The Best Acts of Kindness in 2019

Need a pick-me-up today? These heartwarming acts of kindness from 2019 are sure to lighten your mood and be the good-news boost you need to start the year feeling a little better about humanity!

For World Kindness Day 2019, the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center (UPMC) Magee-Women’s Hospital celebrated the legacy of the late Fred Rogers, a Pittsburgh native who was the creator and host of the PBS show “Mister Rogers Neighborhood.” The hospital welcomed his wife, Joanne, on November 3, 2019, with a surprise: The nursery was made over into the world of the legendary children’s show, with the newborns all wearing red cardigans crocheted by a UPMC Magee nurse, and staff members singing Rogers’ iconic song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

Every fall the Pennsylvania pro-hockey team Hershey Bears hosts its annual Teddy Bear Toss. After the home team scores its first goal, the tradition invites fans to throw teddy bears onto the ice. The bears are then donated to 40 local charities. This year, the team broke the record with more 45,000 bears donated. Players had so much fun jumping into the sea of teddy bears that the game was delayed 40 minutes.

To help give the homeless a way to reintegrate into society, the city of Dublin, Ireland is paying former homeless people to work as tour guides. Tourists who sign up for the nonprofit Secret Street Tours will be shown around the town’s historic landmarks. Their guides will also show them where they slept and how they lived on the street. The social enterprise initiative is modeled after one in Vienna, Austria, and has been replicated in Manchester and London, England.

An anonymous couple gave Galveston, Texas, waitress Adrianna Edwards a car after learning that she walked 14 miles round-trip to get to work. They just requested that she find a way to pay it forward, which she promises to do. “Every two hours, I come look out my window and see if there’s still a car there,” the incredulous Denny’s waitress was quoted as saying.

A scheduling glitch at a Birmingham, Alabama, Waffle House one night in November meant employee Ben found himself alone on his shift and overwhelmed with around 25 customers. Patrons pitched in to help, with one donning an apron to wash dishes and take orders, while another in formal wear started making coffee and bussing tables. As you start your year, we hope you’ll find a few ways to perform your own acts of kindness.