"Look for the Helpers": Kindness, Compassion and Service All Over the World

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay 

posted by Catharine Hannay

In the midst of all of the political tension and continuing stressors of the pandemic, I thought everyone could use some positive news. And as a former English teacher, I know many of you are always looking for short reading passages to share with your students.

So here are real-life stories of people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds performing simple acts of decency and extraordinary acts of generosity. 

Helping During the COVID Pandemic 

Afghan All-Girls Robotics Team Designs Low-Cost Ventilator to Treat Coronavirus Patients

English Plumber Has Helped 10,000 Families for Free During Pandemic

Indian Man Provides Free Rice to Migrant Workers Impacted by the Pandemic

 Irish University Received Anonymous Donation to Support PhD Students Impacted by the Pandemic

The Pebbles Project in South Africa serves over 1 million meals during COVID

South Korea Sends 10,000 Masks to Navajo Nation to Honor Their Service as 'Code Talkers' in WWII 

13-Year-Old Boy in the U.S. Raises $6000 to Provide Christmas Presents to Children in Shelter

U.S. City Feeds the Hungry with Fresh Foods While Saving Local Businesses and Farms

Environment and Animals

Australian Children Bake 'Bogong Biscuits' to Help Endangered Pygmy Possums

Community in Thailand Turns Discarded Plastic Bottles Into Monks' Robes

11-year-old Australian girl rescues shark trapped by tide

Five South African Children Walked Miles to Rescue a Scared and Neglected Dog 

Malaysian 'Papa Bear' Helps Vulnerable Sun Bears 

Stranded Kenyan Giraffes Rescued by Community-Built Rafts

Turkish 'Grandfather' of Homeless Animals Graduates from Veterinary Program

Intergenerational Support

Austrian Grandmothers Run Community Bakery

Canadian Teen Gives Up Own Make-A-Wish to Help Other Kids

5-Year-Old in U.S. Writes 200 Cards for Seniors

Irish 9-Year-Old with Rare Disease Receives 1,000 Birthday Cards

10-year-old British boy sleeps in tent to raise money in honor of his late neighbors

Scottish Corner Store Gives Away Necessities to Seniors Prepping for COVID quarantine 

Volunteers in New Zealand Help New Mothers

Young People Are Befriending Lonely Seniors Across the UK by Volunteering as Storytellers

I found many of these at Good News Network and by searching online for good news from different parts of the world. Try it any time you need a smile.

If you like these types of stories, also be sure to check out the following posts:

Change the World Song Playlist

Creative Ways to Make a Difference Video Playlist

Inspiring Videos of Service to Humanity

Inspiring Videos of Young People Serving the World

Resources for Practicing and Teaching Kindness and Compassion

And there are hundreds more posts here at Mindful Teachers with:

Resources for Teaching Mindfulness and Compassion 

and 

Self-Care Resources for Educators and Other Helping Professionals

Catharine Hannay is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance. (Sales of the book help me continue to run MindfulTeachers.org with no sponsorship or advertising.)