Real stories. Real chessed.

An individual collecting clothing for people in need was coming to my community and asked anyone who wanted to donate to send him their address so he could pick up their donation bags. In the end, so many people reached out that he had to postpone the pickups until the next day so he could get a bigger car to fit all of the donations. There was literally too much chessed and not enough space. Mi K’amcha Yisrael!

I saw a video of a Rabbi talking about a soldier named Eitan who kept a letter from a little girl with him everywhere he went. At so many moments, he didn’t give up because of that letter. I showed our kids the video so they could understand what these letters can really mean to our soldiers. Our kids have special needs, so writing can be a big challenge for some of them, but they all did it with such joy. May Hashem keep all of our soldiers safe, Amen! — Anonymous ATC Volunteer

One evening, my friend called to tell me she had a flat tire in my town and wasn’t sure what to do. She was worried no one would be able to help her and didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t able to go help her myself, but I quickly called someone in town who knew the area well. They pointed her toward the nearest mechanic and guided her on what to do next. I passed along the information, and not long after, she was on her way home. Later, she called to thank me and said, ‘You were the only one who actually helped me tonight.’ I kept telling her, ‘I didn’t do anything—I just made a phone call.’ But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the impact of that small action. I wasn’t the one who fixed her tire, but I was able to connect her with the right help. It reminded me that even when we can’t physically be there to do a chessed, putting in a small effort can still completely change someone’s situation. It took almost nothing from me, but it made her night so much easier. Sometimes, those small steps make all the difference. — Anonymous ATC Volunteer, Five Towns, NY

I want to share an incredible story that truly shows how Hashem’s hand is always guiding us when we try to do good for others. A woman I didn’t know asked in a group chat of Jewish coworkers if anyone had candles for Shabbat. I happened to see her message even though I don’t check the chat often, and I felt like I was being given an opportunity to help. I told her I’d be happy to bring her candles the next day so she could light for Shabbat. But somehow, when I left for work the next morning, I left the tea lights sitting on my kitchen counter. I felt terrible thinking she might not be able to light Shabbat candles because I had forgotten them. Then I remembered the power of chessed and our incredible community. I posted in the All Things Chessed Manhattan chat, hoping someone nearby could step in. A woman responded almost immediately and said she had candles from Chabad 770 in her bag that she had kept there for over a year. She didn’t even know why she had left them in her bag all that time, but always felt they were there ‘for a time of need.’ At that exact moment, she happened to be right by my office. Within minutes, the woman had the candles she needed to light for Shabbat. It was such a powerful reminder to me that Hashem is always orchestrating the details when we open ourselves up to doing good for others. Even when things don’t go as planned, everything can still fall perfectly into place. It also reminded me how incredible it is to be part of a chessed community where people are always willing to step in and help. —An ATC Admin 💚

My friend was due to have her baby any day, and she had mentioned that her hospital bag was packed but she still needed to put together her toiletries. Having had a baby not long before, I knew how stressful it could be to think about last-minute things while going into labor. I decided to put together a toiletries bag with all the essentials she would need for the hospital. After I dropped it off, she immediately reached out to me in tears. She told me she had been feeling overwhelmed and was actually planning to go get toiletries that day in between picking up her kids from school. She was so grateful and said it felt like a weight had been lifted off her. She ended up going into labor the very next day and was so thankful she already had everything she needed. At the time, I didn’t think it was such a big gesture, but it turned out to be exactly what she needed. Now I try to make a point of doing little acts of chessed regularly, even when they may seem like no big deal, because we never know how much they can impact someone else. — Anonymous ATC Volunteer

As an admin of the Great Neck ATC chat, it’s humbling to witness the acts of chessed happening quietly behind the scenes. Whether it’s through one-time opportunities or ongoing initiatives like supplying Bikkur Cholim rooms with Shabbat meals each week, the constant flow of generosity and action from our members reflects the heart of our community. It’s a reminder of how strong we are when we unite for a common cause, and it’s a privilege to watch this magic unfold each day. Every act of kindness shapes our character and the world around us, making space for empathy, resilience, and profound connections with one another. In these moments of giving, we truly discover our potential and G-d-given purpose, transforming not only ourselves but also the very essence of our communities. — ATC Great Neck Admin

I met a woman who is not religious and had been experiencing infertility for years. She opened up to me about how hard it had been for her, and I felt horrible not knowing how I could help. I thought of one small thing I could do, so I decided to make challah and do hafrashas challah in her zchus. I had recently learned how powerful hafrashas challah can be and wanted to use that mitzvah, together with tefillos to Hashem, on her behalf. Just a few weeks later, she sent me a picture, and I started crying on the spot. It was a photo of her positive pregnancy test. It reminded me that you never know how much one small act of chessed, tefillah, or mitzvah for someone else can mean.

This Rosh Hashana, I had the zechus of spending it in Eretz Yisroel. After Mussaf, I stepped outside of shul and saw a mother with her newborn baby. She was saying how much she wished she could daven, but simply couldn’t with the baby. Since I had already finished Mussaf, I offered to watch her baby, and she took me up on it. Afterwards, she couldn’t stop thanking me. She told me she didn’t think she would get even two seconds in shul without a distraction, and instead she got the davening she had dreamed of. Every time I saw her after that, she thanked me again and told the people around us what I had done. To me, it was such a simple thing, but to her, it meant the world. You never know how much your chessed can mean to someone in need.

My great uncle was at NYU Hospital with no immediate family nearby and really needed company. The people he met from these chessed chats really made an impression on him. I really believe they gave him the chizzuk to recover. What may have felt like an easy act of chessed to the volunteers who visited meant the whole world to him.

I want to send an anonymous thank you to someone so kind from this chat who drove 40 minutes just to drop off something I was in need of. Thank you so much 💚

“I went to see my neighbor, whose mom is unfortunately very ill. She looked so sad while we were talking, and I could tell she really needed a hug. I gave her one, and afterward she looked like she was going to cry from relief and happiness. It reminded me that something so simple can help someone more than we realize. Even the smallest act of chessed can mean so much.”

A Mother’s Perspective ❤️ As a mother, there are few things that make you prouder than watching your child use her heart and her talents to make a difference in the lives of others. When my daughter created All Things Chessed, I knew she had something special in mind, but I don’t think any of us could have imagined what it would become. What started with a desire to make it easier for people to help one another has grown into a beautiful community where people can come together to give, receive, and simply be there for one another. What I love most about All Things Chessed is that it makes chessed feel so accessible. Sometimes people want to help but don’t know where they are needed. Sometimes someone desperately needs help but feels uncomfortable asking. This platform beautifully brings those two people together. And perhaps the most beautiful part is that it reminds us that chessed doesn’t have to be something big. A ride, a meal, an errand, a phone call, an hour of your time , every small act of kindness can mean the world to someone who needs it. Watching my daughter dedicate her time, energy, and heart to building something that brings people together through kindness has been one of the greatest sources of pride for me. I truly believe that All Things Chessed is more than an organization or a website. It is a movement. It is a reminder that when we look beyond ourselves and ask, “How can I help?”, we can change someone’s entire day and sometimes someone’s entire life. I am incredibly proud of my daughter and of everything she has created. My greatest wish is that All Things Chessed continues to grow from community to community, bringing people together and inspiring generations to come. Because in the end, the greatest legacy we can leave is not what we have accumulated, but the kindness we have given. With all my love and pride, Mom ❤️

I volunteered to deliver a package to a family dealing with illness. I expected to drop it at the door and leave. The mother opened the door and looked so relieved that I immediately understood this wasn’t really about the package. It was about someone showing up for her in a time she needed it most.

I signed up to spend the night with a baby in the hospital because the family desperately needed someone there. I thought I was helping by giving the parents a few hours to rest. When the mother thanked me the next morning, I realized how exhausted she had been and how much those few hours actually meant.

My children had watched their father go through months of treatments, and everything in their lives had become about hospitals and doctors. When volunteers helped arrange a day out for them, they got to laugh, run around, and just be kids again. Seeing their faces that day was something I will never forget.

I volunteered to drive a family to an appointment thinking it would just be an hour or two of my day. By the time I dropped them off, I realized how much they were carrying. I went home feeling like they had given me more than I gave them.

I had no way to get to an important medical appointment and was already dealing with so much that I didn’t know how I was going to figure it out. A stranger picked me up, waited for me, and made sure I got home safely. To them it may have been a ride. To me, it was one less thing I had to carry in such a hard time

We brought toys to children in the hospital thinking we were just giving them something to play with. One little boy hugged his toy so tightly and told us it was the first thing that made him smile that day. I walked out realizing that sometimes the smallest thing can bring someone back a little piece of childhood just when they need it the most.

My son had been in the hospital for days, and Shabbat was starting to feel like just another day in a hospital room. Then a volunteer walked in with fresh challah that she had baked herself. It sounds so simple, but the smell of challah made the room feel like home for the first time all week. I cried after she left.

You may think you gave me a pair of tefillin, but to me you gave me something much bigger. You gave me a daily reminder of faith, home, and the entire Jewish people standing behind us.

There are days in the army when everything feels uncertain. Having my own tefillin with me gives me a few quiet minutes every morning to reconnect, pray, and remember who I am outside of the uniform. Thank you to All Things Chessed Volunteers for giving me that.

I had wanted a pair of tefillin for a long time, but with everything happening and being in the army, it just wasn’t something I was able to arrange for myself. Receiving them meant much more than just getting a gift. It gave me something constant to hold onto every morning.

We needed help on and off for a while because of everything our family was dealing with, and what touched us most was not only that people helped, but the way they helped. No one made us feel like a burden. We were simply treated like family from people we have never met.

We had traveled far from home for treatment and suddenly found ourselves surrounded by doctors, appointments, and so much uncertainty. The volunteers made sure we had rides, food, and people checking in on us. They made a place that felt completely unfamiliar feel a little bit like home.

Our child had been spending so much time in the hospital and was having a really hard week. One volunteer came simply to sit, talk, and make them smile. It may have only been an hour out of their day, but for our child, it became the best part of the entire week.

While someone in our family was dealing with a serious medical situation, I remember looking at my phone and seeing message after message from people we had never met asking how they could help. In a moment when we felt so alone, that kindness changed everything.

Our family was going through a really difficult period, and even the smallest things started to feel impossible to manage. All Things Chessed stepped in before we even knew how to ask. What may have been a simple favor to someone else felt like someone lifting a weight off our entire family.

We had come to a city we barely knew for medical treatment and were already completely overwhelmed. Within hours, complete strangers were offering rides, meals, visits, and whatever else we needed. We came looking for help and somehow found a community.

When you’re overwhelmed, even the smallest task can feel impossible. All Things Chessed stepped in before we even knew how to ask. What may have been a simple favor to someone else felt like someone lifting a weight off our entire family.

What was supposed to be a short hospital visit unexpectedly turned into a much longer and more difficult stay, and we suddenly found ourselves in the hospital with nothing prepared, no food, no Shabbat clothes, and none of the things we would normally have with us. Then you all stepped in. Instead of feeling completely unprepared and alone, we were surrounded with care. Food was brought, things we needed were arranged, and within such a short time, you made the hospital feel a little more like home. Thank you so much for the thought, effort, care, and kindness — and most of all, for reminding us that even in an unexpected and difficult moment, we were not alone. ❤️

This chat is so beyond. It blows me away how, whenever a brother or sister is in need, people take time out of their busy day to help alleviate their pain. Mi k’amcha Yisrael. It really blows me away.

The way these chats were bringing people together to help others while we were all in the eye of the storm after October 7th… no words.

Every bit of chessed All Things Chessed is doing right now is bringing Mashiach and getting us out of this gashmius. Am Yisrael is so grateful for all the hard work this organization is putting in to make sure everyone is taken care of. Thank you for all that you do!

I am so inspired by the nonstop posts, texts, and chessed outreach that is mamish impacting all of Klal Yisrael. It’s so easy to sit and just watch at a time like this and feel helpless, but All Things Chessed is doing the opposite. Thank you for letting us be a part!

I was talking to Shana Alef girls who were saying that they are on a million and one group chats and can’t keep anything straight, but the one groupchat they’re in that’s All Things Chessed Jeru cuz it's so organized.

I can’t tell you how much I personally appreciate what you did for us during October 7th. It was very therapeutic for me to go out and help others. It helped me, and a lot of others, cope successfully with so much grief and fear, and with the sense of helplessness.

I used to volunteer for other amazing organizations, but the times were very limited. Now, through All Things Chessed, opportunities come up at night and/or when I’m more available, and it’s really, really awesome!!

Someone in my building lost her job and I had no idea how to help without embarrassing her. I posted it in the group and within an hour there were meals arranged for two weeks. Nobody made it a thing. That is what chessed is supposed to look like.

I was the one who needed help, and admitting that was harder than I ever expected. But this group made it feel completely normal—like of course someone would step up, of course someone would drive me to my appointment, and of course I didn’t have to figure everything out on my own. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of being on the other side of it more times than I can count. That experience changed the way I look at both asking for help and being there when someone else needs it.

My kids ask now, every Sunday, whether there is a Chesed we can do. They are seven and nine. I did not teach them that, the community did.

I sponsored the Shabbat Box Packing Event without really knowing what to expect. Then I walked in and saw everyone packing boxes and teddy bears, all to bring a little extra comfort and warmth to people who needed it. So many people had chosen to spend their night showing up for complete strangers. Seeing it in person made me understand what All Things Chessed is really about.