Good people are all around us – the ones who radiate compassion and kindness and use their experiences to help others.
Don’t let negative stories destroy your faith in humanity.
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”
— Albert Schweitzer
No matter how dark the night may seem, light and goodness will always prevail!
Let’s look out for each other and keep the flame of hope alive.
This week we bring you another collection of inspiring stories about:
- A young boy’s gesture of goodwill sparks an unlikely friendship
- A runner with Down syndrome makes history at the London Marathon
- Senior animals get a second chance at life
- A woman has made it her mission to take care of strangers online
Weekly Uplifting Stories – May 6th, 2024
A good deed leads to an unlikely friendship between a nine-year-old boy and a multimillionaire
Kelvin Ellis has always wanted to help the homeless. When he noticed a man praying in the corner of an outdoor seating area of a restaurant, he thought it was a great opportunity to help a homeless person.
So he offered the man a dollar – the only money he had.
As it turns out, that man is actually a multi-millionaire!
Matthew Busbice is the co-founder of Wildgame Innovations and has amassed a fortune with his business ventures.
A fire alarm got Matthew out of his apartment early in the morning. Thankfully it was a false alarm so he went to get a coffee at a restaurant across the street. While waiting for his coffee, he stepped outside for his morning prayer. And that’s when Kelvin approached him.
Matthew was touched by the young boy’s selfless act of kindness. He offered to buy Kelvin breakfast. He also brought Kelvin a ton of merch from his store.
“You gave the only money in your pocket to me and thinking I was a homeless man, and that speaks volumes of your character and what this generation that’s coming up. If they’re more like Kelvin and they’re going to give, they’re going to be filled with joy, they’re going to be happy. They’re going to change the community then change the parish and change the state, and they can change the world,” said Matthew.
Teenager becomes the youngest person with Down syndrome to complete a marathon
19-year-old Lloyd Martin has become the youngest person to complete a marathon in the intellectual impairment category.
When he was younger, Lloyd was rejected by sports clubs due to his disability. But that didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion for sports.
Lloyd has earned a gold medal in the gymnastics vault event at the British Disability Championships and he is an avid soccer player as well. And now, he has made history at the London Marathon!
Lloyd was awarded a Guinness World Record certificate after the race.
His mom Ceri Hooper has been instrumental in preparing Lloyd for this big milestone.
An experienced marathoner herself, she helped Lloyd get marathon-ready in just five months.
“Anything’s possible. Have your dreams be with you. Be yourself and always live in a dream. You can actually learn to run if you want to. It’s not about the timing. It’s about having fun,” said Lloyd.
Farm Sanctuary offers a comfortable home to senior animals
Mitten Misfits, a farm sanctuary in Grand Ledge, Michigan takes in senior farm animals and gives them a loving forever home. Older animals in need of a home are given proper nutrition, care, and a second chance at life.
Mitten Misfits, run by Vick and Bob Worthy, not only saves animals, but it also helps enhance the mental health of humans as well.
The volunteers who help take care of the animals report finding a lot of healing from being with the animals.
“I’ve worked with some of the groups. Vick mentioned some of the younger people with developmental problems we’ve also had groups of veterans with PTSD come out and they’ve helped me with some construction projects and they said it really helps him get their thoughts together and puts them in a better place and I’ve heard that from so many people” said Bob Worthy, co-owner of Mitten Misfits.
Victoria Worthy, owner of the farm sanctuary has been helping animals for 20 years! With the help of community volunteers, Mitten Misfits has given a better life to hundreds of senior farm animals.
“They deserve a better life than what they’ve had and it’s just a blessing to be able to give it to them,” said Vick.
Woman lends a helping hand to people who are at the end of their rope
Stella Lancaster is a beacon of light for many in her community. She works daily to help meet the needs of those struggling to start a new life after experiencing life-changing events such as divorce or homelessness.
Stella has helped people get furniture, presents for Christmas, and food for the end of the month. Offering support to people going through a hard time has helped her cope with the loss of her husband.
Through her Facebook page, Free Resources, she makes people aware of the available resources for all kinds of needs.
“She (Stella) is the reason my children had Christmas the first year. She was the reason my family didn’t starve. Literally!” said Zavala, a recipient of Stella’s act of kindness.
What are Your Uplifting Stories?
And there you have it! Hopefully, these stories will inspire you – or at least brighten your day with a little human sunshine. There are good things happening in the world right now too – we just have to look a little harder for them sometimes.
If you want to get involved, you can send us your own links or Uplifting Stories by commenting below, or connecting with us on Instagram. If we publish your story, we will also give you a shoutout!
Photo by RDNE Stock project
