The Best Pay it Forward Stories from around the world

  • A complete stranger paid $10,000 so that one lady could have a liver operation that she otherwise could not have afforded. She still does not know who it was who ‘paid it forward’ on the day, but she is forever grateful.
  • One lady contacted a hospital to see if there were any needy families that could use some flights which she wouldn’t be able to use. As a result one family was able to travel across Australia to be with their very sick family member in hospital.
  • A handicapped lady had a 10 minute neck and shoulder massage and left money and a PIFD card so the next person could have a massage for free.
  • One boy noticed a car was just about to receive a ticket. He asked his mum if he could top up the parking meter to stop the person getting booked. It saved someone a $79 fine.

Any random act of kindness can cause a positive ripple effect restoring our faith in the love and compassion of the human spirit.


“It is my wildest dream that the concept of paying a favor forward instead of paying it back would take over the world and results in a cascading flood of people helping their fellow human beings. This may never come true but I believe that if just one of the people I help does the same for another person then it has made a difference to the world. I do not have a lot of money, I am not extremely gifted or intelligent, I don’t now how to make things better for everyone but if I can help anyone in some small way, whether that be opening a door for a lady who has her hands full with shopping, directing a lost tourist, informing an elderly man as to when the next bus will arrive or even just saying “thank-you” and smiling at a sales assistant who appears to have had a bad day, I know that my small favors somehow, somewhere make a difference, and that’s enough for me. Don’t pay it back – pay it forward. The world wont change, but you can.” posting on a kindness website by Bree, a 20 year old Australian

“Two, cute little dogs ran across the street near where I live and almost got run over. I stopped to see if I could help them find their owners. Both dogs had no collars on and no name tags and I knew if had left them there they might be run over. So I contacted my dad to help transport them to my sisters place for the evening whilst we called vets and the RSPCA to help find the owner. The following day the owner was so happy to find them and the dogs were ecstatic. I wonder how many other drivers saw the dogs who had travelled some distance and had driven straight by. It is awesome the difference we can all make if we take the time to care. Who can you pay it forward to with a random act of kindness today?” posted on the Pay it forward Day website by Blake, Sydney

Sarah-Jayne read the book Pay It Forward and realised that the world would be a better place if everyone just did three favours for others.  Having lost her own father at the age of eight, she had great empathy for children of a family friend who had just been widowed.  Sarah-Jayne took time out to chat to the children allaying their fears and making life much easier for their mother.  This ‘success’ prompted the second favour which was to set up a counselling service at her school, particularly to reduce the amount of bullying. Her third favour was for her neighbour, an elderly woman who was losing her sight.  As she had been the one to introduce the Pay it Forward book to Sarah-Jayne, and was an avid reader, it was a real act of paying it forward to take time out every night and read aloud to this neighbour and keep her company.  “I couldn’t believe at first how three small favours could help so many people and all the people I helped have promised to pay the favour forward.” from a posting on a kindness site from Sarah-Jayne Wright , aged 18 from the U.K.:

My current employment is parcel delivery for Australia Post which I do three days a week. I get to meet a lot of people because we deliver the parcels personally to each house. I had to give a parcel to an elderly couple, and somehow the wife made the comment “age before beauty” saying that I was “beauty” and she was “age”. Well I told her that I thought she was beautiful. She didn’t know what to say, and she made me repeat what I had said to make sure that she had heard it right. I could see that it had really touched her, and she told me that as you get older, the compliments you receive become less and less. She insisted on giving me a tip, and gave me a $5 dollar note. I thanked her and continued on my parcel run. I wasn’t going to do anything special with the money, but I have changed my mind. After reading some other peoples stories I have decided that I am going to buy her a flowering plant and go back and “deliver” it specially to her! And I will ask her to continue it on and do kindness to someone else.

I have another story I remembered. I was near the end of my parcel delivery run for the day, and I drove past an elderly gentleman who was obviously walking home from town. He was walking slowly and looked tired. I felt sorry for him, but kept on my way, driving to the next house on my run. After I had delivered this parcel, I turned up into the next street which runs up a long and quite steep hill. I noticed that this same gentleman was still walking, by now looking quite weary and puffed. I pulled over, wound my window down and asked if he would like a lift. I don’t normally do this sort of thing because I am a female. He looked most relieved and grateful. I made room for him to sit in the front seat, putting the remaining parcels in the back, and drove him to his house, right up to the front door!! I told him to have a great day, and he replied that he definitely would, now that I had made his day! But the best thing about it was that for the rest of my day, I had a great day!!!! Yes it was a little inconvenient having to rearrange the parcels twice, but seeing that look of absolute gratefulness and thanks in his face made my inconvenience seem trivial  in comparison. “Joyous” Australia – Payitforward Movement site

Stephen wrote about how he donated a kidney  to his 40 year old sister whose first kidney had failed at the age of 23.
She paid this forward by completing a music degree and becoming the caregiver for her grandfather until his death at age 99.
He spoke of the joyous feeling that omes to the one who is making the gift.  Even though he is now homeless at the age of 65 years, the memory of what he did for his sister still brings him great joy and a little pride that he was able to eted my siter’s time on this earth”And that for one shining moment, God called and I answered.  This gives me the srength and faith to continue my spiritual pat, no matter where it may lead.  I was able to forward and for this I am truly thankful.  May God bless you all”

My name is Eric Gilbert. The first time i watched this movie it really made me think. What can i do? Can i do anything at all? I thought to my self well there have been people out there that has pay it forward to me already. A little history about my self i’m only 20 years old and i am a achoolic as wells as an drug addict. There has been people out there that has helped me has not excepted a thing return. Just hoping that i can recover from this. I feel like it is my turn to pay it forwad. About two weeks ago i was at some meeting that i had for work. I had some old freinds in this town. I thought i would just stop by and say hi. My freind has a little three year old daughter that is just so adorabl. Soon as i walk in the door she still remembers. Well come to find out my freind had recenently been laid off of his job. Where he was employed had closed there doors. I felt really bad for him and his family. He was just telling me he did not know what to do the money was running out and he did not get his pay check from his knew job for a few weeks. He told me he really did not want to ask his parents for money. Which i understood completly. Not once did he ask me for a dime, but i thought to my self here’s my chance to pay it forward. I had been saving money up to buy a house. I thought to my self well you saved this much up why can’t you do this again. So i gave him all my money out of my savings. He told me he would pay me back as soon as possible. I told him to just pay it forward. He knew what i ment and broke down and cryed. He told me he never really thought this movie could inspire some one like me to do this. I told him any body can do what they want if they put there mind to it. I hope some day down the road i can pay it forward to somebody else. As it has been payed forward to me.
Mrs Kemp tells the story of how she gave her spare yarn to her sister who wanted to knit for a niece’s baby.  She enjoyed this so much that she knitted more baby clothes for other newborns at the local hospital.  Hopefully those people will ‘pay it forward’

Damien P.Igoe BSc [Hons]MEd recalled that when he started uini he couldn’t afford his fees and text books.  A generous lab tech paid for the lot and never wanted to e repaid.  Damien didn’t quite understand until 5 years later when a friend was starting uni and could not afford her textbooks….finally he could pay it forward.
With the incredible technology surrounding us we don’t have to leave our homes ever again.  We are bombarded with advertisements for ‘things’ we can buy for ourselves and this consumerism could make us very selfish insular people.
However there is an innate need in humans to seek out other humans and this is what will save our society. There are some lucky people out there who have discovered the happiness brought to them by helping others.  They tend to smile more, laugh more and show a caring spirit towards everyone.  Recipients of their kindnesses generally are grateful and happier.  When they later get an opportunity to assist someone else, they will possibly hesitate but when they remember how they were helped, they will take the opportunity to continue on the good will.
If everyone made a conscious effort to get out of their comfort zone and do three good deeds for others, passing on the Pay It Forward cards as they go, then the ongoing ripple effect can make a huge positive difference to society. Bronwyn Beattie

Every time I put money in the parking meters I always make sure that I put extra in so the next person to park doesn’t have to pay. I also go along and add money to other parking meters to increase the time for others. It fills me such joy and happiness to do this. Luanne, Australia

More to come…..:)