what had happened to her, and she grabbed my hand and wouldnt let go, she was so scared.

Another mother that I knew picked up my kids and her grandson and followed up to the hospital, because this lady insisted to the paramedics that I go with her. Her face was a mess, and she had obviously broken her nose and her one eye was bulging a bit. I called her son and let him know what happened from the ambulance and he met us at the hospital.

It turns out that her nose was broken and she had also broken her eye socket (which is why her eye was bulging) but she had had a small stroke, which is why she fell in the first place. I stayed in the waiting room until with her grandson and my kids until her son was able to take over.

They sent me a HUGE bouquet of flowers the next week thanking me for my help. The school even honored me as a "Extra-Mile Parent" (they give students the "extra mile student" awards when they go above and beyond). She ended up moving in with her son a few weeks later. I still see her a school from time to time and she is doing great with her recovery.

Ok, I just found this thread this evening (right before bedtime) and thought oh, I'll read a few of the stories....well don't you know hours later I've finished with all of the posts and I feel so humbled.

I've felt lucky to have found this site before just for the wealth of information it gives, but now I feel "truly" blessed to be surrounded by such kind natured and like minded individuals.

You all have inspired me to keep doing the things I do, knowing there are others out there doing them too I have people ask me all the time...why do you do so much for everyone else? Like you all I see the joy it brings and that is my true reward.

Now...to explain the severely puffy eyes in the morning

An act of kindness I almost did: I was buying something at 7-11, and two RCMP officers (police) were in front of me buying coffee. They had both forgotten their wallets and were scrounging in their pockets for change. After a half a minute or so, I said, "I'll get it", but by then they had found some change, so they paid for themselves, thanked me for the offer and left. I wish I had just put the money down and had the clerk ring theirs up with mine.

This was nothing on my part, but one time I was getting a perscription filled and was waiting in the pharmacy. A lady came in and asked the pharmacist for a refill of her perscription. The lady appeared to be inebriated, and the perscription was, judging from the conversation, either something highly addictive or maybe something to help someone get off an addiction. Anyway, it was probably 5 or ten minutes of the lady asking/pleading/whining for her perscription and giving reasons why she had to get the refill (she was going up into the bush and would be gone for so long), and the pharmacist, very politely, professionally, and calmly saying sorry, he could only give one refill per so many days, and if she needed it sooner, they would have to phone the doctor to get permission. She eventually gave up and left, and my perscription was ready right after. It wasn't any of my business, but I just went up and said something like, "You handled that very well," mainly because he had remained so polite throughout. But from the look on his face and the way he said thank you, he showed that his calm was a facade and he had found the situation very difficult after all. I think he appreciated the reassurance that he had handled himself well. I'm glad I spoke up.

Wow, some of these stories are inspiring! I made 60 mini cupcakes for the police academy. They order pizza from the restaurant that I work out of so I threw them in as a special surprise on their last order.

I guess every little thing counts. I don't really think about things when doing them though. Today I bought my mom some groceries. But she is always doing things for me as well. That is just how we are.

We were at Carowinds (huge amusement park/water park here in NC/SC) and were waiting out front to get in the gate. I was sitting on a brick retaining wall putting sunscreen on my children, and I took my wedding/engagement rings (there are three fused together) off so I wouldn't get sunscreen in them.

Fast forward to afternoon when we went to the water park area. Time to reapply the sunscreen. I went to take off my rings again and they weren't there. I had left them outside of the front gate on the wall. I went into panic mode. DH said, "You just play with the girls in the water and I'll go look for them." He looked all around the area where we had been...nothing. He finally went to guest services and asked if anyone had turned them in. Sure enough, there they were. Someone could've easily pawned them and got a pretty penny, but thank goodness they fell into the hands of an honest person who turned them in.

DH asked if they left a name so we could thank them, but there was no information left at all.

What a wonderful thread, and a wonderful group of people we have here!

A few years ago, I was flying to Oklahoma to visit my father. He'd booked the trip for me and I had to drive from my home town in Ontario to Duluth, MN to catch my flight. I'd never been to Duluth before and am somewhat... directionally-challenged. Needless to say, I got lost. I was by myself, in a strange place and had no idea how to get to the airport. I pulled into a McDonald's, thinking I'd stop for lunch and get directions. On my way into the restaurant I stopped a couple guys heading back to what looked like a city works truck and explained my situation. Rather than just giving me directions, they told me to hop in my car and follow them. I have no idea where their afternoon work should have taken them, but they drove all the way to the airport, with me following closely behind. They pulled over on the side of the road once we got there. I pulled in behind them and, feeling so relieved that the airport was in sight, immediately burst into tears. I tried to offer them a few dollars to grab coffee later in the day, as a token of my thanks, but they wouldn't accept it. When it was time for me to pull back on to the busy street, they pulled out first and stopped in the middle of the road, blocking traffic so I could pull out easily. They were my heroes that day.

I've got one more. This psat Christmas, money was really tight. I'd just started a new job in September and my husband, who works construction, hadn't been paid in a couple of months. I guess I was less than my normal goofy self at work one day and my boss asked me what was wrong. Without intending to dump on the poor woman, I blurted out that we weren't really going to have a Christmas this year and that I knew presents shouldn't matter but .. darn it .. it had me bummed out. Two days before Christmas, a minivan pulled into my driveway and out hops my boss (who I'd known for all of 3 months at this point) with a huge bag. I invited her in and she handed me the sack, saying that no one should be sad at Christmas. She explained that she and her family have more than enough and said she'd talked to her husband and he'd agreed to "adopt" us for the holidays. The bag was full of wrapped gifts!!! Things for my husband, myself and even our dog!

I've been blessed with so many acts of kindness, but these are the two that really stick out - I try to pay it forward however I can.

Today my little brother (19) did the sweetest thing....

My mother and I were elbow deep in baking & cooking for the holiday and we needed more supplies, so we sent him to the groccery store to grab some items we forgot. He came back not even 10 minutes later with the sweetest bulldog in his truck! He said he had drove by it walking down the road and saw it try to follow some cars that had passed so he turned around and picked it up. The little thing was so happy to be getting help she didn't want to get out (I think she thought he was going to drive her home). Well he took her shopping while my mom and I called all the neighbors we knew, all the surrounding dog warrdens, the animal shelter, our vet, etc.... no one knew her !

After a few hours of making herself at home in our garage one of the dog warrdens called us back saying there was a family on our road that had been looking for her for nearly two days. She went for a night walk with her owner through the woods and she had run off. When the lady came over she was crying and said she had her whole family coming over this morning to have search party (including her nephew who just got back from Iraq today)! So Lola is now safely at home because of my cute little brother

OMG I love this thread!

well i have been doing this since i was like 15, but i have always volunteered at the local hospital in the hospice, I used to do it for school but now i just do it because. Me and my little puppy with go in and visit with all the elderly people, alot of them dont have family that come and visit so its nice for them. I also always bring in cupcakes and coffee's for all of the nurses, they do such a good job and surely dont get enough appreciation for there jobs.

Last week i was having a horrible day (im a customer service manager so i just get yelled at all day) so i was having one of those days where i just could have cried, well i go out side and my fricken tire in my car is almost flat! it was 5.30 and the tire shop closed at 6, so i called on my way there and they were like no prolem we will wait for you and get your tire patched up. So I get to the tire shop, and of course i have a huge nail in my tire. ...So the one guy brings my tire in (it was soo bald, but i dont have the money to put new tires on) and the manager just went and grabbed a new tire and gave it to me for FREE! I was so happy it made my whole day

I read this thread when it first started and thought I had watched it, but I'm just now catching up on the replies I missed. I wanted to share my story. It's non-cake related.

When my oldest son was in the hospital a year and a half ago after a near-drowning accident, my husband and I decided to go out one evening for dinner instead of eating at the hospital. Everyone had been telling us that we needed to get out of the hospital since we had been there day and night for about a month at this point. It was a spur of the moment decision and we let the nurses know we'd be out and how to reach us if anything changed with Aidan.

While we were eating I noticed that my son's social worker from the hospital was eating at a nearby table with her family. She never said anything to us, but noticed me watching a small boy about my son's age across the aisle from us. It took all I had not to get up and run out of the restaurant crying.

When we were done and ready for the bill, the waiter told us that it was already taken care of. I was a little surprised but realized that it was the social worker. On our way out we stopped at her table to thank her and she told us she was just glad to see us get out of the hospital for a little while, and not to worry about it.

It was one of the nicest things anyone had done for us at the time. We've been so blessed by people's generosity since Aidan's accident, I'd be here forever telling stories.

Last week I was delivering my route, I'm a letter carrier, and a young man stopped me to ask if I delivered to his street. I told him that I didn't and he told me his kids had dropped his unemployment form in the mail before he could stamp it or put a return address on it. I told him to just run over to the office and let the clerks know, they would try and catch the carrier and have him pull it out of the mail. He said he had already done that and they told him sorry, we probably won't even be here when he gets back. Which wasn't true, and even if it were, they could leave him a note. I told him don't worry, I'll catch the carrier when I get back. As soon as he drove away I realized his carrier would definitely beat me back. And of course he did, he was actually the first carrier back and the clerks did not tell him what happened. First I let them know how rude I thought that was, then proceeded to look for the letter with no stamp on it, which was under all the mail that everyone had placed to go out. I was starting to get discourage and then there it was. I put a stamp on it and put it back in the outgoing mail. It was a small thing for me, 10 minutes searching and 44 cent, but my husbands been on unemployment before. I knew how it would delay his check if it went to dead letter and he had to request a new form.

Hello there! I'm so moved having read about all of your wonderful acts of kindness. I thought that I should share my own.

My first is something I had the opportunity to do for someone else.
A coworker was diagnosed with ovarian cancer six months ago. She had to take time off of work for treatments during that time. I knew she would be struggling financially so... I organized a bake sale and encouraged everyone to come and bring what they could. It went amazingly well. We were able to raise $1100 in just 5 short hours with the help of everybody. To see the look on her face when she realized what we had done was priceless.

My second is something that was done for me.
Very recently my little dogs got out from my yard and went missing.
My husband didn't realize it until he went to go feed them. When we realized that they were gone we immediately started searching for them and asking the neighbors if they had seen them. Unfortunately they hadn't but they went out of there way to help us look for them. We eventually found them at the local shelter. I was grateful that someone had seen them and stop to pick them up. I told my husband it was all about karma since I am constantly picking up strays and making sure they get to the shelter. I thanked my neighbors for helping to look by baking them some brownies. Which they loved its good to know somebody else cares too.

Yes I did! My dear friend of 10yrs was diagnosed with breast cancer on Aug 18th and had a double mastectomy on the 28th. The night before surgery I kept her kids(4yrs and 8mos.) overnight and most of the next day until she was out of recovery then her SIL took over. That saturday I went to the grocery and came home and cooked for 5hrs. I knew she wouldn't be cooking for a while so, I made homemade cabbage rolls, mashed potatoes, this great chicken salad that only she and I make, and homemade chicken pot pie. When I say chicken pot pie I mean chicken and square flat dumpling noodles. Some of you will know what I mean! Pot pie is her fav.( She is always telling me that i should make those one noodles that she likes! ) I took every thing over on sunday. She and all of her family were very appreciative and it made me feel good to know that I could help her in some way. I know if it was me in her situation, she would do the same!

I try to have some home made cookies with me, so if I see a cashier or someone at the store that is having a bad day I give them some cookies . Another thing I do since I'm on soo many medicine I know the pharmacy people by name so I try to drop off bake goods there. It seems that a little sugar can cheer anyone up.

A few years back my husband worked as a delivery driver. One day he said. ''I haven't seen Dawn in the office for a few weeks and no one seems to know why she's off work. They just think she is unwell but I really feel led to get in touch with her to make sure she is all right''. Well he managed to get her address and sent her a card to tell her she was missed and that he hoped things were ok and that we were here if she needed anything and if we could help in anyway. Dawn returned to work the next week and said, ''you will never know how much that card meant to me. I was off because I am suffering with depression and In the time I had been off no one had contacted me at all . I was at such a low point that I was seriously contemplating ending it all that day. Your letter saved my life'.
Well We became friends and were there to support her through the loss of her very beloved mother. her grief at the time seemed insurmountable but she has turned a corner. ...Fast forward a few years and we were discussing an invitation that my husband had had to attend the wedding of our pastor friend in Ghana and the opportunity to preach over there.( we met him while he was over here for bible college) and she asked if he wanted to go.
Well it was well out of our ability to pay for it so my husband said he would go one day but not just yet. When asked why not and he told her she said I really want to bless you for what you have done for me and my mum.
Any way she blessed him with a large cheque that covered everything he needed from vaccinations, passport, visa and spending money to the penny.
When he visited his friend he stayed with his family who lived in a village with very basic facilities they were very poor but they made him feel so welcome sharing what little they had and so when he left he left almost everything that he took for comfort, airbed, sunglasses, mosquito tent, binoculars, wind up torch and air pump.
We do support our friend and his family however and whenever we can and when recently we had a small windfall we readily shared a portion with them, We keep paying it forward because it always returns pressed down, full measure and running over.
This is a great thread and I have sat here with tears in my eyes. Keep it going.

Last weekend we went to a museum and the parking lot was JAM PACKED. We finally found a spot, so I got out to wave my husband in (he was backing up his truck). Then I waved in the guy who was trying to back in on the other side. Then I went and waved out a guy who was trying to leave his spot with other people waiting but was going back and forth a couple inches at a time because he obviously couldn't tell how much room he had. When I first started driving I got stuck like that -- big old family van, narrow spots, people waiting, going back and forth an inch at a time, so now I always wave people out when they look stuck. Actually, one time I was parked at a mall along an outside edge, and someone parked outside the last stall in the row behind me, so I really only had inches to spare to back out, and I was on my way to work. I was moving a couple inches, getting out to check, back in to move a couple more inches, and a lady came up and helped me get out.

For SJ169, the customer service manager -- when I am having a problem and getting mad about something, I try to make a point of telling the person I'm dealing with "I realize this is not YOUR fault, but I'm just frustrated, and I appreciate that you're trying to help me out".

Wow! I just found this thread and I'm in awe!

I try to teach my kids too. Whenever we/they find change in the street, I make them pick it up and give it to the next person we see that is collecting $. My dd once asked why she cant keep it, she found it, so i explained that the other person "needs" it, she only "wants" it.

whenever i see a person pushing a baby carriage and the kids' blanket is dragging on the floor or against the wheel, i tell them. i know how hard it is to get that black out!

I like to do such little things throughout my day, its the little things that add up. also, some of these things have become so ingrained that i do it automatically. Recently, i was having a bad day, and i stopped to help a mother with a baby carriage, she couldn't manage the shop door and the step and the carriage at one time. afterwards, i felt so good, the sun was shining brighter for me.it just felt so good.

So, I don't know how I missed this thread when it started, but as I have sat here and read all 12 pages, and cryed my eyes out.. I have to share one that was done for my family...

My cousin (only one I had - so she really felt more like my sister) was murdered last year, and my Aunt took over raising her 3 small daughters... as you can imagine this last Christmas was a very hard time for all of us. I should preface the next by saying that an article was done about my cousins terrible death last fall in D magizine (local Dallas publication), so anyway, last Christmas Eve there was a knock at my Aunts door, and there stood a woman that my aunt had never met before, and she explained her daughter had seen the article on my cousin and felt so bad for her little girls, that she wanted to do something for them for Christmas..so the parents told the girl that whatever money she could raise they would match.. so this little girls went out and sold candy canes to her friends, neighbours and church... This lady then drove to my aunts house on Chritmas Eve and handed her $500.. (at least I belive that was the amount).. I remember it was a LARGE sum.. for someone she had never met before, and simply said "Merry Christmas" Somewhere in Texas there lives an Angel...

Whew, I guess I never talk about these things. But, ok. The night Hurricane Katrina hit my wife and I were shopping for a baby shower she had to go to. We discovered several racks of childrens and babies clothing at huge clearance prices. We didn't have the money, but we also couldn't NOT get what others needed more. We bought almost 150 articles of clothing. At midnight that night I was on the telephone and actually had someone in the governor's office in Louisiana answering phones. They gave me the number for a local church to contact who was on their official list of place to collect donations. Everything was organized, packed and shipped the next day. We still get mail from that church.

Another thing we do every year. A local church (not one we belong to, officially, but they have become very good friends to us) get the list of underprivileged children and collect toys, wrap and deliver to the families so that these children can have a Christmas. We begin shopping for clearance items the day after Christmas. All year long we shop for sale items, seasonal items, clearance, anything to get the best bargains we can. Then when Christmas rolls around we have around 300 toys to donate. (approx. 1/2 of all they collect) We also participate in the gift wrapping party at the church. Because we shop all year long the cost never seems like alot as we buy, and we are able to get much more than if we were to alot our money all at once. An example, last year we got video games with all accessories, plus extra game cartridges and controllers for about $12 per child. The regular price would have been around $135. (It just pays to bargain shop)

WE also try to donate to the food pantry throughout the year.

The most amazing thing I've found, is there have been too many times we simply did not have the money to afford what we were doing. And yet, every single time we ended up with our necessary bill money coming from different places. I think when you do good for others it comes back to you, and it always has for us. Our only problem is that it feels so good we feel guilty. Pay it forward, wow, nothing better to feed the soul.

My wife had an experience before I met her. She worked for a company in the suburbs of NYC about 10 years ago(near where the Clinton's live now). Someone from the company would go to the post office in NYC at Christmastime. The post office gets who knows how many letters from people in need at Christmastime. They would pick up enough letters for each employee to take care of one family each year. The company would pay the cost to mail the gift to the recipient family. She chose a letter (which she still has to this day) from a mom who had two children. Each of her boys were in bad need for a warm jacket, but said that if that was too much money there was a game her older boy wanted and for her baby maybe just a mickey mouse anything. She and a couple other women spent their lunch hour many days going shopping, filled the wishes in the letters they got, plus kept right on shopping. Those children got full Christmases, and the mom even got some warm gloves, scarf, etc. Mom's need to have presents to open too. I know my wife included a short note from the "christmas elf" thanking the mom for allowing her the privilege of being able to be a part of their Christmas. She still talks every year about the thrill of being able to be a part of that.