upworthy

neighbors

Joy

Neighbor sees kid 'tearing up' his driveway. People are loving the way he took action.

"This was the coolest and most heartwarming 'clickbait' I've come across thus far."

Canyon Chasers/Youtube

This is too good not to share.

Many of us had one of those neighbors growing up—the one who gave us the stink eye if we so much as looked at their perfectly mowed lawn and shooed us away if even our shadows crept onto their flower beds. There's a reason "Get off my lawn!" was a meme before memes were even a thing.

Then there are neighbors who rock. The ones who smile and wave through the window and share their fresh-baked cookies with the neighborhood kids. The folks who genuinely enjoy the vibrant energy that children bring to the block and embrace the idea of "it takes a village."

neighbors, feel good stories, positive news, community, kids, kids on bikes, neighborhood, canyon chasers May we all have neighbors like this. media4.giphy.com

When Dave, one of the guys behind Canyon Chasers, a motorcycle enthusiast website, shared a video of how he handled a kid who kept playing in his driveway when he wasn't home, it wasn't clear at first which kind of neighbor he was going to be. But then he explains how his security footage showed a preschooler riding his bike around his flat concrete driveway every evening, and how he decided to do something about it.

And what ensued was the best Anti-Get-Off-My-Lawn move that ended up pleasing more neighbors than he anticipated.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

How fun would that have been when you were a kid, seeing a chalk outline of a racetrack, made just for you, as if by magic? And how great that he made a new one each time it rained? And how delightful is it that people of all ages showed up to enjoy it?

Needless to say, there was a lot of praise for what Dave did, and many were relieved the story took an unexpected wholesome turn.

"One of the coolest things that a person can do to support the youths in his neighborhood."

"This was the coolest and most heartwarming 'clickbait' I've come across thus far."

"This is an example of how a small gesture could change a world for all to live in..."

neighbors, feel good stories, positive news, community, kids, kids on bikes, neighborhood, canyon chasers Good Neighbors Make Great Communities media0.giphy.com

Inquiring minds also wondered if the two ever met.

"I did. He's a super sweet kid," Dave wrote in the comments. "After a rain storm had washed the track away, I came out and he was drawing on my driveway with chalk. So I asked him what he was doing. He said 'I'm drawing a racetrack for you.'"

Imagine a world where all neighbors were this thoughtful and generous with their time and property. More of this, please.

This article originally appeared five years ago.

From Your Site Articles
more of this please
JoyHeroes
Community

Man notices a single mom's fence falling down so he stopped to build her a new one for free

"Plus I'm sure if they could afford to get it done, it would've been did by now."

Canva

Man sees neighbor's fence falling down so he builds a new one

It's not unheard of for people to do nice things for their neighbors. This might be borrowing a bag of rice to finish dinner or collecting the neighbor's mail while they're on vacation. All of these scenarios are within the realm of normalcy of kind, neighborly interactions but, while some neighbors may come over to assist with a weekend project, most don't take on huge projects without prompting.

A man that goes by the name Uncle Jhonn on social media has made it his mission to go above and beyond for his neighbors. That's why when he was driving through his neighborhood and noticed a neighbor's fence lying on the ground, he decided to get out of his truck and help. But he did more than just a quick repair. Jhonn took the entire fence down, cut it up, and built a new one that wouldn't require replacing for many years to come.

fence, fences, fencing, neighbor, good neighbors looking the sandlot GIF Giphy

"So, today I was riding down the street and that's when I noticed my neighbor's fence laying on the ground, so I decided to replace it completely for free. Just because I' retired y'all and I ain't got nothing better to do. Plus I'm sure if they could afford to get it done, it would've been did by now," the friendly neighbor says in the video he uploaded to social media.

Jhonn quickly clarifies, "Now, I didn't just jump out of my truck with a saw and start cutting these people's fence up. I actually knocked on their door to see if this was something they actually wanted me to do and they was more than excited to tell me yeah when I told them I was going to do it for free."

The woman who owns the home is a single mom who lives with her own mother who was recently involved in a car accident that left the car totaled. While the family's been having a rough patch, they have been attempting to get the fence replaced for several years but the cost is just too much. The removal and installation of a new six foot privacy fence can run anywhere from $4,000 to well over $10,000 depending on the size of the yard, type of gates, and style of privacy fence being installed.

fences, yard work, fencing, building, neighbors, home Guy Tearing Down Fence Takes A Tumble GIF by ViralHog Giphy

Jhonn explains that the family had been quoted over $6,000 by multiple contractors in order for the fence to be replaced, "and we all know with the state the world in right now, $6,000? You might as well say that's a million dollars."

It took the man just under three hours to complete the new fence and cost him a total of $2,173.89. He explains that he has big plans for his neighborhood by doing his part to make it look more desirable. Jhonn uses the money he makes off of TikTok to purchase materials for the free projects he does. The handy neighbor also has a website that has free blueprints of DIY projects like raised garden beds, sheds, mailboxes, and more.

@unclejhonn

Level 2025: Rebuilding the Community… #unclejhonn #diy #diyfence Fence App: @realityfence


People can't stop praising Jhonn's action and dedication to his neighborhood with one person writing, "This is what we need more of neighbors helping neighbors!

"That fence looks amazing!!! You can tell that you didn’t take shortcuts either. Built it like it was for yourself!!! Good on ya," another writes.

"As a single mom thank you I know that family are so grateful and appreciate you," someone else shares.

"You are such a good human. My mom was a single parent for many years and an older gentleman rebuilt our front and back porch because he was worried my Nana would get hurt. My mom was so grateful," one person reminisces.

This article originally appeared in February.

From Your Site Articles
good neighbors
CommunityJoy
Health

People rally around woman who ghosted friend after his husband's sudden death

"This was a catastrophe..."

via Liza Summer/Pexels and Canva/Photos

A woman upset she's not talking to her friend.

A woman’s social media post begs the big question: How far should someone go to put themselves out for a friend after they experience a traumatizing situation together? It all began when a woman made friends with her neighbors, Eli and Leo, a same-sex married couple. However, she began to distance herself from Eli after a while because he was “selfish” and “not a very good friend.”

One day, as she was leaving the house to go shopping, she received multiple calls from Eli that she didn’t pick up. He then texted her, “Leo just passed. Please answer.” She rushed home and saw an ambulance in front of the apartment building. When she got to Eli’s apartment, she saw Leo lying dead on the floor with Eli hugging him, sobbing inconsolably.

“They were watching TV when Leo suddenly got up and said he has pain in his chest, then collapsed. Paramedics came and pronounced him dead. They said we now have to wait for the police,” the woman wrote on Reddit. “We were waiting like this on the floor—Eli sobbing and hugging Leo’s body, and me hugging Eli—for almost 2 hrs. Then police came, and we sat on the couch right in front of Leo for another few hours. I did my best to stay calm and collected and help Eli. Many hours later, they took Leo away.”

ambulkance, heart attack, health care, emergency, ambulance driverThe back doors of an ambulance.via Canva/Photos

Eli asked the woman to call and tell Leo’s parents, who didn’t know that he was gay or married. They didn’t believe her. Eli’s cousins came over for a while and then left. “I stayed till late night, ordered food, cleaned, etc. We watched TV under the same blanket I used to cover Leo’s body. I didn’t sleep that night,” the woman continued.

Over the next few days, Eli kept calling the woman, asking her to come over, but she told him she was “sick” because “the thought of entering that apartment makes me shake.” The incident was so traumatic for the woman that she has made an appointment to see a therapist. “I feel deeply affected by what happened. I keep seeing flashbacks. I’m afraid to leave my apartment because I’m afraid to run into Eli. I was already depressed and I’m so so lonely,” she wrote. “I feel so guilty for ghosting Eli in this horrible situation when his whole world collapsed.”

upset woman, sad woman, trauma, woman staring at floor, brunette, woman on couchAn upset woman with her thoughts.via Liza Summer/Pexels

She asked the online forum if she was in the wrong for ghosting Eli, and just about everyone supported her choice.

“No, dear, [it’s not your fault]. This was a catastrophe, and you are in crisis and need help. What happened to you was very traumatic, and you are traumatized; you need to find help from your loved ones (or professionals, if those resources are available to you) to heal from this. You can't draw water from an empty well, and in my opinion, you should only consider assisting Eli in ways that contribute to or at least don't completely derail your recovery. You've already been more help to them than anybody else has. You can't keep anybody warm by setting yourself on fire. I'm so sorry this happened to both of you, what a horrible, tragic experience and loss,” the most popular commenter wrote.

“His husband just died, and you were kind enough to help him through the immediate aftermath. It does suck that he doesn't have a support system he needs, but you don't either,” another commenter wrote.

via Canva/Photos

The only person with a problem with how the woman handled it believes that she needs to give Eli a reason why she isn’t responding to him. “[You’re in the wrong] for ghosting him without explanation. That only makes things worse. You are emotionally drained and do not have the bandwidth to support him. That is completely fine. You just need to communicate that fact to him,” they wrote.

Ultimately, the commenters believe the woman did the right thing to stand by Leo’s side, even in the most disturbing situations, and she deserves praise for her kindness. In the comments, the woman wrote that she has no support, so the positive response, even by a Reddit forum of strangers, has to have made her feel some relief at a time when she is so traumatized.

From Your Site Articles
trauma
HealthMental Health
Community

Family of 7 takes in 82-year-old widower neighbor as their new 'grandpa'

"You get many chances to talk to people. If you don't take a chance, you may miss a friend."

via USA Today

Paul Callahan, 82, with the Caraballo family.

In 2023, the Caraballo family welcomed a new member: their neighbor from across the street, 82-year-old Paul Callahan. Callahan, a widower, lost his wife prior to the Caraballo's moving in. It makes sense their new neighbor was feeling lonely, but a beautiful friendship was on the way. After their initial meeting, Callahan quickly became like a grandfather to the Caraballos, a family of seven, and the story went viral. Various publications and news outlets covered the heartwarming blended family and they were even invited to appear on Good Morning America and The Kelly Clarkson Show.

South West News Service first reported the whole story, writing that when Sharaine, then 32, and Wilson Caraballo, then 42, moved their family of seven into a new home in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2022, they weren’t sure how they’d be received. "Our biggest fear moving into a new neighborhood was, 'What if our neighbors don't like us?' What if, because we have a lot of kids, they make a lot of noise and we come from a big family, so what if there's any conflict with the neighbors?" Sharaine told USA Today. "We're the only Black family in our neighborhood."

But all that fear quickly dissipated when their new neighbor, Callahan, showed up with a ladder and offered to help the family spruce up their new home.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

“He was coming over with tools. He’d bring screwdrivers and teach Wilson how to fix up the garage, and Wilson followed all his advice,” Sharaine told South West News Service. The octogenarian soon became a fixture at the Caraballo house. Now, Callahan stops by nearly every day and can always be found at the family’s cookouts, gatherings, and holidays.

Callahan has become a great friend to the family’s children, whom he entertains with stories from his past. "The kids run up to him like that's their grandfather," Sharaine said. "Paul is definitely a family member. He's no longer considered a neighbor."

Callahan believes that it’s all about taking the time to be friendly.

heart, gif, friendly, family, kindness New friends can quickly become family.Giphy

"You get many chances to talk to people. If you don't take a chance, you may miss a friend," Callahan said. "It doesn't hurt to be nice. That's the other thing, it costs you nothing, but a lot of times, you get a better return."

family, caraballos, callahan, neighbors, blended familyFamily of seven takes in elderly neighbor as honorary grandpauw-media.usatoday.com

Sharaine keeps her well-wishers updated on the doings of her family, including Callahan, on her Instagram page. Though she hasn't posted about Callahan specifically since their mini media storm, she keeps posts about their story and media appearance pinned to the top of her page for all to see.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

From Your Site Articles
family
CommunityJoy
Trending Stories