Kindness in Columbia: Random Act Touches Family

A family was recently treated to a birthday dinner by complete strangers in Columbia, a local TV station reported.

An anonymous couple paid for dinner at the LongHorn Steakhouse for a family of six—a couple with three children and their grandmother, who was celebrating her 60th birthday—according to WBAL.

Servers at the restaurant on Snowden River Parkway reportedly told the family their dinner had been paid for in a message on a napkin.

Sarah Kim, whose mother was celebrating her birthday Aug. 19, went to WBAL to thank the anonymous couple and share the story, which she said helped the adults to reflect and provided a “great experience, example to show our young children.”

Have you witnessed a random act of kindness? Tell us in the comments!

Earlier this year, Columbia was named one of the “most caring suburbs in America” by Movoto.

The real estate company, which helps people learn about places they might move, said that it incorporated Census information and other data to rank some of the country’s largest suburbs.

To determine how “caring” a community was, Movoto looked at the numbers of mental health professionals, pet shelters and people who carpool; student-to-counselor ratios; and crime rates.

Columbia had the tenth highest number of mental health professionals per capita, the twelfth lowest ratio of students to counselors and the thirteenth most community service organizations per capita, according to Movoto.

The couple’s gesture at the restaurant on Snowden River Parkway may not be included in these data sets but it left an impression on people’s hearts.

For those who want to give back in Columbia, there is a TimeBank where people can offer time to benefit others through volunteering.