HuffPost Readers: Share Your Random Acts Of Kindness!

Madoff, bailouts, layoffs, and subprime mortgages. I don't think you need me to tell you that the news as of late has been nothing but doom and gloom, and if you're anything like me, well, then, it's all getting a bit heavy. And let's be honest: though things aren't great, they most definitely are not all that bad. (Really!)

Though money is tight and everyone is holding on to their paychecks like they'll never see another one (a statement which, sadly, rings all too true for many), people have also never been so giving, so compassionate, and so focused on rolling up their sleeves, digging in and digging deep to help both themselves and those around them.

Don't believe me? How about the Gainesville couple who sold everything they owned on eBay in order to pay for their children's medical bills? They found a buyer -- for $20,000, no less -- but with one small catch...

The winning bidders assured Brittiny and Gregg that they will honor the terms and send the money. But...

"They informed us this morning that they do not intend on taking possession of the things. They're basically purchasing them and giving them back."

The purchasers, Keith and Donnia Blair of Fort Worth, told the Associated Press, simply, "We've been blessed," and "we saw an opportunity to help."

Or, how about the anonymous donation sent to a recently laid-off father who couldn't afford his daughter's gymnastics lessons? According to KWCH, CBS' locale Wichita affiliate:

A little girl will still get to go to gymnastics, despite her dad's recent lay off. It's all thanks to an anonymous donor.

After our story aired someone called the gym and offered to pay for the next nine weeks, about $90. The donor says things are going well for her family right now and she wants to share what she has.

There's no shortage of communities around the country who have rallied around a hard-up neighbor, such as the Hearne family in Camarillo or Allen Stice, whose house burned down in Lake Wildwood, California.

But here's the thing, I'm certain that those aren't the only stories out there. I'm certain that each and every one of you has seen this sort of unity and compassion on an individual level in your very own communities. Maybe you've been the Good Samaritan to your neighbor's bad luck, or, maybe you've even been the recipient of someone else's blessing.

So e-mail us! Send your submissions to [e-mail]. Tell us exactly what goodwill you've witnessed and what charity you've taken part in.

Then sign-up here to be notified when your pieces are published and to find out about any future citizen journalism initiatives.

We want your stories.

We want to put a spotlight on all the good hard work that's going on in your communities around this country, and we want to share it with the rest of our readers.

These stories are a much needed counterpoint to all the doom and gloom; let's help change the conversation -- we can't do it without you.

Comments

[Datdamwuf]

How ironic that the ad on this page is for a book called: "I'm Popular You're Not", not too appropriate for the topic at hand.

I've enjoyed reading the comments, I've done many of the little things mentioned here and been the recipient of some of them. I always think the best of people and try to act in a manner that reflects that. This thread shows me that most of us are kind when we let ourselves breathe rather than stressing only over ourselves or our family.

Getting cranky kids in stores to laugh is one of my favs, especially when people are shooting dirty looks at the parent or making snide comments. The kids acting up annoy me, but it's so much better to fix it than to get cranky over it yourself :). A kid laughing always seems to make everyone smile, the parent or person with the kid always gets happier, win, win.

Lately some of my friends and an old friends daughter are having trouble making ends meet. I know I can't give them any cash, they would never take it. So now the daughter cleans my house at above the going rate per hour and other friends are doing minor repairs or yard work. I offer these jobs to them because I *need* it done and can't do it myself, they can get by and keep their dignity.

[NoHockeyMomForPrez]

My parents struggle to make ends meet. I really needed a car for college and we found a great deal on a two year-old used car.
They extended themselves by paying $7,000 since they did not want me buying a cheaper one that would potentially break down.
Fast forward 3 years - I had a decent job making decent money. I paid back my parents (because I wanted to not because they asked).
I decided to buy a bigger car. When I did, I told my mom I was going to sell the car and give her whatever I got for it. Instead of agreeing, she told me about a family friend of ours who was in a similar position. This single mom had a son who needed a car for school and they were definitely a struggling family.
I called up the kid's mom and asked them if they wanted it and sure enough they were extremely grateful for the help.
The son finished up school and after that he loaned the car to his brother who at the time was down on his luck and jobless.
I was visiting home a few months back, the car was 11 years old and by now had clocked 107,000 miles. My friend picked me up from the airport, and it was a great ride home knowing what a help this piece of machinery was to a number of people and their families.

[enoughisenough23]

My husband and I were at a gas station and a young man was going up to people asking them something and everyone he went to shook their heads no vigorously. He came up to our car and apologized for bothering us, and said he needed gas money to get his grandfather back home. He pointed to his old car and there was an elderly man looking very forlorn. We are in southwest Ohio and he was trying to get his grandfather back to Kentucky. After getting gas, we only had about 11 dollars between us but we gave it to him. He tearfully told us, "Oh, thank you SO much!" He didn't realize he made OUR day!

[SurrealPumpkin]

My brother and I were in a car accident on Christmas Day. We walked away, which is miracle enough. His car was totaled. We told a woman we know because she walks her dogs past my house. She offered my brother the use of her old truck until he can scrape together enough to buy another car. I find myself smiling when I think about the generosity and trust that Diane showed.

[rachel88]

What a wonderful collection of beaufitul inspiring stories.
Great idea!

[littlepuffycloud]

We have a beautiful nursery in our town with a little cafe inside. I was in line behind a young lady who was all dressed up. I simpy said 'you look pretty' and she looked so surprised and smiled so big and touched her skirt in a way women do and told me I was a blessing to her. "A blessing" Her comment stuck with me for hours and I felt good all day.
Another time in our local grocery store I was behind a lady who appeared to be in her 80's and she was dressed to the nines, including a large fancy hat. Again, I simply said 'You look beautiful'. and she beamed a smile at me and said thanked me and almost as an after thought, she told me I looked pretty too. Me, in my jeans and t-shirt with hair piled on top of my head. But I felt like she really meant it. I guess we were blessings to each other that day. Just taking the time to acknowledge the presence and efforts of another person to look nice can lift their spirits and maybe make their day a little better.

[dutch163]

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[sumanne]

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It feels great - helping people without making them feel like beggars!
Susa

[larry278]

I wonder if one may do a random act of kindness if one chooses to do kindnesses in every moment of each day. Doing kind things can become a habit. Often there is no change in one's conduct when one's behavior becomes a habit. There is also a possibility that one may not be able to recognize changes in one's conduct. Ther are times when one may review one's own conduct so that one may see changes or do it with a guru or someother guide. That may become pleasant & difficult. A lot of spiritual exercises are like that. It is worth the effort to learn to use a rigor of a thorough examination to become ruthlessly honest about one's conduct. It can be frightening at 1st but often habits can be comforting & useful.

[javaman]

isn't sharing them against the basic reason one does random acts of kindness? You don't do it for the glory or the self aggrandizing, you do it to help someone.

one more example of reenforcing our already narcissistic society.

[Ksisay]

I was trying to comment on the person who bought the coat for the homeless man, but after logging in, I can't find the post anymore. Anyway, if you revisit this page, i just wanted to say that that was fabulous-- concrete and spontaneous!

[birchtree3]

Sharing what people do isn't seeking glory or congratulations. The purpose of doing this here is to raise awareness of how little it takes to show kindness, to share examples and ideas and to put some positive energy out into the blogosphere for a change. I have read almost all the posts here over the last couple of days and they don't have the tone of self aggrandizement. Simply simple folk sharing their simple ideas for how to show simple kindness to their fellow human beings.

[prodemdss]

Sorry for this belated entry, been off-line, but I have to respond to this one person: you may think you can spread your attitude by your negative comment, but come ON, people are inspired and want to tell their stories. Yours' doesn't really mean much, does it, compared to theirs'? Even if you did do great things, or your friends did, or even if I did, now what can we say in your response? WE DID SOMETHING, even if it was small, even if it was great, we are proud and it's ok. Just think about it, a world where people are responsible for their own actions, best of all, they want to share them.

[dutch163]

no...
this is anonymous sharing of ideas
not publicizing our names for glory and self aggrandizement
if no one ever heard what random acts of kindness were or what they could be
how would they ever be able to do it?

this is educational

[littlepuffycloud]

I think you're missing the point, Negative Nelly. We're all anonymous here; nobody is seeking glory. I hope someone does some small act of kindness for you because it sounds like you could use one.

[UnhyphenatedAmerican]

At the end of my 15 year marriage, my uncle asked me why I had stayed married so long. I said "I always thought he would be happy some day and then treat me nicely." My uncle asked "What made you think he would ever be happy?" Of course, there was no experiential likelihood of that happening. I then declared I would spend the rest of my life doing things that were one and two level of difficulty and appreciated on a level of nine or ten rather than the reverse, which was my marital history.

Since this is my context, opportunities to do small favors abounds. One of my favorite, sure-fire winners is to be in a crowded NYC subway and see two people having to sit apart. If there is a vacant seat next to me, I offer to switch seats. The couple sits together in bliss and smile at each other or me for many stops. Easiest win possible.

Filling the world with smiles is easy and reverberates.

[Strywever]

That's a great one, and couldn't be easier! Thanks for sharing.

[kolorkin]

oh i agree, thank you for posting this story and sending out the invites. we need to turn this media frenzy over doom and gloom news into something positive - stories like these are so uplifting and inspiring!!
after all, we still need to get up every morning and get on with the battle and we can't do it if we don't have the right mental spirit.

thank you for this story!!!!

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Verena, This is really wonderful- it is a heart warming project and I hope it instills in people to do random acts of kindness.
Deb and I have a Random Acts Of Kindness bumper sticker that always reminds me to be gracious even when someone is acting out of character. People often are in a hurry and not always nice on the road.

I am touched by the homeless who ask for donations at various safe driving spots in our town who always say, "bless you." It feels so good and it feels they are there to allow me and others to be generous and compassionate.
May all beings be happy, generous and free from suffering,

Ed

[Sunshine85]

In my neighborhood for the holidays we always have a food drive, and then a toy drive a few weeks later. Everyone pitches in for the food drive with their unwanted can foods and such. But for our toy drive we ask for new and unwrapped items for children of all ages. One young man in his mid twenties walked into my office (where we collect the donations) with a large bag of toys I was happy to see him because everybody usually brings in 1 or 2 things. I thanked him. He asked me if there was another box... I said we could get one if we needed it but to just place the things on the floor. He did, and walked out only to come back in with 5 more large bags, followed by his girlfriend with 2 more bags. I almost cried. He had about $500.00 in toys in all. I couldn't believe it. At the end of the drive I put all the toys in my car and they almost didn't fit. I love doing this every year, I get to see how kind my neighbors are if only once a year.

[GayGrandpa]

I adopted a family in the Mindanao three years ago. As a humble artist this is a huge challenge, and with the recent floods hitting their barangay their house was completely destroyed...I have raised funds for the rebuilding, have the second oldest son in his third year of med school and have put one daughter already through a two year course. I send on average over $500 each month. This isn't easy and comes with much sacrifice but this is what I do to be nice to others.

[Strywever]

Wow. Not much more I can say about this -- just wow.

[Rmtns]

CONTINUED
I was inspired to become a volunteer EMT with our locally non-taxpayer funded ambulance service. we have about 30 people that man our service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, being compensated with $15 dollar per run. And I need to mention that the nearest medical facility is 35 miles away, the average run lasts 4 hours, and most of our patients cannot afford to pay for the ambulance trip. We have one volunteer that has been with the service since it's inception,25 years ago, and teaches new volunteers at least once a year, has his name on the monthly roster like a rash, and also does most of the maintainence and record keeping for the service, almost all of it unpaid.
There is nothing like being woken at 3 AM, in a cold night, knowing you'll have to go to work tomorrow, exhausted, and having an elderly patient tell you " thank you for coming, I don't know what I'd do without you". It makes it all so much worth it.