When you’re dealing with arguments with your mother-in-law and stress at work, it can be easy to lose faith in kindness. But sometimes, a stranger’s act of compassion can remind you that kindness still exists. I became a mother at 17, and not long after, my son’s father and I split up. Without support from my parents, I struggled to make ends meet.

Eventually, I ran out of food and found myself in a desperate situation. I turned to my friends for help, holding my 1-year-old son in my arms, but they couldn’t offer any assistance.