Good Samaritans & Grateful Neighbors: Is Kindness Showing Up In Your Town, Too?

Since Patch and T-Mobile launched the Good Deeds, Great Communities initiative, readers across the country have been sharing stories of neighbors stepping up, strangers lending a hand and communities showing care in everyday ways — from small gestures to larger volunteer efforts alike.

Submissions are continuing to come in, and at the end of the submission period, Patch will select one community, at Patch’s discretion, and make a $500 charitable donation to a local nonprofit.

Below are a few reader-submitted examples of kindness from three different communities — just a snapshot of the good deeds being shared so far. And if you’ve seen an act of kindness in your town, click here to submit it. You can be as brief or detailed as you like — and be sure to tell your neighbors to do the same.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Forked River, NJ: Snow Angels Step Up

When heavy snow and ice hit the area, multiple residents went above and beyond to help others dig out. From clearing driveways to returning for follow-up passes, these acts of kindness made a difficult stretch easier for many — especially seniors.

"A local man spent many days helping his neighbors dig out from the snow and ice storm. He asked for no money. He did it all for free. His name is Mike Riker." — Pat Crocker

"The day of that big snow, my husband, who has neuropathy, was intending to go outside to shovel, and I was trying to talk him out of doing that when I looked out our living room window and saw our neighbor Anthony crossing the street with his snow blower. I was so relieved. He was concerned that if we needed emergency help, no one could get into our driveway, never mind us getting out. A day later, my son-in-law John came to try to remove what was blocking our driveway from the plows. I am very grateful to both of these men for their thoughtful help.” — Susan Frick

"Anthony Picsopo uses his Kubota tractor to plow snow from several of his neighbors’ driveways. He does this every time there is significant snowfall. We all appreciate his help, especially we seniors. He often comes back a day or two later and replows to make it neater and safer." — Kathi Frampton

Reading, MA: Good Samaritans At Work

In Reading, residents and local groups alike stepped in to help — from one-on-one assistance during icy conditions to organized service efforts supporting neighbors in need.

“A few days after the January snowstorm, I saw a woman helping an elderly woman over the mound of snow and ice in front of CVS downtown. The elderly woman was terrified and afraid to move off the ice. The woman helping her took a big risk, too. Both made it safely into CVS. The elderly woman was able to safely get her prescriptions after the Good Samaritan helped her over the ice mound.” — Sylvia Martin

"Reading Cares is a local organization that hosts an MLK Day of Service. The community comes together to work on various projects like knitting hats and scarves for the homeless, making blankets for Project Linus, organizing shelves at the Reading Food Pantry, making cards for the homebound and many more." — Joann Takehara Sanford

"The YMCA Greater Boston–Burbank YMCA in Reading initiated contact with the Reading–North Reading Chamber of Commerce to assist a needy Reading family with winter oil to help accommodate their heating needs. The family made this request to YMCA Burbank as part of their ‘Giving Tree.’ Because of the family situation and the coldness of winter, we reached out to Broco Oil, who serves as one of our members, and within a 12-hour period, their president/owner, Bobby Brown, replied with a resounding yes to help and filled the family oil tank (complimentary) with over 235 gallons of oil. It was an incredibly humbling experience for all, as the true spirit of generosity and well-being for others was on full display." — Robert Miner

Barnegat, NJ: Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Acts of kindness in Barnegat range from quiet weekly help for neighbors with health challenges to organized food donations and thoughtful surprises for strangers. Together, these efforts reflect a strong spirit of everyday generosity.

"My neighbor across the street is aware that my husband and I have been having health problems. They bring our recycle bin up to our garage door every week. This may sound small, but it means a great deal to us…" — Tracey

"The Barnegat Community Garden has been donating food to local food banks for the last five years. To date, the community garden has donated over 3,000 pounds of food to local food banks in and around Barnegat. All the work involved with doing this is accomplished by volunteers." — Kurt Stofko

"Every time I go to Costco, I purchase a bouquet of flowers and give them to a random person to make their day happy." — Ken Mclean

Help Your Community Shine

When you submit a good deed, you’ll be asked to include your state and ZIP code. This helps show where stories are coming from as submissions are collected throughout the campaign. Readers are welcome to submit more than one story, highlighting the many ways people look out for one another.

If you’re sharing a story about someone else, please make sure you have their permission before submitting.

You’re also encouraged to share the project with others and invite them to contribute their own experiences. At Patch’s discretion, select submissions may be featured in future Good Deeds, Great Communities coverage.

The submission period ends March 31, 2026, so don’t wait too long to participate. At the close of the campaign, Patch will select one community, at Patch’s discretion, and make a $500 charitable donation to a local nonprofit.

Click here to submit an act of kindness for Good Deeds, Great Communities.

Leaderboard results are for engagement purposes only. Any donation associated with the project will be made by Patch, and the recipient will be determined by Patch.