Tell us about ‘Something Good’ happening in your community

If we’ve learned anything in this difficult year, it’s that there is a lot more good going around than ugly -- and we’ve heard many stories of people coming together (while socially distanced, of course) to do something nice for a neighbor, friend or even a stranger.

Despite feeling like 2020 has pretty much been the worst, now more than ever, we’ve seen people go above and beyond for others, and it’s been one of the few positive things to come out of the pandemic.

If you want to do something kind, we’ve compiled some ideas. You could ...

• Buy someone’s coffee (even just the car behind you at Starbucks).
• Pick up a stranger’s tab for carryout, or pay for car behind you somewhere like McDonald’s.
• Offer to pick up a neighbor’s groceries.
• Rake a neighbor’s leaves, shovel their snow or help with yardwork -- whatever is most appropriate where you live!
• Adopt a family for the holidays.
• Or just buy an item or two for a child in need this Christmas.
• Donate to the bell-ringers or even become a bell-ringer.
• Email a hospital, nonprofit group or business in town and ask if or how you could help.
• Clean up a park or a beach.
• Tip your bill.
• Buy gift cards from a local business.
• Volunteer to watch someone’s kids, if you’re able to and that feels safe to you.
• If you sew, make or donate masks, or other other pandemic-related items.
• Call the library and ask how you can help.
• Donate blood or plasma.
• Do a truly random act of kindness for someone else.
• Find blankets around the house and drop them off at a homeless shelter in need.
• Find kitchen items, clothing, etc., and drop things off at Goodwill or Purple Heart.
• Give a gift or a card to your postal worker.
• Scan your surroundings, next time you’re out: Who needs help with holding doors or reaching items on high shelves?
• Make double next time you’re preparing dinner: Gift the other pan of lasagna to a neighbor, new parent or elderly person.
• Send someone a handwritten letter or a card.

We know there are more good stories of people doing acts of kindness, and we’d love to hear about them so we can share these moments with our readers and viewers.

You can use the Pins feature below to post a photo of something good happening in your community, and it might be shared in a story on our site. Once you see the Something Good pin on the map, you’ll want to click that, so you can share your “Something Good.”