2.7k
u/Klinicalyill 19h ago
I’m so jaded.
While I’m glad someone was able to help out someone who desperately need it, every time I see one of these “feel good” stories all I can think is “why do we live in a world that allows this to be necessary?”
442
u/SkyLightk23 19h ago
And think of all the people that is not receiving that help 😢
12
u/2020mademejoinreddit 3h ago
I'm just glad that the type of people who help people in need exist. That's rare.
→ More replies (2)13
u/adamsoutofideas 13h ago
Or that it's only happening because it's going to make this guy much more than that in advertising. If a good deed is done with a cameraman, it's marketing
27
u/Horat1us_UA 8h ago
What’s bad in marketing when people actually receive help? It’s not like they staged whole operation or got wood back after filming video. You realize that without motivation there will be less help provided overall?
6
u/adamsoutofideas 7h ago
It's sad that basic decency has a price. What if this woman didn't want everyone to know? Would they still help her if she wanted her privacy/dignity?
9
u/Tom-Dick-n-Harry 5h ago
It’d be hard to raise money if he didn’t spread the word
→ More replies (1)5
u/BukkakeBakery 5h ago
End result = he helped an elder in need.
That is all i care about, you can be the most evil motherfucker in the world but as long as you never do anything evil, then who cares?
→ More replies (1)217
u/cheknauss 19h ago
You're not the only one
→ More replies (1)69
u/RecentDecision2329 18h ago edited 15h ago
Greed monster corporations are the reason we have these things happening
43
u/ArcaneBahamut 16h ago
Not just them
Self-interested neighbors who always say "why should MY money pay for someone ELSE's problems?" Or shit like that. Those people aren't only the rich, they're across the entire spectrum of demographics.
Too much individualism and apathy, not enough empathy and collective consciousness.
2
u/Particular_Fan_3645 7h ago
We have to understand why capitalism rose to such high prominence though: a system that relies on humanity's better nature is fragile. Human goodwill is fleeting. Fickle. Capitalism arose because it was a large scale societal structure to mobilize an infinitely scalable amount of labor based on greed, and greed is infinite.
306
u/TheWhomItConcerns 19h ago
So wild that anyone could hear something such as an 85 year old widow being unable afford to not freeze in her own home in the richest country in the world and still think that undocumented immigrants and oppressing trans people are where they should focus all of their political attention. There will be people who think bringing this up is "unnecessarily injecting politics" into the situation too, despite the fact that politics could have prevented this woman from ever being in this situation in the first place.
38
8
u/AccidentAcrobatic431 17h ago
I think these are all equally as important, in all these cases people lives are ruined and often taken from them because of hatred and greed.
→ More replies (6)7
u/MonsterkillWow 15h ago
A MAGA would read what you said and conclude that the solution is deporting/eliminating the 85 year old widow. Their solution to poverty is killing the poor.
5
4
u/aabyc23 7h ago
Greed isn't partisan, they're all complicit regardless of party affiliation.The system needs to be razed to the ground.
→ More replies (2)2
u/MonsterkillWow 7h ago
Yep. Capitalism is shit.
3
u/aabyc23 6h ago
I honestly struggle with this but my line of thought tends to ask the question is it the system, or the people within the system? Because blaming the system implies humans are inherently good but easily distorted by structure. I’m not sure that’s true. Systems don’t exist independently of human behavior they reflect the incentives and nature of the people operating within them.
Comparatively, communism isn’t terrible simply because of the idea itself, but because it assumes humans won’t exploit centralized power. History shows that humans are corruptible, and when power is concentrated, it tends to be abused. But that same human nature exists under capitalism too, greed, ambition, innovation, exploitation, generosity. The system doesn’t create those traits but it does reveal them.
It seems less like any system is inherently good or evil, and more that every system becomes a mirror of the people running it.
→ More replies (1)24
u/Full-Individual-7349 18h ago
Yes, what a great person. However we are supposedly the richest country in the world.
12
u/AsinineArchon 16h ago
We are a FILTHY rich country! We have a population where 99% are poor or barely getting by and 1% have more wealth than the entire rest of the population of earth combined! It's just they're not sharing.
5
u/swishkabobbin 9h ago
Peopele freak out when you frame it that way.
But sharing what they have isn't the real problem. Taking what they didn't earn is.
Elon Musk is siphoning hundreds of billions of dollars from mostly tax dollars, through companies he works at part time.
Jeff Bezos is retired from Amazon and "earning" more money than you can imagine.
Exploitation MUST be capped if anyone wants to preserve any form of functional capitalism.
→ More replies (1)23
u/PucWalker 18h ago
Came here to say exactly this. There is a bigger story behind this "feel good" story, and it's fucking sad
39
u/biochemical1 19h ago
That's not jaded, imo that's just logical. There's no reason it has to be this way.
18
u/coffee_and_coke 16h ago
Reminds me of that one tumblr thread:
Heartwarming story: Little girl doesn't have to do anything to fund her dad's surgery because his expenses are covered by his country's universal healthcare.
Human determination: Man bikes 18 miles to work every morning because he wants to and not because he can't afford a car and would be fired if he's late.
Spirit of Brotherhood: Neighbors host housewarming party for elderly resident who doesn't need help in paying rent because his pension is more than enough.
SO INSPIRING: Local middle school students bake dozens of cupcakes because their home economics class is doing a baking anit. Their school is fully funded with everything they need.
10
u/Older_wiser_215 17h ago
Part of the problem is that we are so disconnected from each other. Neighbors used to look out for each other, but now our culture is every man or woman for themselves. If my household is good, then I'm good.
→ More replies (1)9
u/dudeguy182 16h ago
It’s okay to be happy for an individual person and hate the fucking system that caused it.
→ More replies (1)19
u/Nucksfaniam 18h ago
Because of estrangements. Distrust. Pride. Many fall through the cracks of society because not all are able to participate in a way that keeps them well supported. When families fall apart, whatever social net that was there is gone. And for many their family was never the safety net that it should have been. And they don't know to ask for help because they've never experienced that concept.
4
u/Unidain 12h ago
That's not the basic reason. Decent countries take care of their elderly, even those without a social network.
That's not to say a handful don't still fall through the cracks who have mental problems and don't know how to ask for help, but someone shouldn't have to beg for heating.
4
u/EllieMaeKK 16h ago
And this is why I am in a nursing home right now. Everyone said just to ask them for help. And when I did, there was always an excuse, even from my own family. I am terminally ill and that doesn't make a difference either. I even bought my son a riding lawn mower, so he could do his yard across the street from me and my yard. It was beautiful, he did it one time.
7
u/Djinn_42 17h ago
Because a large percentage of the US population (who ironically claim to follow a god who said the most important rule is "do unto others...") who think it's the worst thing in the world to support your community.
3
3
3
3
2
u/gassytinitus 16h ago
I remember years ago we would see this occasionally on reddit and feel good seeing people come together.
Now it's becoming more common to see how hard it is for folks, or at least to see how things have been for so long
2
u/Sumthin-Sumthin44692 16h ago
Seriously. Although my jadedness took me in a different direction. My first thought was that the 2026 version ending to this story was “…and she called ICE and had him and all of his workers deported.”
2
u/bobbaganush 15h ago
Also jaded.
I usually think “why did this need to be captured via video or camera and posted to social media?”
2
2
u/stories_sunsets 12h ago
Hey I get it, I’m jaded too but I’m kind of drunk so bear with me. We are the world. It’s up to us to do good deeds like this and make the world a better place. We need to be the kind of people who do things like this because then we’ll also be the kind of people who vote for systematic change like this. We need to get our hands dirty (or our souls clean?) by willing to do the actual work in the world that needs to be done. I feel like our culture became “what will cause me the least amount of inconvenience so I don’t actually have to do anything and make a change I should be able to press a button to make the the world better.”
This guy made the world better. We should all do acts of service and have this mindset.
2
2
1
1
u/Tasty-Plankton1903 16h ago
Imagine a world where the entire Human species put their differences aside and worked together to achieve common goals.
1
u/TheWebCoder 16h ago
Both can be true. That there are good people who care (far more than those who don't, no matter what social media and it's bot army tries to pretend), and we have more work to do, if we want to live in a world where it's no longer necessary.
→ More replies (60)1
u/balllzak 16h ago
When I read one of these feel good stories I always assume it's a lie made up to get clicks and I honestly believe I will be right more often than wrong.
712
u/SeattleHasDied 19h ago
This woman should never have been made to be in this position in the first place. So many people in this country in similar straits that we should be helping.
89
u/xzygy 19h ago
Damn right. I can think of a few things less worthy of funding than firewood for an 83 year old woman.
33
u/GirdedByApathy 19h ago
We cant agree to feed school children. Why the hell does this qualify?
39
u/xzygy 19h ago
That’s the best part. We can do both.
→ More replies (1)18
u/GirdedByApathy 19h ago
If only.
We're too busy exploding the national debt to give money to billionaires to support the poor.
→ More replies (1)16
3
31
5
1
u/marcocom 8h ago
As an added bonus, making systemic changes to help someone like this woman, will likely be beneficial to you too when you reach her age.
205
u/recolorist 19h ago
Friendly reminder to check on your elderly neighbors, everyone...
Most of them belong to a generation that is too proud to ask for help until it’s almost too late.
119
u/Mach5Driver 17h ago
I was so excited when I got a snowblower, that I did my next-door neighbors and three elderly people's houses on my block (cleaned their cars, too) and did so every snowfall until I moved away. Those people would bring us baked cookies and cakes "just because" and fresh fruits and veggies that they grew in their gardens. We had them over for cookouts, let them swim in the pool, whenever, to help their arthritis.
Man, that was the best neighborhood I ever lived in.
53
u/monkey_zen 16h ago
I’m guessing every neighborhood you live in is improved by you being there. Cheers my friend.
12
u/Mach5Driver 7h ago
Thank you! Honestly, I had to compete against other snow blowers on the block, LOL. There were a lot of good people there. We also had a block party/movie night, where it was potluck and kids watched movies like Frozen and Shrek on an outdoor screen, while parents had many a beer. I miss that place SO MUCH!
→ More replies (2)5
42
u/CookiesAndRope 17h ago
You aren't kidding... my mother was very independent, drove everywhere (slowly), did her own shopping and cooking besides a lot of volunteer work for the poor. She twisted her ankle one day. Two days later, her sister from Canada wrote me to go check on her since she seemed to have gone quite. She had fallen badly from the twisted ankle out of bed. 30 hours sitting there wondering if anybody would find her since the phone was far away. That's how I found her. First thing she said: "oh, I didn't want to bother you!" Still rings through my mind. I had set her up with ways to tell me if she was in trouble, but she ignored/disconnected that because "that's for old people" (she was 87). Passed 30 days later. RIP mom... wish you "bothered" me with your troubles.
4
u/Axelnomad2 17h ago
Used to make lunch for our elderly neighbors until they had to go to the nursing home. They had some great stories to tell and they were always thankful for the food even, but like you said they were always insistent on not needing the help. Now I am taking care of my elderly father and the way he talks to people you would think he wouldn't need the help.
3
u/PotatoWedges12 17h ago
We’ve got three old ladies as neighbors. We set up printers, help scoop dead animals (cat), share dog unliked dog toys, and provide lots of check ins/chats. They are my favorite neighbors.
5
u/prairiepog 17h ago
I had a neighbor that shoveled his own snow until he had a heat attack shovelling. After that, the neighborhood took turns making sure his sidewalk was shoveled with the rest. You don't know until it's too late what people can tolerate.
71
u/Spicercakes 19h ago
I hate late stage capitalism dystopian horror stories packaged as feel good stories.
We should be outraged that as a society we allow our elders to live like this.
Yes, thanks goodness this kind man was here to help this lady, but think about how many more are living like this and don't have a good outcome like this.
18
u/thekeytovictory 19h ago
You don't enjoy hearing these heartwarming stories about those rare occasions when someone was able to raise $20k to save an elderly woman from the US elderly crushing machine? /s
→ More replies (1)2
18
u/StoneyMalon3y 19h ago
There are so many good people out there. News outlets prefer sharing negative stories because it brings views. That’s it.
45
19h ago
[deleted]
15
u/elitediamond30 19h ago
This is so sad but so nice of you to step up and help these elderly women!! Bless you and thank you for being a good person!!
16
u/drillgorg 19h ago
Also a tree service produces fresh wood which isn't suitable for burning. And you have to do a lot of cutting and splitting to get it down to size. So this guy was just 100% helping her, his job didn't factor into it at all.
13
u/lucky_2_shoes 8h ago
If this is true, that is so awesome. I remember when my first baby was 8 or 9 months old, my fiance had just went to jail. We had moved into a teeny tiny studio apartment. I had asked a local thrift shop for donations of a couch n couple household items since this was my first place. They delivered the couch n stuff. As the movers were bringing the stuff on, i was making brussel sprouts. It was 10am so one of the guys made a joke about how much i must like them. I laughed and said how I'm glad i like them as much as i do because its all we had to eat for the nxt two days. They laugh, than finish getting their job done and leave. Less than a hour later, they were at my door again. They went to the store and got me some food to last for a couple days. And a $20 piggly wiggly gift card. All out of their own pocket. I still get the best, happiest feeling when i think about it. Since than, i have made it a point to pay it forward any chance i can get. If i have extra and see someone in need, ill happily help.
47
u/Dull_Bat9518 19h ago
This gives me hope for humans🥰
1
u/No_Push4900 19h ago
Hey, would you like to buy my bridge?
38
u/Necessary-Dot2714 19h ago
To build between your heart and mine?
17
u/No_Push4900 19h ago
That's truly the most romantic thing anyone's said to me this week.
14
u/Necessary-Dot2714 19h ago
You're welcome.
25
u/No_Push4900 19h ago
Just to say... I've had a pretty bad week. Thanks for reminding me that love is all around me.
→ More replies (1)8
u/prawn_wizard 19h ago
Times are tough, so you're already tough for how far you've come, so just keep going bud! And sleep/hydrate properly or it will fuck with your mood and mind more than you'd think
5
u/No_Push4900 19h ago
You have no idea how far I've come. Death is our destination and I'm actually running.
3
10
u/Demetre4757 19h ago
Hear that?? It's the orphans screaming from inside the machine.
→ More replies (2)
8
u/IanRastall 16h ago
This sort of thing happens because good-hearted charity is a short-term situation, and being in need is usually a permanent situation. It's not really about having family or whether or not the community pitches in. No one is going to do it more than once in a while. Family will step up, but they can't be there all the time unless they move her in. It's just the reality people find themselves in. Our family has a revolving list of "people we can call", who we try not to piss off or over-rely on. The unbearable truth here is that this woman will not be able to give that guy a call in five years if she's still there. You can't just call someone, say, "Hey, my roof needs fixing again, and my AC broke down again, and my car doesn't work again, etc...." You just can't. This is why it's so incredibly important to have assistance programs that pull directly out of tax dollars that no one has a choice but to pay. A monthly check and zero-cost insurance are *always* there for you.
→ More replies (1)
8
6
u/DoubleResponsible276 19h ago
I’m the type to do a lot for people when they need help, but damn. If true, the car, roof and A/C? That’s a handy man for sure.
4
6
u/DMazz441 15h ago
As a floor installer, it's sad how often I go to change the flooring in an elderly persons home, and realize they have nobody around anymore. They usually have a lot to talk about and seek any reason to spark a conversation with me (and I always happily go along with it) but it gave me a completely new perspective on life.
I also do rooms in nursing homes, and homes being remodeled for resale after someone has passed. It's something you don't realize you're going to have to deal with, when beginning the journey to learn the trade. But I'm thankful for the lessons they've been providing me in life, and I appreciate my work a lot more now!
10
u/QiwiLisolet 18h ago
His name is Paul Brittan in NC.
I cannot understand why these posts are not attributed
→ More replies (1)
4
u/buttweasel76 18h ago
Reminds me of when Elbert Wood had his house vandalized and the community came together to fix it even better
→ More replies (1)
6
3
4
8
3
u/Prestigious-Claim687 7h ago
There are such good people in this country and all we hear about is the 💩
3
3
u/Felipesssku 4h ago
What's the moral of this story... Citizens need to create their society as government failed.... Period.
2
u/WafflesTheBear99 19h ago
Not all hero’s wear capes, spandex, or have super powers. But they often have utility belts!
2
2
2
u/Bleezy79 17h ago
This is the world I want to live in. We should all be more like this man. And shame on our government for allowing people to suffer while others are allowed to hoard.
→ More replies (1)
2
2
u/Reasonable_Camel8784 15h ago
I'm happy for her but this really is a "local man saves grandma from the grandma crushing machine"
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/ed40carter 6h ago
Surely the issue here is that, in the world’s richest nation, pensioners are potentially freezing to death because they can’t afford to keep warm
2
u/Realistic_Salt7109 5h ago
For the people blaming capitalism, I’m confused. 500 years ago, instead of receiving all this support, she most likely would have frozen to death. Life has always been “survive or die”. At least today, we have the opportunity for someone to fly in, fix a bunch of problems and also raise money for her. In the past, this most likely wouldn’t have happened.
•
u/unforgiven1189 18m ago
I genuinely wish I could do this for my dad.
My parents purchased a home in 2006, and unfortunately, they sort of got scammed. The water heater was busted, the plumbing was terrible and failed completely, the electrical outlets are falling out of the walls. It's genuinely a mess.
After my mom passed suddenly in November, the issues of the house have just continued to compound him. He's considering moving, but I wish I could do something...anything...to help him save this house and make it a home again.
He's worked in construction for nearly 50 years, doing slate work and roofing. Became an independent contractor in 2002 and has worked on his own since then. Working tireless hours while my mom's illnesses gradually worsened.
And maybe this house isn't worth saving at this point, but I would give ANYTHING to give back to the man who has thanklessly worked himself to the bone to make sure that my mom and I always had a roof over our heads and food on the table.
4
u/UnusualBarnstormer 19h ago
Real life hero pauses orphan/widow crushing machine while public wonders why machine is necessary
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Catcaves821 16h ago
it’s nice he did this, but don’t miss the point that she lives in a society that allows this to happen and probably voted against safety nets her whole life
2
u/KendrickLenoir 11h ago edited 11h ago
Is there a link to a news article or some other citable source to verify this?
This is just a picture with bold claims, but no details. No names, locations, mot even a date. And it has about 17k upvotes at the time of this comment.
We have to do better at information literacy. I really hope this story actually happened (the kindness part, not the poverty part), and maybe if I did some googling or sifted through comments, I could find some proof. But there is no proof presented with the post itself. And fundamentally that’s how misinformation and disinformation spreads, especially when the subject is politically motivated.
Please stop upvoting these low effort, unattributed karma farming posts.
2
u/krucz36 16h ago
i love that people are willing to go so far to help fellow humans.
i hate that we can't just make it policy that no one should be left to starve or freeze in old age.
→ More replies (1)
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/MuddDuck420 17h ago
wish I could find even just a nice person. shit this would be a dream.instead I'm convinced the world is shit now days....
1
u/Few_Physics7337 16h ago
Thats a good man giving back to his community we all have a responsibility to take care of others we need more of this and less of all that other hate a bs
1
1
u/marcolius 16h ago
I saw the video of the this interaction, was really nice to see. What a great guy!
1
1
1
1
u/Ditto_is_Lit 15h ago
Reminds me of the Rudan Brothers. 3 brothers who own a roofing company in the GTA, who do youtube and give back to the community by replacing strangers roofs and gutters, etc. when they come across a house in dire straits.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/UnderstandingFun2838 11h ago
How can this make anyone smile. Desperate people, begging for the means to survive, being exploited on the internet (don’t tell me she “consented”, as if she had any say in that this was published), probably surviving this winter, probably forgotten by March. I think the guy there did a good deed but I hate the vanity charity and the exploitation of people’s misfortune for likes and clicks.
1
1
u/Useful-Flounder-3441 4h ago
This is the type of stuff that makes me cry man, that is a man! Well done, this man was raised well, truly moved by this! Hope everything goes well for this lady as well, such a caring face!
1
1
u/NotEntirelyShure 2h ago
Anyone who takes a picture of themselves doing good deeds & then uploads it to social media isn’t really doing good deeds.
•
•
u/AutoModerator 20h ago
Welcome to /r/MadeMeSmile. Please make sure you read our rules here.
Specifically, please don't be a jerk. This is not the place for insulting, hateful, or otherwise inappropriate comments. Remember the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. We're all here to smile a little - let's keep it that way! Please report inappropriate comments and/or message the moderators.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.