Brighten Your Day

Woman Says Man's Random Act Of Kindness 'Made My Whole Year'

January 27, 2025

Today's good news story comes from North Park, Chicago.

A heartwarming story of generosity unfolded at a Mariano's grocery store in Jefferson Park, Chicago, and it's now inspiring kindness across the city. Lynn Shockey, a senior who resides in a local housing community, publicly shared her gratitude after a stranger stepped in to pay for her groceries when her benefits card unexpectedly failed.

The incident happened as Shockey's grocery total came to $200, leaving her scrambling to cover the cost with the cash she had on hand from Christmas. She began removing items from her cart when the man behind her, accompanied by a boy around 10 and a little girl about three, offered to cover the balance.

Overwhelmed by his selflessness, Shockey described the encounter in a heartfelt post on the NextDoor app:

"There was a man with a boy around 102 years old and a little girl probably around 3 years old. I was talking to him about his kids. My groceries came out to $200 and my u-card wouldn't work so I had cash on me from Xmas and I didn't have enough so I was picking out what I didn't need and the gentleman behind me with the kids paid for the balance that I didn't have. What a blessed thing he did it melted by heart because my Xmas wasn't very good and God brought him to me."

Shockey hopes to reconnect with the kind stranger to express her gratitude and send him a thank-you card. When asked what she’d say to him if given the chance, she said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You made my whole year this year.”

Inspired by his generosity, Shockey decided to pay the kindness forward by cooking soup for her neighbors in her senior housing building.

Her story has since spread online, inspiring others to embrace small acts of compassion that make a big impact. The stranger’s good deed didn’t just help Shockey that day—it reignited a sense of community and reminded everyone that kindness, even in the smallest moments, can change someone’s life.