Community Corner

"Kind Act 'Restored Our Faith in Strangers'"

A simple act of kindness by a stranger, and one woman's appreciation has gotten social media buzzing about something positive.

One woman's response to an anonymous kind deed has piqued the curiosity of more than 5,000 people in less than a day on Patch Facebook pages in New Lenox and Mokena.

Debbie Marin of Mokena simply wrote in a Wednesday email to Patch: "My husband lost his car key on the Old Plank Trail path and an anonymous person turned it into Jewel (the only other identifying thing with the key was a Jewel tag)! We were thrilled because replacement keys are hundreds of dollars. It restored our faith in strangers that aren't looking for anything in return when doing something nice for some stranger."

With her permission, this positive note was posted shortly before 10:30 p.m. to both New Lenox Patch and Mokena Patch Facebook pages. The response has been overwhelming. As of 7:11 p.m. Thursday, more than 5,251 people—4,346 in New Lenox and 905 in Mokena—have seen the post.

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What's more amazing is the fact that Marin is a novice when it comes to social media. She said, in an e-mail message, "I just got on and actually “commented”!  My daughter would be so proud, it is my first post and first comment!"

In her debut comment, Marin responded to another Patch fan who asked if someone from Jewel had called her. Marin wrote: "Jewel called us right away! We were still looking for the key when the call came in! It is also a remote to open the doors and trunk so Ace couldn't make it. Jerome, we will be paying it forward, absolutely!"

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Here are some of the comments on Facebook:

  •  "There are …Still good people out there. Thank you."
  • "Just curious did Jewel call u then? Otherwise, I would never think to check @ Jewel."
  • "Great news, when in this society things don't seem so good...."It's the right thing to do - what a wonderful person."
  • "We got a call when my brother lost his cell phone on a biking trail in W.Va. Ours was the last # he had called!!"
  • "God is good, places Angel's & Good people in the right places. At the right time!!"
  • "Love it!"
  • "That is great!"

The response has so touched Marin that she thinks Patch should start a "Pay It Forward Column." What are your thoughts? Tell us in the comments.

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