Shetara Sims is a single mom who was down to her last $7 when she found a dollar bill in a grocery store parking lot. The Kansas City native used it to buy a lottery ticket and ended up winning $100.
But rather than keep it for herself, she listened to her daughter Rakiya’s advice and donated it to the family of a Kansas City police officer who had been wounded in the line of duty. The officer’s plight was a reminder of their own experience with personal tragedy. Rakiya’s sister, Sims’ eldest daughter, was killed in 2012.
The donation was made anonymously, but when news of the generous donation spread throughout the local police precincts, officers spent days tracking her down, hoping to find her and repay her kindness. Once they learned her identity, officers started a GoFundMe campaign for Sims. Hundreds of people who heard the story had reached out, wanting to help. By Wednesday it had raised more than $59,000.
For all of us at the Optimist Daily, stories like this remind us about the good in the world—even when times are tough.
