8 A growing number of restaurants across the U.S donated meals to federal workers and their families whose lives have been impacted by the government shutdown.

On December 22, 2018, key parts of the United States government shut down. It shut down owing to an impasse over the American president’s request for $5 billion funding for constructing a wall on the United States/Mexico border that was refused by Democrats. The shutdown affected over 800,000 federal workers since they are deemed to work without pay because they have been classified as “essential services.”

Many of the federal workers were forced to work without pay, and some were placed on temporary leave during the holiday season. The nation’s restaurateurs joined hands to avert this crisis by donating meals to workers impacted by the shutdown. Numerous food banks and restaurants offered free meals to federal workers and their extended families to keep the holiday spirit alive. This public wave of community spirit was appreciated by the global community who like to see people helping neighbors in need. (1, 2)

9 Britain banned pet shops from selling puppies and kittens from breeders. They can sell only animals sourced from shelters, pounds, and licensed foster caretakers.

Britain has set an example for other countries by banning third-party sales of puppies and kittens to prevent exploitation. The new rules are crucial in cracking down notorious “puppy farms” and their dealers who exploit these poor animals for acquiring money.

People willing to adopt a puppy or a kitten can directly adopt from breeders or shelter homes rather than pet shops. The rule makes it impossible for breeders to sell illegally smuggled puppies since they will be held accountable. This ban is also expected to push more people to adopt shelter animals rather than buy new ones. (source)

10 An Alabama college student running short of cash walked 20 miles to reach his first day of work. Moved by his dedication, his new boss gifted him his own car.

Walter Carr, an Alabama college student was faced with an unprecedented situation when his car broke down on the first day of his new job. The teenager was a full 20 miles away from his work when his car broke down. The teenager pleaded with his friends to help, but everyone was occupied with personal business. Rather than sulking about his predicament, the teenager walked the 20 miles to his workplace.

The student was running short of cash and started walking the entire stretch of his journey with the help of Google maps. A kind police officer stopped the student to check whether he was okay. The students told about the incident and the officer bought him breakfast. Another policeman offered to drop him covering the last four miles to his job. The student’s boss, Bellhops CEO Luke Marklin, surprised him by gifting him his Ford Escape car. The CEO had mentioned that the car was better in Carr’s hand rather than with him. (source)

11 A classic car is auctioned to pay for the care of two orphans. The car was sold three times and was able to raise $100,000. Finally, the car was donated back to the family in memory of their deceased son.

A couple residing in Alberta were forced to sell their late son’s car to raise money for their orphaned grandchildren’s medical expenses. The couple’s son and daughter-in-law were killed in a motorcycle crash leaving behind a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son. Both grandchildren required expensive hearing aids and additional speech therapy. In order to meet the medical expenses of their orphaned grandchildren, the grandparents made a painful decision to sell their son’s favorite car.

When the car was put on auction at the Electric Garage Auctions, the auctioneers shared the heart-warming story of the car before commencing the auction. The classic 1973 Pontiac Parisienne car initially sold for $29,000 but was donated back to be sold again. The car was auctioned for a second time and was donated back two more times during the auction. They were able to raise $100,000 from the auction, and moreover, the car was gifted back to the bereaved family. (source)

12 A 4-month-old Iranian infant was allowed entry into the U.S. for vital heart surgery in NYC despite an executive travel ban.

A 4-month-old Iranian baby with a fatal heart condition was denied entry into the U.S due to President Trump’s travel ban. The family was scheduled to visit Portland for a critical surgery when they were denied entry due to the travel ban. The Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, took notice of their plight. The Governor together with US Senator Jeff Merkley and immigration attorneys were instrumental in granting a waiver for the baby’s family.

Citing the waiver, a Seattle judge issued a temporary restraining order on the ban halting the President’s executive order. This order allowed the baby’s family to travel into the U.S. for crucial heart surgery free of cost. Moreover, the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, and Wharton & Garrison came forward to bear the family’s expenses and legal costs. The baby underwent crucial heart surgery and is reportedly recovering well. (source)

13 A 75-year-old widower posted an ad looking for someone to fish with, and hundreds offered to drop a line with him.

An avid fisherman and a 75-year-old widower, Ray Johnstone, posted an ad looking for a fishing companion. He further specified that his previous fishing mate has passed away and he was looking for someone to drop a line with him. Soon the ad went viral with numerous responses pouring in from all over the country.

A 22-year-old Mati Batsinilas came across the viral ad on Facebook and got in touch with Johnstone. The young man offered to take the widower on all-expenses-paid fishing including a holiday trip to Stradbroke Island. The 75-year-old was also gifted hundreds of dollars’ worth of free fishing gear from the Boating Camping Fishing outlet. (source)

14 A Chicago Police Officer rather than arresting a teen who kept sneaking into a gym surprised him by buying a $150 gym membership.

A Chicago teen, Vincent Gonzales, was repeatedly warned several times by a fitness center he kept sneaking into. The 15-year-old teen had previously held a membership but failed to renew it after his mother was not able to afford it. The teen repeatedly kept sneaking into the facility to play basketball. Staying true to their warnings, the workers at the fitness called in the police to report the teen.

When officer Mario Valenti arrived at the facility and heard of the teen’s plight, he did the unexpected. Rather than arresting the teen, the officer surprised him by gifting him a $150 club membership to help him play basketball. The fitness center was overwhelmed by the cop’s gesture, and they extended the teen’s membership to two years by absorbing the additional cost. (source)

15 An Arizona man finds a little girl’s Christmas wish list attached to a balloon all the way from Mexico. He tracks her down and delivered her toys.

Christmas is a season of love and happiness. An Arizona man went an extra mile to fulfill the Christmas wish of a little girl. The eight-year-old girl had written a letter to Santa Claus and tied to a balloon hoping it would reach him. Randy Heiss, a man hiking in Patagonia, Arizona, came across the letter. He retrieved the letter that was written in Spanish and enlisted the help of his wife to translate it. The little girl who was identified as “Dayami” had asked Santa for art supplies, slime, a doll, and a doll house.

The couple had lost their only son nine years ago and were moved by the innocent gesture of the child. They shared the letter on Facebook and enlisted the help of a radio station to trace the little girl. The little girl was traced within an hour, and arrangements were made to help Heiss and his wife to meet the little girl and her family. The family lived in Nogales, a city located in the northern border of the Mexican state of Sonora. They delivered the toys to the ecstatic little girl and her younger sister. The man’s thoughtful gesture proves that love indeed has no borders. (source)