Obviously, there is a lot of big efforts out there, from feeding the hungry, to political activism, to creating and sharing free/fair resources for others.
At the same time, there’s plenty of important smaller efforts people make on a day to day basis. These efforts go underappreciated, but make a huge difference too, so I want to celebrate them.
For example, I recently went to a medical clinic, and they were unable to help me. As I was preparing to leave, the manager come out to apologise and helped direct me to a bunch of other resources that may be useful. I never paid for any services, and will likely never return to that clinic. It was purely a small kindness, but it really helped me feel less stressed, less alone and less hopeless in my suffering.
A gazillion years ago a legal but completely disgusting predatory loan shark company was targeting our elderly neighbour. No one knew that she had numerous loans to pay off loans to pay off loans to pay off loans. The loans went back well over ten years.
Until she tried to drown herself in a local river due to not being able to pay them it was her dirty secret.
It all came out after the suicide attempt though.
A few months after she got better (and went bankrupt to pay everything off) they visited her again and actually convinced her to take out yet another loan with a ridiculous interest rate.
She came over late that night in a panic with the paperwork all upset. I ripped it up and told her I’ll be there the next time they visit to finalise everything.
As soon as they turned up I kicked off. Shouting and pushing them about, goading them to call the police. (This was the same police that found her trying to kill herself)
And basically said that whenever they turn up I’ll be there and I’ll get more and more violent every time they dared show their faces.
By this time a few of the other neighbours had come out to see the kerfuffle and started to also shout etc.
A few years later the neighbour died, but she died almost debt free.