The Newtown Bee wanted to know, “What is the best act of kindness you have ever received?” And readers responded with heartwarming stories.

A new question will be posted weekly for the foreseeable future. Readers are encouraged to check facebook.com/thenewtownbee weekly for the latest post. Responses may be used in future coverage.

A list of some of the responses are below, not in a particular order.

“When I was newly divorced and feeling sad, my future son-in-law personally prepared and delivered a week’s worth of ‘heat and eat’ frozen meals. His thoughtfulness made me cry with gratitude.”

“I was in line at Big Y and there was a woman ahead of me who didn’t have enough money to pay for her groceries. So I told the cashier to add her items to my bill so I could pay for her. As my order was finished being rung up and I go to pay a hand comes from behind and puts a credit card in the slot. Stunned I turn around and the woman says, ‘I saw what you did and now I’m doing it to you.’ That was a few years ago and it still makes me smile, and I’m stunned that without hesitation she paid for two strangers’ groceries. She had the sweetest face.”

“On the day my dad had a stroke, I had to work (cashier at a grocery store). Obviously it was a horrible day. A guy [comes] through my line and asks for suggestions for what candy he should get, so I tell him my favorite is [Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups]. He gets two king size. I ring him out, and he leaves one behind when he goes to walk away. I say something like, “Oh, sir, you forgot this one.” And his response is, “No, that one’s for you,” with a big smile. I manage to choke out a [thank] you and spend the next five minutes or so blinking back tears and having a ridiculous smile on my face, because it was the first good thing to happen to me that day. I don’t know the guy’s name but that memory always makes me smile at him even though he probably doesn’t even think about it any more. I’m never gonna forget that!”

“Many years ago my husband was in a very bad accident. We had a 2-year-old. That Christmas, Santa left a huge sack of toys on our front porch. To this day, I have no idea who Santa was!”

“At the very beginning of COVID I went from my supervisory role (primarily in the office) and decided to temporarily return to the field as a hospice nurse at a facility. It felt like a war zone at that time and it was the toughest thing I have ever done. I eventually ended up getting COVID and the support that I received from my job, co-workers, and patients families is something I will never forget. I was placed at a hotel, there was a food train, deliveries of flowers, puzzles, chocolates, books, daily check ins, and families donated to our organization. I’ll be forever grateful.”

“After I was laid off in a mass corporate layoff and worried about paying my mortgage, my grandmother offered me $30. It may not seem like a lot, but she lived in a nursing home for 19 years, till age 99 on Medicaid. The state of [Connecticut] gave her only $30 monthly for expenses, and she was always trying to give it to me [to] help. I’ll forever be dedicated to carrying on her inspirational habit of giving and doing my best to help others.”

“Two days before Halloween, my family and I learned we’d been exposed to COVID-19 and had to cancel all plans for trick-or-treating to quarantine for two weeks. My son also missed the school holiday party he’d been looking forward to. The Buy Nothing Newtown group I’m a part of took addresses of those families [whose] children would have to stay home, there were a few of us, and they delivered incredible trick-or-treat bags to us. It wasn’t just a few people either... It was more like 50! To have that many people in our community go out of their way to give my children such an amazing Halloween surprise nearly brought me to tears. I’ve never experienced such community support and generosity in my life!”

“My 4-year-old daughter has cancer and desperately wants a specific doll that is out of stock everywhere. She’s had such a tough year so I was desperate to get it for her. I just posted a picture of it to my [Facebook] page begging any of my friends near or far to be in the look out for it and that I would pay the cost of the doll plus shipping plus a bonus to anyone who could get it. Within ten minutes a friend from college, who I haven’t seen in a million years, told me that there was one at a Target 1.5 hours from her and that she and her two kids were already in the car driving to get it for us. I was amazed. To top it off she refused to let me reimburse her for it and just said Merry Christmas.”

“The greatest act of kindness I ever received was not just one act. When I was a little girl I was in the hospital a lot. I would be there for weeks, sometimes months at a time. It was the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children in San Francisco. It was the 70s, and back then you were alone. Family didn’t come stay with you like they do nowadays for little kids. Even if they allowed it, mine couldn’t have come. My mom was a single mom and she had my older sister to take care of and she worked. I can’t explain just how lonely it was. How bored I was lying there waiting for something to happen. But there was always one very bright spot. My parents were good friends with someone who worked at Golden Gate Park, as a gardener. He came to see me every. single. day after work. That’s it. That’s the best thing anyone has ever done for me, by far. I knew no matter how sad or painful or boring my day was I could always have something to look forward to. I would cry when he walked in because I missed everyone so much. He would immediately change the mood and get me laughing. He became a fixture in the ward. The other kids looked forward to him visiting too. He played with everyone. He brought us treats. Still to this day I can’t think about this act of kindness without becoming emotional. I will never, ever forget what he did.”