People Share The Most Heartwarming Acts Of Kindness They’ve Ever Witnessed

The world can be a tough place. People see it on the news day in and day out, and they see it in their lives on a daily basis. However, there are always those special people who go out of their way to make the world a slightly better place. Whether it’s by donating money or just downright acting wholesomely goofy to get someone’s face to light up in a smile, the world is lucky to have some of these kind people….

The people of the internet flooded forums with their stories of people who took that extra step. Of people who went out of their way to help someone else and show the kindness that everyone hopes exists within all people. People who showed, despite how bitter and cynical everyone can be, that humanity can aspire to something better and more wholesome in their everyday lives.

A Soldier Sacrifices 

I had a year-old baby, it was Christmas, and I was flying Delta from Montgomery, Alabama to Columbus, Ohio. Ex was deployed, and I was tired and depressed and a mess. The flights got delayed due to snow, and then canceled. We ended up sitting around sharing sob stories. One guy was in the army and headed home post-deployment to see his kid….

My tired daughter was crying; I kept it together barely and was practically crying with her. Then the airline rep called the guy’s name and gave him a ticket. That army guy gave up his seat for me. I tried to insist he take it to see his family. “Any military husband would do the same for my wife.” Reddit user: Elizabeth

Mom’s Flowers

This one time when I was grocery shopping, when the supermarket clerk tallied up my groceries in the checkout line, it was $12 more than what money I had on me. I began to remove items from my shopping bags when another shopper handed me a $20 bill out of the blue. “Please, don’t put yourself out,” I told him….

He then said, “Let me tell you a story. My mother is in the hospital with cancer. I visit her every day and bring her flowers. I went this morning, and she got mad at me for spending my money on more flowers. She demanded that I do something else with that money. So here, please accept this. It’s my mother’s flowers.” Reddit user: [redacted]

A Stranger’s Truck

My wife and I saved up to buy a nice (for us) grill years ago, but we never thought of how to get the grill home. We were trying to get it in the trunk of our little car and were just about to resort to opening the box it came in to put it in piecemeal into the car….

A guy who’d been sitting in his truck eating dinner in the parking lot came up and asked if he could help us transport it to our place. We lived 20 miles away, and he was still more than happy to drive it to our house and drop it off and refused any kind of payment for helping us out. Reddit user: [redacted]

Tweety Bird

One of my most vivid childhood memories is of me at the local bar and grill with my parents, and I was like six and looking at a very specific doll in a claw machine. It was a Tweety Bird doll in a spacesuit. I was so zoned out, and I didn’t know someone walked up until the claw came down….

I turned around to see a man who looked homeless or transient taking the Tweety Bird doll out of the machine’s chute, and immediately he bent down and handed the doll to me. Neither of us said a thing; we just smiled at each other, and then he turned around and walked right out of the restaurant. Reddit user: kemosabi4

Norwegian Holiday

I was on a trip vacationing in Norway, and it was literally my last night in the city and the country. I missed the midnight train, but no problem; I could still take the very first train in the morning. In the meantime, I went to the dock because that’s where all the nightlife was to look around and enjoy the night….

The bar closed at 2 a.m, and the train came by at 5 a.m, so a guy I had met told me, “There’s no way you’re going to spend three hours walking around.” He took me to his house. He gave me the worst coffee I’ve ever had, took me to the station, and bought my ticket to the airport. Reddit user: MarsNirgal

Christmas Repairs

Christmas Eve a couple of years back, I had worked a shift at the hospital (not a doc or a high paid person) and was trying my best to get to my family’s house about two hours away before dinner. My brakes on my car just weren’t working right. It was snowing like crazy, and I thought there was no hope….

I saw the local mechanic was open, so I pulled in and told him what was going on. Half an hour later, he comes out and tells me what was wrong and that he had fixed it. I asked him what I owed him for the work. He said, “Get home to your family safe and have a merry Christmas.” Reddit user: Goofball412a

A Bite to Eat

When I had no money as a student, I went to do some shopping with the little money I had left. It turns out my phone bill came out of my account automatically, and I was flat broke and had to leave all the stuff at the cashier while I went outside to figure out if I could find someone who could loan me money….

This absolutely amazing woman came out and said she saw the whole thing, and she has a son who’s a student who gets into similar situations, and she gave me a hug and forced money in my pocket. I was too flabbergasted to say anything, but lady, if you’re reading this, you really changed my opinion about people in general. Reddit user: Ageati

World Series 

Watching the World Series one year in a crowded bar. An old guy next to me chatted with me throughout the game. At the end of the game, he said I reminded him of his son that he’s drifted apart from over the years but that he was going to try to make an effort to reconnect with him after talking with me….

We ended up back at the bar for the rest of the series, and when the Giants won, he covered the entire bar’s tab. He also bought my dinner and drinks, unprompted, for every game of the series. When he picked up the whole place’s tab, I was like what? He goes, “Eh, my bonus alone last year was $300,000.” Reddit user: NorCalAthlete

Thank You for Your Service

Flying back on military leave, I had a stopover in Vegas. I was really hungry, but military pay is kind of trash, so I figured I’d just get a Burger King. Standing in line, some dude who wasn’t even in line came up and just went, “Here man, you look really tired; thank you for your service, let me get your meal….”

He handed me a $20 and walked away. I was like, “Wait a minute, $20 is way too much just for BK.” I got to the front of the line and ordered; it came out to like $18. Apparently, the Vegas airport BK is way more expensive. That surprised the crap out of me, and I was glad he’d given me a $20. Reddit user: NorCalAthlete

A Medical Emergency

I had a cyst inside my ovaries that became incredibly painful out of the blue. I was white as a sheet and managed to leave work and get to the pharmacy nearby work. I was hunched over and even lying on the floor at certain times because I was just in so much pain waiting in line for medicine….

After I went and paid for whatever it was that I bought at the pharmacy, a lady in line asked me if I needed a ride anywhere. She personally took me in her car to an urgent care clinic nearby and even stayed with me to take me home after I had seen a doctor. What an absolute angel. Reddit user: [redacted]

Sun Shade

I was parked on a downtown street in the full sun. The lady that pulled in to the next space started installing her windshield sun shade before she walked away. I said, “You’re lucky to have one of those; I need to get one, too.” She opened her trunk and handed me a brand new one, saying, “This is an extra….”

“Here, you can have it.” She even took the time to show me how best to install it in my car. So I went and thanked her profusely for her generosity, and off she went on her way. Later, while I was shopping online, I spotted the exact same windshield sun shade online retailing for $59.95. Reddit user: Back2Bach

Crazy Driving

I used to live 2 hours away from Atlanta, where my sister lives. Anyway, I had some flights I was taking from Atlanta and got in the routine of staying at my sister’s and going with her to work (which was near the airport) and then catching an Uber. Well, I wasn’t as used to airports and Atlanta’s morning traffic….

I told my Uber driver that my flight takes off in 20 minutes, and he was like, “You’re going to miss your flight.” So then he proceeds to weave through the interstate, using the exit lanes to pass up other drivers while I’m now freaking out because I thought I’d be on time. Thanks to him, I did make it. Reddit User: LobaLingala

Toddler Emergency

I was at Target to do some shopping when my baby had a blow out diaper. I also had my toddler with me. There was no family restroom, so I had to use the changing station in the ladies’ room. My toddler was out of control and was just itching to do gross stuff like licking the floors or anything that would horrify anyone except a mischievous 2-year-old….

A woman, probably in her 40s, saw my predicament and interacted with my toddler so I could deal with my infant’s diaper. They counted sinks, jumped from tile to tile, and made silly faces to one another. It probably only lasted 2-3 minutes, but it was the most helpful thing someone could have done for me in that overwhelming moment. Reddit user: bexallday

MP3 Player

I was running and dropped my MP3 player without realizing it on a busy city street; a nice older African man literally stopped in traffic and flagged me down in a hurry. When I didn’t respond because I was spacing out, he honked and waved his hands for like 5 seconds. People were beeping for him to go, but he was persistent….

When he finally had my attention, the African man said to me, “He has it! He has it! Hurry!” I just turned around and ran two blocks as fast as I possibly could and caught up with a guy who had just picked up my MP3 player and tried to fast walk away with it. Thanks, dude, for the help. Reddit user: Johnnadawearsglasses

Running to an Interview

Today I was going to a job interview. I started my route extremely early to be sure I would get there in time, but as fate would have it, the train was late anyway. So when I got off the train, I had to basically run to the company. It was a very hot day, and I got sweaty in my face….

While I was in the elevator, this guy who works there asks me if I’m going to HR. I reply yes, and then he proceeds to tell me where the bathroom is so I can wash up a little bit before going in. Dang it, I didn’t thank him then and there, but I thank you now, kind stranger! Reddit user: Drylnor

Trip to the Vet

I had an old piece of crap car with some electrical issues. We were taking the three dogs to the vet for a checkup when the car stalled and died at an intersection (apparently, the alternator died, but we didn’t know that until later). An SUV pulled up behind us and offered to help me push the car off the road….

In talking, my wife mentioned we were heading to the vet. The driver and his wife took my wife and the dogs to the vet (only a few miles away) while I waited for the tow truck. When they got back from the vet, they came just in time for my in-laws, whom I had called, to arrive at the scene. Reddit user: Adrax_Three

Ice Cream

I was visiting friends in a town in the Midwest with my kids, and we went to an ice cream shop. My oldest was quite excited, running around and being silly while we sat outside. There was a middle-aged couple sitting out there too, so I kept asking her to come to sit by me and be quiet (so she wouldn’t bother them)….

As we got up to leave, the couple came over and asked if they could give my daughter a gift card for the shop. I said, of course, that’s so kind of you. “We lost a daughter years ago who looked so much like her,” they said. “Make sure she gets more ice cream,” and then they left. I cried after that. Reddit user: MrsAnthropy

Christmas Dinner

My buddy and I are in the Navy; we worked the night shift from Christmas Eve into Christmas morning. When we got off, we went to the Waffle House, which is just what we did after every night shift, so we were still in uniform. I don’t remember if we even remembered that it was Christmas until we got there….

When it came time to pay up for the food, we were told that three separate people in the restaurant had paid three separate hosts for our food that night. Our waitress, who knew us pretty well, gave us our paid check and the rest of the money, about $50, which we left as a tip for her. Reddit user: TheRealEvanG

Closing Shift

When I was 16, I worked at a frozen yogurt store and had to close late a lot by myself, no manager, supervisor, or co-worker. One night, minutes before close, a woman who worked next door at the veterinary clinic walked in for froyo. As she was paying, another man walked in but was being really suspicious; he just sat down and didn’t buy anything….

The woman came and asked me quietly if I was alone, and I said yes, so she nodded and just stood in front of the cash register with me. Eventually, after realizing that she wasn’t leaving anytime soon, the man left without buying or saying anything to me. I thanked her and locked up the store for the night. Reddit user: patientavocado

Concert Safety

A stranger warned my best friend and me about a creepy man following and staring at us. We were getting ready for a fun concert and decided to take some pictures outside. I’d say we were about 1 mile from the venue. My best friend started taking pictures of me, and a man on a bike stopped next to us….

He said, “There’s a creepy man staring at you. He’s around the corner and keeps looking. I would take your pictures somewhere else. Be careful.” Sure enough, we caught him peeking around the corner. We left. The sad thing is, we ended up warning several people about the same thing. All the concert goers banded together to keep each other safe. Reddit user: cheetah_11

Flowers

A number of years ago, my father was in a major accident, which left him clinging to life in the ICU. After spending hours at the ICU, I went to a grocery store to get some stuff to eat over the next few days. I guess the complete and utter shock of the event was readily apparent on me that day.…

Because the teller, when he would normally ask me, “How are you doing today” as a general greeting, instead said, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I think you should go grab a bundle of flowers from the stand. They’re on me.” It wasn’t a huge gesture by any means, but it had a massive impact. Reddit user: Subliminal_Image

Car Keys

Leaving a store, I returned to my car to find that I’d locked my keys and cell phone inside. A teenager riding his bike saw me kick a tire and say a few choice words. “What’s wrong?” he asked. I explained my situation. “But even if I could call my wife, she can’t bring me her key; this is our only car….”

He handed me his cell phone. “Call your wife and tell her I’m coming to get her key.” “That’s seven miles round trip.” “Don’t worry about it.” An hour later, he returned with the key. I offered him money, but he refused. “I needed the exercise,” he said. Then, like a cowboy in the movies, he rode off into the sunset. Reddit user: [redacted]

A Dress

I saw a dress in a consignment shop that my granddaughter would love. But money was tight, so I asked the store owner if she could hold it for me. “May I buy the dress for you?” asked another customer. “Thank you, but I can’t accept such a gracious gift,” I said. Then she told me why it was important to help me….

She’d been homeless for years, and had it not been for the kindness of strangers, she would not have survived. “I’m no longer homeless, and my situation has improved. I promised myself that I would repay the kindness so many had shown me.” She paid for the dress, and the only payment she would accept in return was a heartfelt hug. Reddit user: [redacted]

Cancer

As I walked through the parking lot at my hospital, all I could think about was the dire diagnosis I had handed to my patient Jimmy: pancreatic cancer. Just then, I noticed an elderly gentleman handing tools to someone working under his stalled car. That someone was Jimmy. I yelled out across the parking lot, “Jimmy, what are you doing?”

Jimmy dusted off his pants. “My cancer didn’t tell me not to help others, doc,” he said before waving at the old man to start the car. The engine roared to life. The nice old man thanked Jimmy and drove off. Then Jimmy got into his car and took off as well. Despite terrible odds, he beat cancer. Reddit user: [redacted]

Mother’s Day

A few years back on Mother’s Day, I was at a Starbucks. There was an older lady behind me, so I thought I would pay for her drink. As I was waiting for my drink, I saw the barista telling the lady that I had covered her order. Instead of the normal smile or whatever reaction most would have, she started crying….

I went up to her and said I was sorry I paid for her drink, and I didn’t want to make her sad. She said it wasn’t that. She was having a bad day because she lost her son and husband on Mother’s Day. She asked God for a little help that day, and I guess that little thing I did worked. Reddit user: [redacted]

T-Shirt Present

It was Christmas time, and I worked at a toy store. A teenage girl came in wearing a T-shirt with the logo of my favorite video game on it. I asked her where she had gotten it because I’ve never been able to find that logo on a women’s shirt. She told me where she got it, and then she left….

I went into the break room for my break, and when I came back out, that girl was waiting for me in the store. She handed me a gift box and said, “Merry Christmas! I hope I got the size right” and left. She went out and bought me a shirt with that logo, and it was the sweetest thing ever. Reddit user: [redacted]

Elderly Christmas Gift

I was at a Walmart getting a couple of yummy, cheap groceries with my wife and kids. It was a particularly tough year. I had lost my job, bills were piling up, and we were close to tears every night because we had no idea if we were even going to be able to afford to give our kids anything for Christmas….

I left for a different aisle to grab something, and while I was gone, an elderly couple approached my wife and gave her a $100 bill and just said, “Merry Christmas.” She tried to give it back, but they wouldn’t take it. Apparently, they didn’t have kids or grandkids, so every year, they try to find someone with kids and give them a gift. Reddit user: [redacted]

Kindness Through Reddit

I had been unemployed for a few months and was really down about it. I was whining in one of the female-oriented subreddits about how I was out of money, out of options, and how just applying for jobs was expensive. One Reddit user sent me a $20 credit for an online thrift store, just to make me feel better….

I used that credit to buy a blazer, which I really needed for the jobs I was applying for and couldn’t afford. I wore that blazer to the interview that landed me my current job, and I still wear it all the time. Every time I do, I tell everyone who compliments it about the kindness of an internet stranger. Reddit user: [redacted]

Retail Help

My previous job was in a retail and rental video store. A guy and his pregnant girlfriend came in looking to get cash for some used games. I told them that unfortunately, we only give store credit. He explained that they were trying to get money to pay for her medication and asked if any stores would do trade-ins nearby….

They were short $5. I happened to have a five, so I handed it to him. They left, and I figured I’d never see them again. Weeks later, they both came back to the store and told me, “Thank you so much for helping us out. I finally got paid, and I know you gave us $5, but here’s a $10. Buy yourself lunch today.” Reddit user: [redacted]

College Fund

My parents got divorced a while back. It was pretty sad and messed up at the same time. Two of us got kicked out, and our 13-year-old brother at the time was left between fighting parents. I just took custody of him because of the stress (3 years later and finally old enough to get him). However, guess what? The now 16-year-old works part-time at a Mexican restaurant….

I went in to pick him up from work, and the owner was at the bar. He asked me why I always picked him up and where the parents were. I told him about our family. He offered to pay my college tuition so that I could provide for my brother, and he also just set up a fund for him. Reddit user: [redacted]

Little Brother’s Death

My little brother died after being hit by a drunk driver. I got pulled out of a meeting I was leading by my boss’s boss. He let me take the phone call in his office while he waited outside. I suppose they called my cell phone a lot, but I had it turned off. I didn’t cry in that office….

I walked to a nearby park and cried there for a while. There were some homeless guys who came up and started talking to me. We ended up drinking vodka from a plastic jug and eating canned meats with our bare hands. I slept in the park that night and awoke to find one of their blankets draped over me. Reddit User: [redacted]

Union Man

My neighbor, Jimmy, had trouble deciding if he wanted to retire from the construction field or keep working until he ran into a younger man he’d worked with previously. The young man had a wife and three children and was finding it very difficult to make ends meet since he hadn’t been able to get any work for some time….

The very next morning, Jimmy went over to the union office and submitted all his retirement paperwork. As for his replacement, he gave them the name of the young man he ran into. That was six years ago, and that young husband and father has been employed ever since thanks to the help Jimmy gave when he needed it. Reddit user: [redacted]

Burger King

I went and drove to pick up my younger sister from summer school one day during the summer. On the drive back home, we saw a real raggedy looking homeless guy with his dog in front of a Wal-Mart, holding a sign on a blistering hot summer day. We decided to help him out and get him some food and water….

Burger King had $1 Whoppers then. We ordered about four burgers and a couple of large waters. The BK guys messed up and gave us a large order of fries as well. We pulled up next to the guy and handed him the food and drinks. He seemed so thankful, and we saw him tear into a burger and give another one to his dog. Reddit user: [redacted]

Thanksgiving Guest

My grandfather brought a guest over for Thanksgiving this one time when I was younger. The guest was some older gentleman nobody in my family had met before. We all just assumed it was one of his many friends from the area. It turns out, my grandpa was at the grocery store, and the guy was buying a small turkey for himself….

When the cashier rang the guy’s order up, he didn’t have enough money to pay for the turkey. My grandpa decided to pay for the turkey, got around to talking with him for a bit, found out that he didn’t have any family to be with, and so invited him over for dinner so he would have some company that Thanksgiving. Reddit user: [redacted]

Basketball Shoes

I worked at a shoe store once back in the day. A mom was telling her son that she couldn’t afford his shoes tonight, but she would have us hold them in the hope that she could scrape up the money and come back and pay for them. A woman overheard her, and when the woman left, the lady came up to me….

“See those shoes on hold? I want to pay for them. Tell the lady when she comes back they’re already paid for.” I said, “Are you sure? They’re 70 dollars.” (Basketball shoes are expensive.) She said, “I don’t care how much they are, put them on my ticket.” And she left. The woman came to buy the shoes for her son the next day. Reddit user: [redacted]

Tea and Biscuits

Here’s a good story for you. I was at a tourist spot near where I live with a friend one day, and after wandering around for several miles, all I wanted was a glass of water. My friend had a cup of tea, and it was one of those places where they put a tiny little biscuit on the saucer along with the tea….

I was just sitting talking to my friend when this little kid ran past my table and dropped a biscuit on the table in front of me pretty quickly. After that, I heard his mom reprimand him for stealing her biscuit and him replying, “But he didn’t have a biscuit!” That made me smile. But yes, I did return the biscuit. Reddit user: [redacted]

Third World Hospital

Many years ago, I was visiting a third-world country with my mom. There, hospitals will not provide treatment prior to receiving payment. There was a girl about my age there that had TB, and her mom was begging for money; they were from outside the city, had driven a long way to the hospital, and couldn’t afford the medicine….

We didn’t have enough money on us at the time, so my mom took us home, went to the bank, got cash, drove back to the hospital, tracked the lady down, and paid for the girl’s treatment. It took my mom about 2 hours to do all of that, and in that time, nobody had helped the woman and her daughter. Reddit user: [redacted]

Grandmother’s Hospital Stay

About six years ago, my grandmother was on a ventilator in the hospital. It happened fast and was devastating. I was missing work to spend the night shift with her. I was in the hospital cafeteria in the middle of the night. We were quietly talking and crying. I was telling my mom I couldn’t afford my rent because I was missing work….

There was an older couple a few tables away. A few minutes later, I went back to my grandmother’s room when the woman stopped me. She told me I needed to stay with my grandmother and put $100 dollars in my hands. I started crying and telling her I couldn’t accept her money. She insisted and hugged me and walked away. Reddit user: [redacted]

Car Accident

Being in a car accident is scary and tragic. I was in a car accident caused by another party that set off both my airbags and briefly knocked me out. I came around to a woman opening my car door and reaching in to help me out of the car. She had been driving behind me and had mistaken the airbag powder as smoke….

Her first instinct was to get me out of danger. So she ran towards my car, thinking it was on fire and that I was in mortal danger. I did manage to ask for her name before I was taken off to a hospital, but due to the concussion, the name dropped straight out of my head. I think about her all the time. Reddit user: Chees_toastie64

Moving Lunch

My wife and I had just moved to a new area and moved ourselves into our new apartment. We had spent the previous 48 hours loading up a moving truck, driving 14 hours, unloading a moving truck, and unpacking boxes. We had a narrow window to work with while the family watched our kid. We were exhausted, disheveled, and sleep deprived….

We had no food in our house, so we found a place close to our new home to go grab lunch. We ordered our food, ate, and went to pay to find that someone paid for our lunch with a note saying, “You look like you can use a hot meal.” It was nice to have that as a first in a new area. Reddit user: Aneides

Walking to School

I was walking home from school one day when I fell over and hit my knee on the curb. As I was walking down the street (my house was 1 mile away) blood gushing out of my knee, the only thing I had was a period pad, so there I was, a pad on my knee, walking next to the main road….

This old couple walked up to me and asked if I was okay. After I told them what had happened, they walked me all the way home and stopped halfway at the shops to buy a plaster for me. The next day they knocked on my door to check on me to make sure I was okay. Reddit user: [redacted]

Lunchtime 

When I was back in college, I was having lunch with some friends of mine one day when another bunch of guys arrived from a different class for lunch. We all knew each other, but we weren’t all that close. I started eating late, so I was still eating when my friends finished eating, and then they got up and left….

Some of the guys from the other class were like, “Let’s get out of here,” but one of them was like, “That dude Evan is still eating; we can’t go yet.” So for the rest of my meal, these guys hung out with me while my own friends had ditched me. Now that guy who spoke up is a close friend and a groomsman in my upcoming wedding. Reddit user: thatdude_van12