Inspiring Real-World Examples of Kindness Making a Difference

Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in New York in the 1960s. Over thirty people watched. They hoped someone else would call the police or step in. The incident later became known as the bystander effect.

But what if the world were the opposite? Many people choose kindness, creating a powerful ripple effect. For example, UK milkmen noticed elderly customers not taking in bottles. Instead of ignoring it, they knocked, checked in, and quietly called for help when needed. This informal network saved many seniors and inspired modern “well-being checks” in UK postal and delivery services.

Read on for more inspiring examples from our experts.

Kindness Thrives When Leaders Choose People

One of the greatest examples of kindness that I have seen is not through viral stories but through consistent contributions over time.

Through the work of the Legacy Online School, I have seen that we are working with families in many places around the world who are attempting to navigate their children’s educational needs during stressful times. I have witnessed teachers donate an hour of their time (unpaid) to help a student develop their self-confidence after they failed a test. I have also seen support teams, when they determined that a family needed more flexibility than rules, rewrite their policies in real-time for that family. While none of these acts are publicly acknowledged, they alter people’s lives.

Research indicates that when students feel emotional support, they are considerably more likely to remain engaged and ultimately succeed over the long term. Additionally, while kindness may seem soft, it is strategic; it establishes trust, builds resilience, and prompts activity to happen.

The same is true in non-educational settings. Communities organize themselves as mutual aid provide faster outcomes in times of local and global crises. Employees who are part of workgroups/teams led with empathy perform at higher levels than those who are controlled by fear. Kindness provides psychological safety, and in that space, growth occurs.

The main take-home point that people often overlook is that kindness does not occur randomly; rather, it results from leadership’s choice. When leaders choose to place value on people over process consistently, it doesn’t merely help in the immediate moment; instead, it creates and maintains an engaged, motivated workforce.

Vasilii Kiselev, CEO & Co-Founder, Legacy Online School

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Small Classroom Kindness Opens New Paths

Kindness often shows its power in small moments that open doors for someone else. In my work teaching career choices at local schools, a simple word of encouragement can help a student consider a path they had not seen before. When you take time to listen and answer their questions, you turn a stressful decision into a manageable one. Showing steady respect in the classroom builds trust, and that trust invites honest effort. Again and again, I see these small acts shift a student’s view of what is possible.

Dick Jones, Owner, RJ Aerial Photography

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One Farmer’s Sacrifice Sparked Everyday Generosity

Years ago our town was flooded and one of our farmers came to my place of business with a truckload of sandbags. He never asked for anything and lost part of his crop doing so. He told me that if he could help others he would recover quicker. I’ll never forget that. Ever since that day when people order and I know they are starting over because of a loss at home I throw in a few extra plants. You never know how far a little kindness can go. There’s no need to broadcast how kind you are, just be kind.

Tammy Sons, Founder/CEO, TN Nursery

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Everyday Acts Deliver Outsized Relief And Hope

I’ve seen how small gestures of kindness can be life-altering. In a disaster, World Central Kitchen gets there fast with hot meals and local hires cooks so people can eat and work. In the United States, RIP Medical Debt is turning small donations into life-changing relief by erasing medical bills for families in need of a break.

No. The Idea of ‘Suspended Coffee’. And the simple act of purchasing a “suspended coffee” for a stranger has caught on around the world and serves as a reminder that people do indeed matter. A Brooklyn landlord forgave a full month’s rent for some 200 tenants during the pandemic, buying them time to breathe. In community tourism businesses such as Planeterra, homestays and craft sales fund schools and clinics. I also witness everyday kindness: drivers who wait, cafe owners translating their medicine labels, and guides who slow down to make sure everyone can keep up.

Alex Veka, Founder, Vibe Adventures

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Grace Defuses Conflict And Strengthens Character

I think one of the biggest acts of kindness is giving grace. When someone recently hurt me and continued to try to make me look bad, I was not trying to be the bigger person- but I was trying to be gracious. It takes more will power to hold back and respond with grace than it does to react. However, giving grace can usually soften the situation and in turn make the biggest difference for conflict resolution.

Lacey McCrary APRN-CNP, Nurse Practitioner/co-owner, BellaDerma Aesthetics and Wellness

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Steady Support Compounds Into Lifelong Change

Kindness demonstrates its power when it is exhibited in a quiet manner and remains steady. Community meal trains provide a good example. Neighbors take turns with grocery shopping, cooking and delivery for families that have illness or loss. That steady support more often lasts for weeks than for days and helps reduce financial pressure and get things back on track on a daily basis. Another example is from classrooms where teachers have spares of supplies and clothing with no explanation or recognition. Students come to learn ready and with confidence, leading to better attendance and learning outcomes over time. The effect may seem small in the moment, but accumulates over the course of a whole school year.

Another lens is youth mentorship. Adults who put in one hour a week to listen and show up effect change over long term trajectories. Graduation rates rise, the number of behavioral incidents drop, and the young people just feel better, and that’s something that the data by itself can’t explain. Acts like these reflect what Sunny Glen values on a daily basis. Consistency, presence and dignity creates change that is long lasting. Kindness is most effective when it is organized enough to last and personal enough to feel human. The difference can often show up years later in the form of resilience, trust and the belief that someone noticed and stayed.

Wayne Lowry, Interim CEO, Sunny Glen Children’s Home

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Compassion At Work Builds Lasting Partnerships

One of our client’s brand managers was going through some family stuff right during a campaign launch, so my team handled the extra calls and just acted as a buffer. The campaign did fine, but our relationship got much better. I learned that people stick with you not because you do good work, but because you remember they’re human. Being a decent person always pays off.

Soban Tariq, Founder, Game of Branding

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One Generous Table Lifted A Whole Room

A regular at Prelude Kitchen & Bar bought coffee for the next table one night. Seeing that, three more guests did something similar for strangers. These small acts completely change the energy in the room. You can feel the mood lift for both the staff and everyone else, and it makes the whole restaurant feel lighter for the rest of the evening.

Allen Kou, Owner and Operator, Zinfandel Grille

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Personal Notes Fueled Loyalty And Growth

When I started Dirty Dough Cookies, I began sending handwritten notes to our franchise owners, remembering their birthdays and anniversaries. That small gesture changed everything. They started going out of their way to help us, and the company grew faster because of it. Honestly, being a decent person works better than any marketing campaign. The goodwill you build is something money can’t buy.

Bennett Maxwell, CEO, Franchise KI

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Small Favors Unite Neighbors And Ease Worries

A neighbor of mine walks dogs for the older folks on our street. It’s a small thing, but it brought everyone together. That’s the same idea behind Bowpurr-just sharing what works, like a good tip for a nervous cat. You never know how far a little help can go. Even a small favor can make a big difference for someone.

Zubair Ahmed, Owner, BowPurr.com

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Helpful Honesty Won Trust And New Business

At PlayAbly, I once fixed a client’s analytics issue even though it wasn’t our fault. We just told them what was wrong and how to fix it. A few weeks later, they sent a new client our way. Sometimes in tech, just being honest and helpful is your best marketing. It works better than any sales pitch.

John Cheng, CEO, PlayAbly.AI

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Extra Minutes Turned Struggle Into Success

I remember a tutor who stayed late to help a student who was falling behind before a big exam. The student not passed but came back the next year to volunteer. I’ve seen it happen a lot. Those small moments, giving someone an extra ten minutes, can be what turns things around for them. They don’t forget it.

Rakesh Kalra, Founder and CEO, UrbanPro Tutor Jobs

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Mentorship Multiplies Impact Across Legal Community

I started mentoring younger lawyers in Los Angeles, showing them how to provide affordable immigration services. Now I see them teaching new attorneys the same thing. That’s what real change looks like. If you can, help someone who’s just getting started. You’ll see the effect spread.

Ramiro Lluis, Managing Attorney, Lluis Law

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Lead With Value, Reap Immediate Returns

The most effective method for me to recreate my professional progress is to practice generosity through one-on-one mentorship during times when the industry faces economic challenges. I developed a set of free intensive workshops to help my finance sector friend who lost his job. Although this action was not intended to create a contract, the genuine nature of the act changed our relationship. My former peer obtained a leadership position and immediately selected me to serve as his strategic advisor. Our business partnership generated a 15% cash flow increase which happened within a single day. The small dedicated support efforts succeeded in restoring trust more effectively than any standard marketing method which created an immediate bond of loyalty to our organization. In a world of transactional networking, leading with value without an initial invoice is pure magic. I have proven that businesses achieve their greatest returns by investing their resources in developing their employees.

Dhari Alabdulhadi, CTO and Founder, Ubuy Peru

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Clinical Kindness Elevates Confidence And Care

As the Vice President and Lead Clinical Director in the Texas Academy of Medical Aesthetics, I was constantly exposed to the impact that minor acts of kindness can have on change, not only in the field of training but also in patient care. An example given is our training programs, where, in some cases, instructors would go out of their way to assist new clinicians personally to undertake the correct procedures. Such a simple act will make the clinical staff feel more confident, less anxious, and therefore more patient, being more focused in their approach. The impact is thus very far-reaching, and the transformation is long-term enough to result in improved patient care.

In addition to that, kindness actually miraculously works in the service of patients. It has been noted that there are numerous clients who visit a healthcare provider with a feeling of nervousness and uncertainty. When attentive to the emotions of their clients, clinicians can provide the latter with comforting words, a caring, empathetic environment that will help to establish a positive and trusting relationship and remain in the memory over the long-term perspective. Actually, kindness is viewed more as a quality than an act. It alters our experiences of things, allows people to grow in their career and creates good things for everybody through its spill-over effects. Similarly, little things, performed intentionally, may produce far-reaching effects more than most people usually believe.

Jennifer Adams, Vice President and Lead Clinical Educator, Texas Academy of Medical Aesthetics

About Purpose-driven Insights

Welcome to Store with a Heart’s HeartBeat’s blog series, Purpose-Driven Insights, which unites experts and changemakers to discuss what it really means to make a difference. This series offers readers practical advice and novel viewpoints by showcasing insights from leaders in charity, sustainability, mental health, social entrepreneurship, and other fields through insightful round-ups and interviews.

Purpose-Driven Insights offers the insight and motivation required to transform your goals into significant action, whether your goal is to lead with compassion, improve your community, or support a cause that is dear to your heart. Come explore organizational strategies, individual experiences, expert insights, and industry practices that enable us all to make a positive impact on a more compassionate and interconnected society.

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Inspiring Real-World Examples of Kindness Making a Difference