10 Ways To Change The World

Like ripples circling outward in a pond, individual acts of kindness, taken together, can have world-changing effects. We asked Beliefnet users to describe the most profound act of kindness they ever experienced, witnessed--or did for another person. We've gathered some of the most moving ones to inspire us all to do a little something more.

Helping a Homeless Person

The one act of kindness that always touches my heart (whether I do it or I see it) is when someone helps out the homeless. I'm not talking about giving money to them either. I'm talking about picking them up and taking them to a shelter, giving them food instead of money on the train...or even talking to someone homeless.

What most people don't understand about the homeless is that they have their pride. A lot of them don't want help. But all of them want to be heard. They want to feel like a human being and sometimes just talking to a homeless person makes a world of difference. I have been witness to a man that would talk to a homeless man for a year...just small talk...but that was enough for the homeless person to be inspired to get up and get himself together.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[TheBlackCat]

I appreciate the spirit of the article, and we all should of course strive to be more kind to eachother but the list to me was extremely depressing. People listed for "the greatest acts of kindness they've witnessed," things I just do not see as extraordinary kindness:

Treating a homeless person like a human being
Being kind to a distressed stranger
Helping a family member who is in trouble
Stopping at a car accident

It says a lot about our society that people consider these "extraordinary acts of kindness." Am I the only one who feels that these are just regular things that I would expect any good person to do? Are we so cynical that simple acts of kindness is now considered going above and beyond what's expected of you as a member of society?

[TheBlackCat]

Though I will say the one that did touch me was the one with the impoverished little girl who offered some of the little food she had to a friend. I witnessed something similar while living in Mexico. I was dating a boy who was completely impoverished. He worked but spent every peso he made on the University he attended. He lived in absolute squalor and didn't even have indoor plumbing.

One day he came across and abandoned puppy and took it in. He took the puppy with him everywhere, but i noticed as the days passed my boyfriend was getting thinner and thinner. After a few weeks I became concerned and asked him if he was sick. He admitted to me then that no, he was not sick, he'd just not had enough money to get food both for himself and for the puppy. He felt responsible for it now and had been living off an old sack of rice since he'd taken the animal in. At that point I made him let me give him money (a tiny amount to me) to help care for the puppy.

[cinemaven]

What an excellent article.

I volunteer at our local food bank and that has changed my world immensely. I've always been a volunteer but at the food bank, I see the value of what I'm doing in huge ways. Last year, I helped 8 women get into the work force by teaching them computer skills. I ran the dress for success program and I had a prom dress and suit drive so less fortunate kids could look like all of their friends for prom and graduation. For many of the kids, it was the first time they'd had something that beautiful. Until I started working with the program, I had never even considered the fact that kids weren't able to go to proms, weddings or funerals because they didn't have a suitable outfit.

The schools in our district now send out a notice in Gr. 8 just after grad asking for donations of the dresses and suits that most of the kids have only worn once. We also send a notice to parents after high school prom. After just 2 years, we have a huge room full of suits and dresses. The kids come in and choose just like at a store and they get to keep the clothes or donate them back.

[Smirk]

It is an excellent list. I'm so glad I read it.

[Mildmannered]

Very nice. I urge all of you to read the "10 ways".