Sometimes kindness shows up exactly when you need it most – like when you're standing in line at your favorite taco spot, the payment system crashes, and you don't have enough cash. That's when Jared - now dubbed the Taco Hero - handed the Shear family a $100 bill and refused to take no for an answer. But what he did next, and why he did it, is the real story.

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The Wichita Taco Hero

Calli Shear was ready to leave empty-handed.

She and her family had been waiting in line at Tacos TJ 664 in Wichita, craving their favorite shrimp tacos, when they reached the counter and learned the restaurant's payment system had gone down. Cash only. The line wrapped around the block, and the Shears didn't have enough bills in their wallets to cover dinner.

As Calli prepared to step aside and let the next customer order, a stranger named Jared reached into his pocket.

"Here," he said, handing her a $100 bill. "Dinner's on me."

The Shears immediately protested. They offered to Venmo him. He refused. They insisted they couldn't accept. He wouldn't hear it. The meal was his to give, and that was final.

But Jared wasn't done. When the family handed him his change, he walked straight to the front of the line and tipped the entire staff.

"I couldn't believe that strangers like that exist anymore," Calli later told local reporters.

The family left the restaurant that night with full stomachs and full hearts, but they couldn't stop thinking about the man who'd rescued their taco night. Calli wanted to thank him properly. She posted his photo to the Facebook group Wichita Food & Booze with a simple question: Does anyone know this guy?

The post went viral locally.

"There are some incredible people in this world. Seriously," Calli wrote. Within days, local news station KWCH tracked Jared down to ask what inspired his spontaneous act of kindness.

His answer revealed a lifetime of gratitude.

"When I was a young man, I grew up poor," Jared told the station. "A family took me in when I needed it the most. They ended up finishing raising me until I turned 18 and moved out on my own.

"If they wouldn't have ever done that, I never would be in the place I am today, and I, frankly, wouldn't be able to help somebody out like that.

“I owe everything to them,” he said.

When the team at Tacos TJ 664 learned what Jared had done, they presented him with an honorary certificate naming him the official "Wichita Taco Hero" and gave him free tacos for the rest of the year.

Restaurant manager Priscila Camacho said the recognition was the least they could do. "We just wanted to thank him, really, cause I think he deserves it," she said. "Even though he probably wasn't intending for it to have the impact that it did."

And that's the thing about kindness – it ripples. Jared didn't pay for those tacos expecting anything in return. He didn't know the story would travel beyond that one family on that one night. He just saw people who needed help and helped them.

Happy Headlines 📰

It’s not all doom and gloom out there. Here’s some positive news items from publications around the world.

🏀 They Won The Championship. Then They Gave It Back.
Coach Brendan King couldn't shake the feeling something was off after his Oklahoma girls basketball team won 44-43 on a last-second shot. That night, he reviewed the footage and discovered a scoreboard malfunction had given his team extra points –they'd actually lost 43-42. Under state rules, the score was final and nobody would've questioned it. But when King brought his findings to his Academy of Classical Christian Studies players, they voted unanimously to return the championship to Apache High School. The coach personally drove the trophy to the team that rightfully earned it. (Happily News)

🍞 900 Home Bakers Are Solving Food Banks' Bread Problem
Community Loaves started pairing volunteer bakers with food pantries during the pandemic – and never stopped. Since 2020, nearly 900 home bakers across four states have donated over 200,000 loaves of whole-grain bread and 220,000 energy cookies to food banks. The bakers buy their own ingredients and follow approved recipes for honey oat, whole wheat, and sunflower rye varieties. Most food pantries don't receive whole-grain sandwich bread donations, and with federal cuts to food aid, demand has never been higher. (AP News)

💻 The 79-Year-Old 'Tech Fairy' Granting Wishes, One Laptop At A Time
Craig Clark spent his career managing convenience stores. Now the Sarasota retiree spends his days transforming donated laptops into life-changing tools for people who can't afford them. Over eight years, the self-branded "Tech Fairy" has given away hundreds of refurbished computers – about eight or nine per month – to minimum wage workers, students, and anyone he spots eyeing used laptops at thrift stores but not buying them. One server at his favorite restaurant later told him the free laptop helped him discover $12,000 in college grants he never knew existed. (NPR)

📸 The Former Wedding Photographer Now Removing Landmines
Mofida Majzoub used to capture joyful moments at weddings in Lebanon. Now she oversees demining operations in Syria for the Mines Advisory Group – winner of this year's $3 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. Since the Syrian civil war ended in December 2024, over 1,400 people have been killed or wounded by the 110 million unexploded landmines hidden worldwide. When asked what it's like working inches from devices that could explode, Majzoub stays matter-of-fact: "You cannot be totally nervous or freaking out because once you freak out you lose control." Her work will take another 10-15 years in Syria alone. (NPR)

🚁 Fifteen Strangers Lifted A Helicopter To Save Lives
When a medical helicopter crashed onto Highway 50 near Sacramento at 7 p.m. on Monday, over a dozen drivers abandoned their cars and became instant heroes. Working together, about 15 people used every ounce of collective strength to lift the overturned aircraft just enough to free at least one of the three crew members trapped underneath. The pilot, nurse Susan Smith, and paramedic Margaret "DeDe" David were all in critical condition but are now recovering. Smith's family thanked "the everyday citizen heroes that jumped into action," calling the scene "truly amazing." (Good News Network)

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A-maze-ing 🌽

When Tim Fitzgerald returned to his family's nearly century-old Indiana farm in 2008, it was crumbling. As the agricultural industry shifted toward corporate megafacilities, the Lafayette property seemed destined to disappear like countless other small farms across the Midwest.

So Fitzgerald did something radical: he turned it into art.

After 22 years designing industrial trade shows, he converted Exploration Acres into northwest Indiana's largest corn maze – and transformed his failing farm into a regional attraction that now welcomes 45,000 visitors each season.

And the mazes themselves are marvels of agricultural engineering.

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Bright Bits ☀️

A fun fact, a happiness hack, an inspiring quote, and a quick brain teaser—your feel-good four-pack.

🤗 Happiness Hack

The 2-Minute Phone Call. Call someone instead of texting. University of Texas research shows hearing a voice – even briefly – boosts mood and connection far more than written messages. Two minutes can change someone's whole day.

❝Some Inspiring Words❞

💡Fun Fact

A cloud can weigh more than a million pounds. Despite floating in the air, the water droplets in an average cumulus cloud add up to around 1.1 million pounds. (U.S. Geological Survey)

🧠 Brain Teaser

Below, you will find 10 seven-letter words, with only their endings remaining.

Can you find the words?

1) ----igy
2) ----aoh
3) ----erg
4) ----ynx
5) ----lth
6) ----mox
7) ----ovy
8) ----esh
9) ----awe
10) ----ipt

See bottom of newsletter for the answer!

Before You Go…A Serotonin Booster* 📺

A couple performed surgery on an injured butterfly ❤️

*Studies show that watching cute, heartwarming videos can boost your mood. So sit back and start your weekend positively!

🧠 Brain Teaser Answers

1) ----igy = prodigy
2) ----aoh = pharaoh
3) ----erg = iceberg
4) ----ynx = pharynx
5) ----lth = stealth
6) ----mox = flummox
7) ----ovy = anchovy
8) ----esh = refresh
9) ----awe = overawe
10) ----ipt = receipt