Stories Matching 'Community' Tag (90)Environment Research New Ideas Public Transportation Children Inspiration Teachers Seniors OnThe Road Grocery Store Money Workplace Animals At Home Anonymous Friendship Kindness Kindness of Strangers Courage Small Acts of Kindness Health and Wellness Generosity Sharing Family Respect Neighbors Reconciliation Smile Cards Advice Good Samaritan Giving Money Giving Ability School Church Youth Collective Arts Creative Kindness Random Act of Kindness Homeless Travel/Vacation College/University Holidays Internet Birthday Sharing Food Emergency/Disaster Community Relationships Paying-It-Forward Coffee Shop/Restaurants $100 Kindness Idea Smile Decks Thank You Serendipity Hiker Joe and The Circle Of Life--posted by joyjoy, on Jun 6, 2008
comments (15) | email this | print | permalink Growing Seeds in Silence--posted by gipsysoul, on Oct 8, 2008 Sometimes you read a story that just takes root in your heart. Many stories on the helpothers.org website have been like that for me: "I Wish You Enough" by BrightEyes and "An Unforgettable Fishing Experience" by Mike Delyria to name just two. Well this story I'm about to share with you has been growing in the heart of many people on Cape Ann, where I live. It is the story of Jude, a young deaf man with green thumbs and a big heart who recently opened a plant store in our community called The Silent Seed. I first heard about him ... comments (19) | email this | print | permalink Kneeling With a Bouquet of Flowers--posted by eris, on Oct 8, 2008 My cousin Heidi was stricken around age 16 with a debilitating disease, which took her life about 20 years later. As the disease progressed, she became wheelchair bound and unable to easily communicate (I'm not sure of the disease -- it may have been a combination, including Parkinson's). When she was in her late 20's, she would often have her mother take her out into the front yard when the weather was nice so that she could sit in her wheelchair and watch the cars pass by. One day, my aunt was doing dishes and looked out the window to see a ... comments (50) | email this | print | permalink A Timeless Gift--posted by ClarityTru, on Nov 11, 2008
comments (22) | email this | print | permalink Folded Napkins For Stevie--posted by Terry, on Nov 16, 2008
comments (16) | email this | print | permalink This I Believe, Robert Heinlein--posted by hopeful, on Dec 23, 2008 This article has been taken offline by the request of Trustee of the Heinlein Prize Trust regarding infringement of a copyright. comments (2) | email this | print | permalink Uncle Unconditional--posted by nila, on Jan 11, 2009
comments (25) | email this | print | permalink The More I Understand, The Less I Know--posted by makingyousmile, on Jan 20, 2009 After a couple of decades on this planet, many years of soul searching, and studying the "self," I feel that I am finally closer to knowing myself which ironically seems to be a journey which tells me that the more I understand myself, the less it is that I know. I now can say I have truly felt the difference between the deepest agony of the human condition and the highest state of joy. I know from my own experience that the main difference that lies between "you" and "me" is just a feeling, a feeling of being separate, isolated, lonely, lost, versus a feeling of being whole, connected, at home, and loved. I think most people, if ... comments (11) | email this | print | permalink Scouts Honor on a Full Flight--posted by makingyousmile, on Feb 5, 2009 My 9-year-old daughter and I were flying from our home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to spend a week with my husband in Miami, Florida. Mike had been in Florida for five months working for an internet start-up company. We were excited about the trip because we had seen him only five times in five months, and Kallie missed her Dad terribly. As usual on the Charlotte-to-Miami flight, the plane was totally full. I had noticed a troop of Boy Scouts at the gate and commented to my daughter that if anything happened, we would be OK with all those Scouts on ... comments (10) | email this | print | permalink The Shop That Stayed Open on Christmas--posted by UrbanAshram, on Feb 19, 2009
comments (10) | email this | print | permalink Sharing a Mother's Pain--posted by happytogive, on Feb 26, 2009
comments (21) | email this | print | permalink The Domino Effect of Sack Lunches--posted by jcole, on Feb 24, 2009 I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight.. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap too,' I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and Filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.' After flying for about an hour, an ... comments (31) | email this | print | permalink To Africa, "With Love"--posted by sirlancalot, on Mar 8, 2009 I'm in Africa right now on a peace-keeping mission with the Army. This is my 5th deployment and I volunteered for every one of them (sort of). Anyway, this story is not about me or the army or even Africa for that matter. It's about the way people can become karma aides even when they are in need of it themselves. I subscribed to this online program for soldiers, where we put our addresses on the website and random people write to us and send care packages and thank you letters. I got one the other day that was a letter ... comments (16) | email this | print | permalink The Woman Whose Life I Wanted To Transform--posted by marjincharge, on Mar 8, 2009
comments (10) | email this | print | permalink A Flourishing "Free" Market--posted by ChakaRuna, on Apr 26, 2009
comments (18) | email this | print | permalink A California Town Turns Strangers Into Friends--posted by Susan Herendeen, on May 20, 2009
comments (2) | email this | print | permalink They'll Smile At Me... They'll Smile Not :)--posted by AnuJain, on Jun 10, 2009
comments (26) | email this | print | permalink Grocery Store Commotion Turns Into Kindness--posted by Modestobob, on May 27, 2009
comments (15) | email this | print | permalink A Man We Will Never Know--posted by ArmyGrl, on Jun 19, 2009 Twelve years ago yesterday, my mother gave birth to the most beautiful little girl. We were a broken family with little money. We were given the news that this little girl, who was three and a half months premature, would only have 14 days on this earth. It's hard to understand what kind of feeling you have when you find out that you're losing something that you don't even know. As time went on, the number of days kept growing, which gave us hope. When they said that we could take her home, that's when realization hit. We had no money. I ... comments (23) | email this | print | permalink Hope, There's Nothing Stopping You--posted by beemedha, on Aug 16, 2009 There was about 15 of us folks chalking in front of the downtown Berkeley BART station. We started with about ten adventurers and as the momentum increased, we gained more energy, creative inspiration, and people. In the beginning, many pedestrians stopped by us, paused briefly out of curiousity, and for the most part remained rather perplexed by our so-called 'deviant' behavior. However, after we chalked up some cheerful colors and phrases on the beautiful red stones in the area, people came over just to take a peek and see what adults chalkers really do. Folks came by with cameras. Small children ... comments (19) | email this | print | permalink A Day Of Miracles, Cupcakes And Smiles--posted by sonrisa, on Sep 8, 2009 One evening in July, a few friends and I decided we would get together to brainstorm an idea for a local Smile Card event in London -- something we could do as a group to share smiles anonymously and cultivate kindness in our hearts. We came up with a few suggestions and then picked an idea that got everyone excited and moved ahead with planning it – we were going to bake and decorate 200 cupcakes, buy a bunch of sweets, make some fun smile posters and give it all away at Hyde Park! Our little team of 6 people spent a ... comments (13) | email this | print | permalink One Sign Of Hope--posted by SequoiaProject, on Sep 13, 2009 This week we took a handcrafted sign that we made down to our local Salvation Army and presented it to the captain. The sign read ‘HOPE’. He had an idea of where to put it as soon as he read it. The look on his face showed appreciation, with a touch of bewilderment. This organization sees, first-hand, the struggles of so many people. The reason we made and gifted them the sign is to help lives, who are in need of believing in a better tomorrow. A simple word can say so much. Life dishes out hard hits and unjust ... comments (14) | email this | print | permalink Lighting Up A Stranger's Home--posted by iamdon, on Nov 9, 2009
comments (23) | email this | print | permalink Giving and Receiving Gratitude on Thanksgiving Day--posted by Winston, on Nov 22, 2009 I have lived in Falmouth, MA for about 10 years. I had moved several times before finding Falmouth, never really settling in one place for a long time. However, Falmouth has become home. I think it is a safe place to do good work. I like that I often run into someone I know whenever I am grocery shopping or running errands. My favorite experience of Falmouth was when I volunteered to deliver Thanksgiving dinner to families or individuals unable to drive or stranded by illness. It was an amazing experience. Volunteers check in, line up and follow the directions given. ... comments (7) | email this | print | permalink Teaching Kids Spiritual Harmony--posted by marruda2, on Nov 15, 2009 Aikido, translated as “the way of spiritual harmony”, is a Japanese martial art. While it is a powerful system of self defense, the greatest benefit of Aikido training is that it provides a means to better yourself and become a happier, more balanced person. There is a piece of calligraphy authored by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, that reads “True victory is victory over oneself”. This concept and Aikido itself is suitable for people of all ages. For the last year or so, I have had the privilege of being an assistant instructor for the “Kid's Self Mastery” classes at ... comments (9) | email this | print | permalink A Lift That Gave Me Joy--posted by JeanneHo, on Nov 25, 2009 Last fall, before Thanksgiving, I was making my way in my car out of the shopping center parking lot. I was all alone in the car. I noticed a woman laden with bags and her two boys, one carrying a pumpkin and the other another bag. I assumed that they were headed to the bus stop across the major road, since it was too far to walk with all those purchases to any of the nearby apartment communities. On a random impulse, I rolled down my window and asked if they were indeed headed to the bus stop. “Yes,” the ... comments (24) | email this | print | permalink A Community "Food Fight"--posted by brighteyes, on Dec 9, 2009
comments (5) | email this | print | permalink A Circle of Giving with New Friends--posted by dotrut2001, on Dec 15, 2009
Last month my kindness idea allowed me to meet some new people in my community. When I delivered their food, I also gave each my phone number so they could keep in touch if they wanted. All of them have called me since. Having a bad spell with MS has left me pretty much in bed the last two or three weeks and feeling nearly helpless. Yesterday, the young mother I had helped showed up at my house with a casserole. While she was here, she washed my dishes and carried out my trash. The young gentleman I had helped has been here twice, just to check on me. He has no transportation so he had to walk the several miles to where I live. In helping others, I have made new friends . What a blessing.
comments (7) | email this | print | permalink 24 Hours of Non-Stop Kindness--posted by thekindnessguy, on Dec 28, 2009 I had titled the event “24 hours of kindness.” The goal was simple: to stay out for a full twenty-four hours without sleep, performing as many acts of kindness as possible. Thanks to our local radio station, Coast 93.1, and the support of Tim Wright and Eva Matteson, (two of the most kindhearted DJs you’ll ever meet) all of southern Maine now knew about The Kindness Center’s crazy event. Now known as “The Kindness Guy,” this was my first attempt at something this big. The local and even national media buzz was incredible. Since 9:00 that morning, two of my ... comments (19) | email this | print | permalink A Treasured Gift For A Young Couple--posted by duchess, on Feb 18, 2010 I met a really nice young couple about a year ago through mutual friends on a social networking site. They have just adopted a baby girl. This is a beautiful gift to the world on its own, but what makes it even more special is how many hoops they jumped through and how much time and money they spent to get to that stage. I was going through some boxes from my mother’s house (she passed away at Christmas time in 2007) and I found some beautiful vintage baby dresses. So I thought, wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if I sent some ... comments (8) | email this | print | permalink
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I work in a bank and have lovely relationships with many of the customers. Its not one of those banks with long lines -- its the kind of bank when you walk in, everyone says hi, we know when your husband has surgery, or the grandkids are coming for the weekend, we know your name and speak like friends.
One of my customers in his 70's owns and runs a barber school in East Baltimore. He is connected with several nonprofits and I have 2 nonprofits of my own - we are like kindred spirits!
One days, he said to me ... 
Every day I pass by a homeless man on the street near where I attend college. He tells me 'hello' in a cheerful manner, and I always say it back. I give him any extra change I have.
He always wears a watch. Not an expensive watch by any means, but it serves its purpose. One day I noticed he wasn't wearing it anymore. I asked him why and he looked down and told me that the battery had died so he threw it away. I knew he couldn't afford a new battery and he certainly couldn't afford a new watch.
He ... 
I try not to be biased, but I had my doubts about hiring Stevie. His placement counselor assured me that he would be a good, reliable busboy. But I had never had a mentally handicapped employee and wasn't sure I wanted one. I wasn't sure how my customers would react to Stevie.
He was short, a little dumpy with the smooth facial features and thick-tongued speech of Downs Syndrome. I wasn't worried about most of my trucker customers because truckers don't generally care who buses tables as long as the meatloaf platter is good and the pies are homemade.
The four-wheeler drivers ... 
I went to visit my parents this past holiday weekend. During the trip, we went to visit my ailing uncle. He was in the hospital due to a heart attack. It was the second heart attack he had in the last four months and this time the doctors said it is really quite serious. The whole family has been wishing him thoughts and blessings of healing since he is the eldest one in our family and particularly because we hope he can live to see his son's upcoming wedding which is scheduled for next month.
As I looked at the situation with all of its uncertainty, I began to think about the life this man ... 
Shopkeeper Tom Algie faced a dilemma over Christmas -- how to give himself and his three staff time off but without letting down his customers.
So he came up with a solution to suit everyone: leaving the hardware store open with an honesty box.
He left a note telling shoppers who came in on Boxing Day to serve themselves and then leave their payment in the box he had rigged up. Perhaps astonishingly, his plan worked.
Trusting shopkeeper Tom Algie wanted a day off and left his DIY store open with a note and honesty box - and returned ... 
I'm an American who has lived in France for nearly 20 years. I've whined and complained with other Americans about how the French are unfriendly, cold, reserved, unavailable for friendship. I've had a hard time making a living here as a psychotherapist and healer and periodically blamed this also on the French.
I live in Versailles and for the past 4 years the city has sponsored events for International Women's Day. Three years ago, I moved to a new neighborhood and felt an intense need to meet people so I went to the cinema night for women's day featuring the film ... 
We are a small town of less than 4,000 people in the mountains of Ecuador . Recently our new organic farmers cooperative started hosting one afternoon a week to exchange our produce and seeds among ourselves...no money changes hands.
As of this past week we started to lay our stuff on wooden tables set in a portal on the main square, we hold hands around the table to give thanks to our ancestors who used to do this in ancient times in this country, and we pray in thanks, either out loud or silently according to each one's own spiritual beliefs. ... 
One Saturday, I got a phone call about electrical problems. Since I am not an electrician, I quickly realized that the woman on the line had the wrong number. The woman on the phone sounded extremely anxious as her electricity wasn't working. Her husband tried to replace a wall switch, but now some of their lights wouldn’t turn on, and the heat had shut off.
The woman thought she was calling an electrician who has done work for her in the past. I had just recently changed my number and she got me instead. I'm not an electrician but I do work with electricity.
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