CBS news recently reported a story about a man who is devoted to helping others, including donating his kidney to a complete stranger. Jon Potter is twenty-nine years old and is a handyman by trade. Yet he doesn’t charge for most of what he does. Whether it’s helping a pizza delivery guy with no mode of transportation or an electric scooter guy with a broken scooter, Jon is always to the rescue.

He started doing this kind of thing four years ago, after a woman approached him at a gas station. She said, “Hey, can I get a ride to the battered women’s shelter, or can I have money for the bus?” He said, “No, sorry.” Yet it was a response he regretted almost immediately. His refusal haunted him right from the start. From that day forward he began to say yes to anyone who asked for help, no matter what they needed. Thus far he has undertaken about 1,000 good deeds.

“I give because I want to give, and that’s just for me. And if anything, I go to bed and feel happy.” Certainly he is happy but not wealthy. Usually he has just a few hundred dollars to his name. As he continues to give, Jon has now moved on to the remarkable act of donating vital organs.

Today we all encounter many solicitors, via phone and mail, requesting contributions for those in need. Like many others, I want to be sure the money I donate goes to an honest and worthy organization. Thus I went online and found a site that rated such organizations. I chose a highly rated one that involved helping children who were sick. For many years now, a monthly donation is automatically deducted from my bank account, and every year I receive a phone call or a letter from the organization, thanking me personally.

Dear reader, have you had experiences of helping people, whether monetarily or in other ways? If so, sharing you experience(s) would be much appreciated and may inspire others to do the same.