In 2016, Jamal Hinton got a “wrong text” from grandma inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner. He explained to the woman named Wanda that she had the wrong number but jokingly asked if he can “get a plate” anyway. “Of course you can,” she told him. Jamal just spent his fourth Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma Wanda’s this year.

Instead of keeping a winning $1,000 lottery ticket an anonymous Pennsylvania lottery winner gave their ticket to the Salvation Army. Their ticket was dropped into one of their famous red kettles in front of Walmart. Erie Salvation Army Officer Major Leslie Walter said that they’ve found winning instant tickets in the past but they would only be for $10 or $20 at most.

Rider of NYC’s L train decided to cook a full Thanksgiving dinner and bring it on the train. They set up a long table and invited train passengers to make a plate. A witness said they were told by the organizers that they wanted to create this invlusive gesture to emphasize that no one should go without food on Thanksgiving. God Bless New York City!

Every year, Community Mayors for Special Children turn Port Authority Hanger #19 at JFK Airport in NYC into the North Pole. This way special needs children can have facetime with Santa Claus. More than 4,000 students attend Operation Santa Claus each year.

Despite being imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust, Jewish inmates still found ways to celebrate Hanukkah. Candles and a menorah were made from shoe polish and string, a wooden shoe, and some string pulled from blankets. They were risking their lives but still wanted to sustain their Jewish identity during this time and uplift each other’s spirits.

Some deaf children have trouble communicating with the mall Santa and telling him what they want for Christmas. But not the kids at Regency Mall in Racine, Wisconsin. They have a Santa who knows American sign language and can communicate with children who are hearing impaired.

Those who created A Charlie Brown Christmas wanted to create a wholesome Christmas show for children that talked about the true meaning behind Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ. But, according to Mental Floss, CBS executives hated it since it didn’t have enough action, had no adult actors, and quoted a passage from the Bible. They had already sold their advertising time and had to go through with airing the special. They were pretty shocked when they found out more than 15 million people tuned in to watch. Now it’s a Christmas classic.

As if finding out you have cancer isn’t hard enough, mother Amanda Kofoed didn’t think she could afford treatment since she didn’t have insurance. But the acts of kindness flashmob called the Praynksters wasn’t going to let her delay treatment. They raised more than $13,000 through a GoFundMe account and surprised Kofoed with the money and a flashmob performance at a coffee shop. You can find her GoFundMe account here.

Twelve-year-old Dillon’s mom had been deployed overseas for 11 months. His Christmas wish was to have his mom home for the holidays. When his mom found out she would be home, she asked the Ohio’s SouthPark Mall Santa to help surprise her son.

Shoppers at three Pennsylvania Walmarts discovered that their Christmas layaway debts were paid by an anonymous doner. The donor, who calls himself “Santa B,” paid off about $166,000 worth of debt. And it wasn’t the first time this “Layaway Angel,” as Walmart calls him, has paid off Christmas debt.

Eight-year-old Laney Brown passed away on Christmas Day after battling a rare form of cancer. Her final wish before she died was to meet Taylor Swift and to have neighbors sing Christmas carols to her. Her final wish was granted by the Make-a-Wish foundation when she got to visit with Swift via FaceTime. And on the Saturday before she died, about 10,000 people (more than twice the population in the borough where she lived) filled the streets outside her house to sing carols. Laney was an inspiration and touched many lives.

Shish Turkish restaurant in London wanted to make sure no one ate alone on Christmas. So, they offered a free three-course meal to the local homeless and elderly population. They decided to do this after an elderly woman came into their restaurant looking for someone to help her close her window and explained that she was going to be alone on Christmas. Lots of people were so moved by the restuarants’s gesture that 50 people volunteered to help cook, clean, and drive people to the restaurant.

Teens from Winnacunnet High School and Hampton Academy joined forces to raise money for three local charities. The Ohio teens wrapped presents in exchange for donations to End 68 Hours of Hunger and the NHSPCA. They also raised money for the Fairborn Food Pantry.

Jessie Tenyani doesn’t have children of her own but she has about 1,000 kids on her Christmas list each year. The hospital cafeteria worker saves money every year so she can buy about 1,000 presents for the children who have to spend Christmas at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Illinois. She takes off on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday so she can spend those days getting the biggest bang for her buck while toy shopping.

“God put in my heart that I should do something for the children, so what came up was I decided to buy toys,” Tenyani told ABC News.

More than 300 students at a Herminie, Pennsylvania elementary school were unable to pay their overdue school lunch balances. But thanks to an anonymous donor the parents of 44 of those children won’t have to worry about it. He paid off about $900 worth of debt.

About 20 percent of the homes in the Fort McMurray area of Canada was destroyed in a fire. But WestJet airline company wanted to make sure to spread some Christmas cheer. They threw a Christmas party, the Snowflake Soiree, for town residents with more than 500 stockings, 300 pounds of candy, and 348 parachutes with special gifts inside them. More than 800 residents showed up for the party.

Kroger employee Cathy Barker needed a new roof for a few years. But falling on hard times over the last few years made that difficult. So, she was beyond touched when Reed’s Metal selected her out of 100 applicants to win a brand new roof for Christmas. They also gave Bobbie Lou Hill a brand new $10,000 roof.

Sometimes the only thing on a child’s Christmas list is a dog or a cat. That’s why volunteers at the Williamson County Animal Center make like elves and help Santa make Christmas dreams come true. They get up early on Christmas morning to deliver adopted animals to unsuspecting children.

Some local parking authorities like The Lexington Parking Authority in Kentucky are allowing people to pay for their tickets in food donations. The city allowed people to donate 10 cans of food in exchange for $15 off of their parking ticket. More than 5,100 food donations were collected in the first six weeks.

The Rhett family were forever grateful to the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon who helped their son recover from an ATV crashed that killed their other son. To help repay some of the kindness they were shown, they worked with Innovation Credit Union to create 28 drop-off spots where people could leave donations. They ended up filling an entire Mack truck with toys for kids at the Ronald McDonald House.

Jeanne Hallisey didn’t know how she was going to put up Christmas lights after her husband died earlier that year, leaving her and their two teenaged children behind. So, she took to Facebook asking if someone would be kind enough to help her find her Christmas spirit and put up some lights.

The local high school assistant football coach rounded up four or five members of the football team to decorate so Hallisey wouldn’t have to lift a finger. Other community member brought by coffee, cocoa, doughnuts, and even hand warmers for the family and those who were volunteering. Hallisey said the gesture of love and kindness really help to instill some Christmas spirit in her.

The Bangor Rugby Club strip down to their shorts each year in the name of charity. They sing Christmas carols in Corn Market each Sunday before Christmas. They collect donations in buckets for a different charities each year.

New York Best Buy employees Kenneth Fernandez and Pal Ndoja saw the same teen come into their store every day to play Wii U. So, the store’s staff pitched in to buy the boy his very own Wii as well as a copy of the game he played every day: “Super Smash Bros.” The teen was pretty speechless at first!

Each year Home Instead Senior Care makes sure that homebound seniors and seniors in Medicaid nursing homes aren’t forgotten during the holidays. Home Instead Senior Care seeks volunteers to donate and distribute gifts to these seniors so they can feel loved during the holidays. They’ve distributed more than 1.2 million gifts to more than 700,000 seniors.

Teacher Melissa McMonigle and her students were shocked and angry when they found out that $164 of the $194 they collected for a local needy family had been stolen from her desk in between periods. But within 24 hours the entire school community started to pitch in. They were able to raise $800 in new donations. The funds were used to buy coats, socks, shoes, and toys for a local family with two children.

The Godley Police Department in Texas is always looking for ways to raise funds and serve those in need in their community. Instead of giving out tickets for minor parking infractions, they gave out notices asking for toy donations during the Christmas season of 2016.

Teen Jordan Maywald wanted to be like Clark Griswold and create an elaborate Christmas light display. But he also wanted to give back to charity. So, he put a donation box for Make-A-Wish foundation outside of his home. He collected $5,000 in 2016 and was able to grant a wish for Tyler Torres who was diagnosed with brain cancer. In January of 2019, he announced that he raised more than $16,000.

The Sistrunk family wanted other military families to know that they aren’t alone. They wanted other families to know that just because their loved one is serving overseas it doesn’t mean that they aren’t together in spirit during the holidays. So, they created this awesome photo that went viral.

A Christmas Grinch broke into the home of a mother and her two young children and stole all of their presents on Christmas Eve. Police were already on the scene when the family arrived home. The children were completely heartbroken to see that their Christmas was destroyed. Everyone on shift at the Sandy Police Department in Utah pooled their money together to get these kids toys so they would have something to open up on Christmas. The police department brought Santa with them to deliver the toys and even sang some Christmas carols.

Snoop Dogg has been making sure Inglewood, California families are well fed every Thanksgiving. He partners with the city for a turkey giveaway where residents line up to get prepared bags of turkeys, trimmings, canned corn, and more. He’s been doing it since 2014.

Grocer Joe Lueken decided he would make his employees business owners for the holidays. Upon his retirement, he turned his three grocery stores over to a stock employee ownership program where 400 employees will now have part ownership in his stores. He did this despite offers from big chain grocery stores.

Christmas wasn’t an official U.S. holiday until 1870. President Ulysses S. Grant used this as a way to unite people after the Civil War had torn them apart. He hoped the official holiday would bring some peace.

In 1947, Diane Hendricks wanted to donate a Raggedy Ann doll that she made to a needy child for Christmas but wasn’t sure where she could make a donation. So, her husband created his own toy donation program for her. Major Bill Hendricks enlisted his buddies in the U.S. Marine Corps to put collection bins outside of Warner Bros movie theaters. The toys would be collected and given to children who wouldn’t otherwise get toys for Christmas. They collected about 5,000 toys that first year. Now they distribute about 18 million toys to about 7 million children each year.

In 2012, Reddit user ProZacDose used a subreddit “off my chest” to explain his failure as a father of four. In his post he explained that he was passed over for a promotion at work and was late on rent because he was out of work when he broke his leg. To top things off, his brother was murdered. All of this meant that he wouldn’t be able to afford Christmas for his children. His fellow Redditors came to the rescue and donated a Christmas tree and Christmas presents. They also set up a fundraiser that raised so much money that ProZacDose was able to catch up on all of his bills. He used the leftover money to help other Redditors that were struggling.

A baby, with his umbilical cord, still attached was found lying in the manger of the indoor nativity scene at Holy Child Jesus Church in Richmond Hill, NY in 2015. The baby, who was wrapped in towels, was found to be in good health by a custodian. Many people offered to adopt the baby after hearing this miraculous and ironic story. The church said hoped that the child would end up with a family from the parish.

On Dec. 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV declared that there should be a cease-fire and day of peace during World War I to celebrate Christmas. The warring countries refused. However, the troops on the ground decided to honor the cease-fire. German and British soldiers not only stopped shooting but joined each other to wish each other “Merry Christmas” in each other’s native language. They climbed out of the trenches to shake hands with their enemies. They shared presents of cigarettes and plum pudding and sang Christmas carols. They also played soccer.

German Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch was quoted as saying: “How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

Lupe Juarez never forgot the Christmas where a local church gave her wrapped presents and food so she and her kids could celebrate the holiday. She vowed to repay the kindness that she was shown. Years later Juarez became passionate about extreme couponing and decided to use her new skill to buy presents. She now uses October to December to coupon and buy as many toys as she can for others. She donated more than 500 toys to the same Fox 12 and Les Schwab toy drive that helped her that year she was down on her luck.

Three German Shephard-Chow mix puppies were found abandoned on the side of the road on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, they were rescued. Two of them were in good health but one puppy, later named Nicholas, had hypothermia, an infected broken jaw, and weighed only one pound.

The pups were brought to Deanna Jarvis at Noah’s Hope Animal Rescue. Jarvis was in the middle of a family Christmas celebration when she nursed the pup who was stinking from a puss-filled infection. She brought him to Siouxland Animal Hospital on Christmas Day. Nicholas survived thanks to Jarvis’ loving care. While his siblings were quickly adopted, Jarvis spent the next year helping Nicholas heal. He was eventually adopted to a family who had just lost their dog the following Christmas.

A wealthy businessman from Kansas City wanted to help the community heal after the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson. So, he partnered with the local police department to help police distribute $100 bills to local residents on the street during the Christmas season. He hoped that this would help bring the community and police together.

Jackie Turner grew up in an abusive family and never knew what it was like to have a healthy family Christmas celebration. So, she tried to rent parents on Craigslist for $8 an hour during the holidays. She just wanted to hang out with a family for a few hours and “Just be like the light of their life for a moment,” she told CBS News.

She got dozens of responses from parents who offered their company for free. She also got lots of responses from young people who told her they felt the same way. Jackie then held a meeting to help set up all the people who wanted a family with families who wanted to help those without. She made six matches, as well as one for herself.

After a string of local small businesses were burglarized in Lexington KY, the coffee shop A Cup of Common Wealth decided to help get them back on their feet. The coffee shop, who was also burglarized, offered a free cup of coffee to anyone who purchased something from one of the affected stores.

They also put up a tree with gifts allowing people to take or drop off a gift. In addition to helping the affected businesses, the coffee shop wanted a way to bring the community together. And it did just that. Many people stopped by to donate money and gifts and even helped decorate the coffee shop. Co-owner Salvador Sanchez said it helped them to “feel a sense of family all over again.”

Chad Rose of Michigan was overwhelmed by the responses he got when he put up a Craiglist ad giving away a free Christmas tree that he used on his business’ parade float that was no longer in use.

He learned that a Christmas tree was frivolous for some families and that some would forgo a tree opting to draw one on paper and hang it in their house. Rose then bought 40 more trees to give away. Good Samaritan Ann Posont saw his ad and offered to donate ornaments and tree trimmings to go with his 40 free trees.

Homeless cancer patient Nadine Edwards was given a companion dog named Taco Baby from a doctor who was treating her. Taco Baby was hit by a truck one night in December. Edwards found her dog and brought him to Community Veterinary Hospital. Dr. William Grant II knew that Edwards, who was about to get her second breast cancer surgery, couldn’t pay the $3,000 bill to save her dog. But he performed the surgery anyway. According to Thrillist, some charities, rescue groups, and a concerned citizen pitched in to help pay the tab.

Online shopping helps to make holiday shopping a lot easier. Except for UPS, FedEx, and USPS workers. It’s their busiest time of year. So, each year Redditor 808sandheartmakes’ aunt leaves this special treat for them.

A Canadian Redditor was looking for a suggestion on where to get a last-minute pie after they dropped one. A fellow Redditor offered to give them a homemade Saskatoon pie. The story is true… according to Reddit.

Every year Shasi and Pallu Patel open their London store, Meet and Deep Newsagents, between noon and 2 p.m. to make people feel loved. They offer free hugs and mince pie. No purchase is required because, they say, “We are family.” They “just want to see you.” Their Facebook page is packed with kindess and positivity.

Some students heard that Christmas time is usually a sad time for their teacher. This is because she often spends it alone. So her students surprised her with some gifts to show that she was loved on Christmas.

In 1967, William Lynn Weaver and his brother tracked down the boy who stole his brother’s bike. But his father interveined. Weaver’s dad approached the theif’s house, which was more like a shack, and saw that the boy lived with his grandfather in a home that got its light from a single candle. The 10-year-old boy who stole the bike cried and said he only wanted something for Christmas. The Weaver family went home but returned to the shack with a delicious dinner of turkey and all of the fixings, as well as a bag of coal to make a fire. This dad also gave the boy thief the bicycle and a $20 bill which was a lot of money back in the day.

Amanda Berman lost her son Ian shortly after he was born. So, the teddy bear given to her by a local ministry the day he was born was very special to her. Berman went to a mall to see if Santa would take a picture with the bear. She was afraid she would be denied and seen as crazy. But Santa agreed and she was shown immense kindness. Someone even paid for her photo package.

Megan Nierman was brought to tears when she’s was pulled over for having expired plates. She explained that she was a struggling single mom who couldn’t afford to renew her plates since she needed to pay for Christmas.

Sgt. Evan Love told the mother that he would rip up the ticket if she got her plates renewed within the week. Love then showed up to Nierman’s place of work with his family with a $300 gift card so that she could afford a nice Christmas for her family.