Five Heartwarming Stories To Help You Find Faith In Humanity

If you tune into the news, it's easy to think a virus is attacking human hearts, as acts of atrocity abound. However, there are many good people out there, and just a little searching you can find stories of heroism to help you find faith in humanity again.

The Wrong Number

Via nbcsandiego.com

One day, Virginia Saenz, a real estate agent, received a misdirected message on her answering machine. In a strained voice, the woman who'd called said this: "I can send money for groceries, but I won't have enough left for my mortgage payment this month. My house is now in foreclosure."

It would have been easy for Virginia to delete the message, chalking it up to a wrong number. Another option would have been to call the woman back and tell her she'd dialed the wrong number. What Virginia did instead is amazing.

She called the woman and told her she'd cover the cost of the groceries. She learned her name was Lucy Crutchfield, and that she'd meant to leave the message for her daughter. Virginia then called the daughter and bought groceries for her family to last the whole month. This enabled Lucy to meet her mortgage payment.

Virginia's tremendous generosity touched an entire family. Perhaps it wasn't a wrong number after all.

The Last Ride

Via travelandescape.ca

A famous story around the Sunshine Retirement community for seniors, is about Terry, a cab driver, who was on the night shift and received a call at 2:30 am. When he drove up to the building to pick up his passenger, he found it dark except for one light on the first floor. Terry honked his horn, but no one came out. Thinking his passenger might need assistance, he went to the door and knocked.

The words of a frail woman came from behind the door. "Just a minute," she said. Terry could hear something being dragged to the door. After a long wait, the door opened. Standing before him was a petite woman in her 80's. Wearing a pillbox hat and print dress, she looked like someone from the 1940's. At her side was a small suitcase. All her furniture was covered in sheets. The walls and kitchen counter were bare. In a corner was a cardboard box containing photos and glassware.

Terry assisted the elderly woman to the cab. The woman handed him a slip of paper with the address of her destination. She asked Terry if he would take a route through town. Terry was honest in telling her it wasn't the shortest route and that it would increase her fare. The woman's reply made Terry wince.

"I'm not in a hurry," she said. "I'm going to a hospice."

Terry learned that the woman had no living relatives. Her doctor had told her she didn't have much time left.

Terry immediately shut off the meter. He asked the woman where in town she wished to go. For the next two hours, they toured the city, revisiting the woman's past. They looked at buildings where she had worked, danced, and lived. There were stops before places where the woman would sit in silence, thinking about her past. As the sun began rising, she sighed and said, "I'm tired. I'd like to go to the hospice now."

Via reddit.com

When they arrived, two orderlies quickly came out to help the woman. It was clear they'd been expecting her. They treated her with gentleness and compassion. As Terry removed the woman's suitcase from the cab, the staffers eased her into a wheelchair.

"How much is the fare?" the woman asked, reaching into her purse.

"No charge," Terry replied. He gathered the woman in his arms and hugged her.

"Thank you. You've made an old woman happy," she said.

Terry squeezed her hand and slowly walked back to his cab. He didn't care that he'd lost a sizable fare. The dying woman had affected him in a profound way. It was a ride he'd never forget.

Lunch Restored for Students

Via dexia.lu

In February 2014, Kenny Thompson paid over $400 to reinstate lunch for Utah elementary school students whose meal accounts were past due. His generosity has inspired communities across the country to do the same. People in California, New York, Minnesota, and Texas have followed in Kenny's footsteps.

Via theeverlastinggopstoppers.com

Students in Salt Lake City were having their lunches trashed because they owed money to the school. Kenny contacted the principal to determine the overdue amount and paid it in full. Kenny's 14-year-old son also offered to contribute his birthday money to the cause.

For many impoverished children, a school lunch is the most substantial meal of the day. In some districts, schools are not obligated to feed children with zero balances. It may sound ludicrous that a school would deny lunch to any child. However, school budgets are cut annually, leaving little room for covering financial shortfalls. Fortunately, people have been inspired to save school lunches. Trashed school lunches are becoming a thing of the past.

A Light in the Darkness

Via wikihow.com

Kimberly Sessions was driving on a desolate Georgia highway one night when her car started acting strangely. Although the engine was running, all the lights lost power. She debated whether to pull over and wait in her car for help. However, the story of the death of Michael Jordan's father was fresh in her mind. Just a few weeks earlier, he'd been killed while sleeping at a rest stop. Moreover, this had occurred not too far from where she was now driving. Kimberly decided to continue, her car creeping along in the darkness.

Via mashable.com

Some cars passed her in the left lane. Suddenly, one car slowed and matched her speed. Although alarmed, she was determined to press on. When the other car was even with her bumper, the driver turned on his high beams. With the help of this car lighting her way, Kimberly was able to pick up speed.

Every now and then, another car would break up the alliance between Kimberly and her Good Samaritan. At such times, the other car would drop back and pull in behind Kimberly. Then it would resume its protective stance at her bumper.

The two cars traveled this way for over 90 minutes. Meanwhile, Kimberly kept looking for an open service station. She never found one. When she finally spotted an open truck stop, she took the exit and waved her thanks to the other driver. Dedicated to seeing her safe and sound, the driver followed her. Kimberly hoped the driver would stop so she could fully convey her gratitude. However, at this point, the car got back on the highway, heading in the opposite direction. This person had gone out of their way to help a driver in distress. They had also invested two hours in the process.

Lost Money Returned

Via gifreactionsarchive.tumblr.com

In Webster, Texas, a man donated a pair of shoes to Goodwill, not realizing his wife had stashed their entire savings inside them. A Goodwill employee found the money while arranging items on shelves. The wad of bills totaled a whopping $3,300. The employee brought the money to her manager, who set it aside for one week to see if it would be reclaimed.

Via crazynews24.com

The owner of the shoes, a woman from Galveston, gratefully claimed the money. Awash in tears, she couldn't believe the honesty of the Goodwill employees. For their part, they were just happy to get the money back to the rightful owner. The honesty of the thrift store employees has inspired others to give to Goodwill. As one donor put it, "It's great to know there are still good people in the world."

Via Flickr: 37456759@N06

These five stories are just a few of the thousands that abound, demonstrating the depth of the human heart. So don't lose your faith in humanity. Find out more here about how to improve your community and see more of the good people in this world. There are angels among us, saints in disguise, and caring Good Samaritans. You can be one of them too!