Kindness comes in many ways. For some, it's a "Bless you!" from a stranger after they sneeze. For others, it's volunteering at the animal shelter. On average, one American commits five good deeds a month, according to a 2019 poll. These include holding the door for a stranger, helping with directions, and even paying for someone else's meal.
We here at Bored Panda like to make the world a kinder place by sharing the good deeds of others. Wholesome and altruistic people deserve to get their flowers, so we took a trip to the "Just Wholesome" subreddit and picked out the most heartwarming and uplifting stories for you to enjoy!
We also got in touch with one of the community's moderators, Sally G., aka u/InitialConclusion507. She kindly agreed to tell us how the subreddit came to be, why wholesome content is so important in today's world, and what it's like being the sleuth of wholesomeness. Read our conversation with her below!
#1 Joy Is Always Possible
Image credits: Kindly_Salamander631
#2 When A Desperate 71-Year-Old Passenger Mentioned He Was In Urgent Need Of A Kidney Transplant, His Uber Driver Made An Extraordinary Decision: To Become His Donor
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#3 When This 90 Yr Old Vet Started To Stand Up The President Leaned In And Told Him He Didn’t Have To Stand. This Patriot Stood, Saying, “No Sir, You’re The President"
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
One of the moderators for r/justwholesome is u/InitialConclusion507 whose real name is Sally George. The Redditor created the community after unsuccessful attempts at posting wholesome content on other dedicated subreddits. "Because of various conditions, like having high karma, sharing original content only, and other restrictions, I decided to create my own subreddit," tells Bored Panda.
But r/justwholesome isn't the only place on the internet where Sally shares wholesome content. She's also the editor of a wholesome and heartwarming community called NostalgicGrandma which is also dedicated to sharing positive and inspirational stories. Nostalgic Grandma was Sally's first pursuit, and the Reddit community came after: indeed, there's always demand for more positivity in the world!
#4 99 Year Old Lillian Creates Dresses To Achieve Her Goal Of Making 1000 Dresses By 100th Birthday For Orphan Girls In Africa. Her Mission Is To Show These Girls That The World Cares About Them. So She'd Make Each Dress Extra Special, Setting An Example Of Love And Kindness
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#5 School Janitor Achieves His Dream
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#6 In Turkey, A Stray Dog Brought Her Unconscious Puppy To The Door Of A Veterinary Clinic. The Puppy Received Immediate Care As The Dog Waited Patiently
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
On the Nostalgic Grandma website, Sally introduces herself as a psychologist who aims "to share uplifting stories that inspire, encourage, and remind us of the good in the world."
"My goal was simple, to share positive and wholesome stories, and also link them to my blog for readers who want to read more about the story," Sally tells Bored Panda more about why she decided to create a separate subreddit. "I didn't expect it, but the group grew to 22k members very quickly because I would post wholesome stories daily."
"I often feature stories of reunions, lonely elderly people finding support, couples rediscovering love, kindness of strangers at McDonalds or a parking lot, unexplained miracles like having a child at 70 years old, or someone winning an unexpected lottery, Sally shares the basics of her content.
"After all, who doesn't enjoy a little wishful thinking, hoping that they would win a million-dollar lottery one day?"
#7 He Was Hoping To See Her 🥹
Image credits: reddit.com
#8 Someone Left A Racist Graffiti In Walthamstow, London. And This Is How The Community Responded
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#9 A Man Reunited With His 19-Year-Old Cat, Seven Years After The Pet Went Missing
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
"With so much negativity in the world currently, I think that a little bit of positivity online is essential," Sally posits. "And, clearly, 22,000 other people feel the same!" And Reddit is no exception. Of course, it's also a platform for many niche interests, like cats, fashion, food, and culture, so, it's not hard to carve out a niche for yourself in the real of wholesomeness.
#10 Siblings Reunited🥹
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#11 Toddler Dresses As The Queen For Halloween, Gets A Surprise Letter From Windsor Castle
The envelope contained a letter from Lady Mary Morrison, a Lady-in-Waiting to Her Majesty the Queen.
“The Queen wishes me to write and thank you for your letter, and for the photograph you enclosed,” the letter read. “Her Majesty thought it kind of you to write to her, and The Queen was pleased to see the photograph of your daughter, Jalayne, in her splendid outfit.”
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#12 Little Girl Mistakes A Bride For The Princess In Her Favourite Book
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
"If you're talking about subreddits that fit the 'wholesome' niche, people are looking for hope, positivity, and reminders that the world is not that bad after all," Sally explains. "Maybe they are tired of reading heavy news all day, maybe they are feeling lonely, want to restore their faith in humanity – these are often the reasons people engage with wholesome posts."
#13 Mum Transforms From Jailed H****n Addict To Top Student In Her Graduating University Class
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#14 Shoutout To Mr Johnston 🙌
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#15 An Aussie Farmer Couldn’t Make It To His Aunt’s Funeral Because Of Covid Rules. So He Made A Heart Out Of Feed On His Farm And Let His Sheep Walk Into It. It Was His Way Of Saying Goodbye. “I Just Hope That When I Did It, She Was Having A Peep Through The Clouds And Was Able To See It," He Said
Image credits: Kindly_Salamander631
Sally believes in the power of wholesome online communities. Their main strength, according to her, is how easily they deliver positive content. "It's more convenient for the reader to scroll an interest-based subreddit than manually searching for it on Google. Plus, post comments add to discussion, providing a sense of community," the creator says.
#16 💗
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#17 Their Love Story Lives On Forever 💗
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#18 When He Found Out It Was Her Dream, He Made It Come True
Image credits: d3vil_qu33n
Sally also believes that Reddit communities can be a great source of inspiration. "You’ll often see a story shared on Reddit one day, then circulating on Instagram, Facebook, and other platforms the next," she says regarding their virality aspect.
"Overall, it's an ecosystem and subreddits that share positive and wholesome stories exist to add a much-needed layer of positivity to the existing humanity," she adds.
#19 This Guy Wears His Wedding Photo On His Apron When He Cooks Breakfast To Remind His Wife With Alzheimer’s That They Are Married
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#20 Teen Waitress Helps Elderly Customer To Cut His Ham, Get’s Awarded $16,000 Scholarship By The Mayor
Image credits: Kindly_Salamander631
#21 A Canadian Cop Went Undercover In A Wheelchair, Leaving Cash Visible To Attract Thieves. Instead, He Received Money, Prayers, And Warnings, With Zero Arrests In Five Days
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
Despite how easy it might seem to gain an audience as a wholesome creator, Sally has a surprisingly rigorous fact-checking method. To begin with, she always tries to look for lesser-known stories. "I try to avoid sharing content that people may have already seen in the last 24 hours on other social media platforms, unless it's an ongoing news story that's highly relevant," the Redditor explains.
#22 In 2017, Heather Was About To Be Proposed By David When She Got Diagnosed With Breast Cancer. But That Didn't Stop Them. They Got Married On Her Hospital Bed 18 Hours Before She Passed Away
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#23 ❤️🥹
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#24 Being This Happy 💯
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
As an editor and the wholesome subreddit curator, Sally relies on a mix of sources. "[It's] news websites to find and verify stories, Pinterest for recommendations within a similar niche, and hashtags like #wholesome or #faithinhumanity to discover new content."
"From there, I compile these stories into a blog for readers who want to spend more time exploring multiple uplifting narratives, and then I share them on my subreddit."
Sally has found that more effort into researching and verifying often yields better results. "I try to follow this principle rather than taking the easier route of reposting content that has just appeared on other Reddit communities or Instagram," the creator says.
#25 After Becoming A Single Dad, He Learned How To Do His Daughter's Hair. Now He Teaches Other Dads Without Charging Any Fee
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#26 I Bet The Grandmas Make Great Food There
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#27 He Deserves All The Love In This World
Image credits: reddit.com
Nostalgic Grandma and r/justwholesome aren't the only places where you can find Sally's uplifting content. She's also the creator behind r/InspiringFacts. "The overall mission is simple, to share stories that restore your faith in humanity," Sally says simply. "We also have an active community on Threads that helps us reach 2M readers monthly and have a following of 12K members."
#28 Lucky To Have A Child Like That
Image credits: Adorable-Passage5133
#29 A Struggling And Desperate 47-Year-Old Mother Was Caught By Police Stealing 5 Eggs To Feed Her Family. But The Officer Didn't Pass Any Judgment. Instead, He Went Inside The Store, Returned With A Dozen Eggs, And Told Her Not To Shoplift Again
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#30 61-Year-Old Married Man Wears Heels And Skirts To Challenge Gender Stereotypes At Work. His Wife Supports His Efforts And Even Helps Him Pick His Outfits
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
What do you think about these stories, Pandas? Have they restored your faith in humanity? Which were your favorite ones? Share them with us in the comments! And if you'd like to see more wholesome content, check out some wholesome memes and these heartwarming anniversary stories!
#31 In 2018, A Homeless Man Named Adam Gillian Discovered A Worn Bambi Painting And Sold It To A Dealer Alexander For $20, Who Later Sold It On Ebay For C$3,700 And Immediately Tracked Gillian Down To Share Half The Profit
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#32 Humans Looking Outside For Each Other
Image credits: reddit.com
#33 Dad Builds Wheelchair Accessible Snow Fort For His Disabled Kids
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#34 An Adopted Man In Michigan Looked For His Birth Mother For Four Years Before Finding Out That She Worked At The Same Store That He Worked In. Not Only Were They Co-Workers, But They’ve Passed By And Greeted Each Other For More Than Half A Year Without Realizing They Were Related
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#35 Cute Together
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#36 A 14-Year-Old Boy Spends His Summer Holidays Making Lunch Boxes So That Children In His Area Won’t Go Hungry
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#37 Their Secret To Lasting Relationship ❣️
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#38 Be My Eyes🥹🥹
Image credits: @Ellsmoove
#39 Now I Get It 🥲
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#40 Keeping It In The Genes 💯
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#41 At This California Based Donut Shop, Customers Would Buy Out All The Donuts Before 2 P.m. Daily So That The 62-Year-Old Owner Can Be His 63-Year-Old Sick Wife At The Rehabilitation Facility
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#42 Bus Driver Asks His Passengers To Get Off The Bus After They Refuse To Make Space For A Passenger With A Wheelchair
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#43 A Woman Drove 30 Miles To Buy The Last Generator At A Hardware Store For Her Father, Who Relied On An Electric Oxygen Pump. But When She Arrived, It Had Already Sold Out, And She Broke Down In Tears. A Stranger Who Saw Her Crying Immediately Insisted That She Take His Generator Instead
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#44 Wwii Veteran Requests 100 Cards For His 100th Birthday, But Ends Up Receiving Thousands
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#45 A Kind Friend Looking Out For His Overweight Friend
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#46 After Losing Her Mum To Sudden Heart Disease At 51, One Daughter Found A Way To Honour Her Biggest Wish, To Travel The World. She Placed Her Ashes In A Bottle, Added A Handwritten Note, And Set Her Out To Sea From Skegness Beach
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#47 This 55-Year-Old Burger King Employee Has Been Working For 27 Years Without Missing A Single Shift. When His Video About Receiving Just A 'Goodie Bag' As A Reward Went Viral, The Internet Donated Him $400,000
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#48 A 24-Year-Old Man Sits On The Side Of The Road In Johannesburg. But Instead Of Begging, He Collects Books, Reads Each One, And Offers Book Reviews To People Passing By. If You Like The Review, He’ll Sell You The Book
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#49 America’s Longest Married Couple, Who Eloped In 1932, Celebrated Their 81st Anniversary In 2013
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
#50 Moment When Miners Split Open A Rock And Discovered A Perfectly Shaped Heart On Each Side Of It
Image credits: InitialConclusion507
