5 Inspiring Stories of Kindness to Raise Your Spirits

April 13, 2020 by Angie Long

For every alarming story in the media these days, there is also a story about people going above and beyond to make this time easier for everyone. Here are a handful of those heartwarming stories to help lift your spirits!

5 Examples of Humans Helping Humans

• Cops Making Birthdays Special - If you have kids with birthday plans that had to be canceled because of the quarantine, you know how much of a bummer this can be. It stinks to have to cancel a birthday party but it hurts even more to not be able to see their friends in-person. A police department in a Milwaukee suburb is making sure kids get a little bit of excitement on their special day. Parents of kids ages 4-10 years old can fill out a form online to request a special visit in front of their home from a squad car. The police car will have its lights and sirens on to commemorate their kids' special day and give them a little special attention during the quarantine.

• Feeding Essential Health Care Workers - It's no secret that health care workers are being pushed to their limits caring for people with the coronavirus. As such, people, and even struggling restaurants, are donating meals out of their own pockets to feed doctors and nurses during their long shifts. There are so many stories of this happening around the globe, but one touching story involves a couple from East Yorkshire, England. This couple had to cancel their wedding reception and decided to donate their catering services to feed over 400 hospital workers over two days. 

• Helping Ease Kids' Fears - Explaining what's going on to young children isn't easy, as there are a lot of things they don't understand about the pandemic. To ease some of their fears, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Arden made a public declaration that the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are both essential workers, so they are approved to provide their services to the country. Besides putting a smile on little kids' faces, it helped parents answer some difficult questions such as, "If we have to stay home, do the Tooth Fairy and Easter Bunny have to as well?" The prime minister also encouraged children to draw eggs and place them on their windows so people could look for them on their daily walks for a bit of fun. 

• Keeping Small Businesses Afloat - Small businesses are really struggling during these times, with many closing their doors and wondering if they will ever be able to reopen. One such example was a small flower shop in a small town in Massachusetts. When the owner made the announcement that the store would be closing during the stay-at-home order, an anonymous person bought all of the shop's flowers and had them delivered to the town's residents. This not only gave the store a bit of economic assistance but also brightened the days of the people who were lucky enough to receive the anonymous gifts. 

• Harnessing the Power of Music - When the band OneRepublic found out that they had been exposed to someone with COVID-19 while recording their upcoming, they were forced to self-quarantine with two songs left to finish. One of the two songs is called "Better Days," which ended up being written with the coronavirus heavy on their minds and hearts. They are now asking fans to download the Cinebody app and make their own videos depicting acts of kindness from their homes. Those videos will then be used in an upcoming official video for the song. Specifically, the band asked to see thoughts from first responders, volunteers, survivors and anyone who is finding creative ways to stay connected with their loved ones and pets. They also want to see how people's neighborhoods have changed. Part of proceeds from the single will go to MusicCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

While the news websites and TV coverage may be tense, there are also lots of good stories - you just have to look for them. People are sewing face masks for others, offering to go grocery shopping for their elderly neighbors, hosting virtual family gatherings and more - finding innovative ways to keep spirits high while also staying safe.