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Comfort and Joy
Stories of people uplifting others through love and compassion
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul and sings
The tune without the words and never
Stops at all
–Emily Dickenson
In partnership with LIVEDEN, a company that manufactures green drinks, GNN readers donate 20,000 meals to hungry kids.
A husband and wife in Austin, Texas have been honored as heroes for nourishing neighbors-in-need by hosting a community fridge outside their restaurant.
Now, the owners of Nixta Taqueria are feeling a boomerang of good karma, after the community found out their business was in trouble.
In 2019, Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi opened Nixta Taqueria in East Austin, an area known as a food desert—where options for fresh produce and groceries are scarce.
They weathered the pandemic by offering curbside delivery—and their compassion came to life when they became the pilot location of the new Austin Free Fridge Program.
Edgar and Sara began replenishing the community fridge sometimes upwards of 20 times a day with everything from fresh meals to ‘hydration packs’ during heatwaves.
It became a lifeline for many folks, and the couple were happy to keep it stocked.
Nixta Taqueria hosts and refills a Free Fridge
But this summer they were forced to shut operations due to an electrical issue, which they said was caused by “city oversight”.
They knew that with so many people relying on them they had to figure out a solution. A week later, they created a GoFundMe page—and in two days surpassed their $80,000 goal.
“It’s the best feeling in the world when you can tell that people have your back,” they wrote on the donation page where a stream of comments provided praise and encouragement.
“Help is there—and asking for it isn’t anything to be ashamed of.”
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Strangers and customers stepped up to support the taqueria, saying thank you for taking care of the community during winter storms, heatwaves, and pandemics. Donors contributed $118,000 so far.
How Americans Are ‘Paying it Forward’ Hundreds of Times Every Year
Good News Network – Almost eight in 10 Americans believe that karma is real. And, perhaps inspired by that notion, 84% say they will go out of their way to “pay it forward” whenever possible. (3/28/24)
That’s according to a poll of 2,000 U.S. adults that tallied 84% as agreeing with the idea that ‘what goes around comes around’.
Whether it’s to align their cosmic mojo or simply acting on their human nature, the respondents reported they are “paying it forward” in a number of ways, including:
- Treating their loved ones to something special (50%)
- Giving generous tips (48%)
- Helping out a neighbor by carrying their groceries or shoveling snow (46%)
- Donating money to organizations or charities (40%)
Almost four in ten said they volunteered their time to help friends and family, or supported locally-owned businesses.
The average adult engages in five generous acts per week, which adds up to 260 random acts of kindness each year.
Beyond the mysterious karma benefit, these acts of paying it forward have real effects on more than those on the receiving end: Americans feel better about themselves (49%), their life overall (37%) and feel more confident (22%) when they extend kindness to others.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the banking app Chime, the survey found that 72 percent of adults considered themselves to be generous, even while 43% felt somewhat insecure financially.
Some of the biggest generous acts respondents have done for others included scenarios like:
- I opened my home for friend to move in during a health crisis.
- I overheard a waitress discussing some unexpected bills she was worried about covering so left her a $200 tip.
- I went to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina to work on restoring houses.
65% are likely to ‘keep the chain going’ and pay for the food of the person behind them in a drive-thru, if someone else paid for theirs.
MORE HOPIUM: 82% of U.S. Adults Are Hopeful About Their Own Future and Their Community’s Future
“We’re encouraged to see the ‘pay it forward’ spirit is alive and well in this country,” said Sara El-Amine, a VP at Chime.
No matter what triggers it, the results reveal that Americans are more than five times more likely to find their spirits are lifted more when they’re able to help someone else than when someone else helps them out (72% vs 13%).
Looking toward the future, a whopping 83% of respondents believe that they’d be even more generous if they were more financially secure.
“Feeling good about your finances can mean more than just adding commas to your bank account.”
Others are sure to benefit, too.
son behind them in a drive-thru, if someone else paid for theirs.
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