Arizona Cardinals Cornerback Antonio Hamilton wanted to pay it forward after his experience as a burn victim. He visited children in the Arizona Burn Center where he was treated. Antonio and his teammates brought joy, encouragement, and camaraderie, as he normalized burn scars by showing his own and encouraging the children to claim their scars…Read more »

Scott Legried’s small act of kindness hasn’t gone unrewarded.  He was driving down the road when a dog appeared in front of him out of nowhere.  Legried swerved to avoid the dog and suffered a number of injuries in the process.  The injuries were severe enough that Legried, a farmer, was unable to harvest his 600…Read more »

It’s Halloween, so it’s a very good day for a creepy doll story! Her name is Creepy Chole, but she’s loved by Briar Beard. Briar is three years old, and loves Creepy Chole . . . so much so that she takes the doll everywhere, including to Disney World. As you might guess, the doll…Read more »

Eric Perkins lived without a home for three years. He lived on the beach, in a shelter, and in a hotel during the pandemic. When he was offered a program that would provide him a home with a roommate, he was hesitant. If you’ve done it, then you know that living with roommates can be…Read more »

Grandchildren are a gift and a joy. No one knows that better than George Hughes. His granddaughters surprised their grandfather on a special night recently.  This story illuminates the joy in the little things and how small moments matter. His granddaughter said it best when she acknowledged that we don’t know how much time we…Read more »

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. James Smith-Williams, an NFL player with the Washington Commanders, is supporting the Purple Lease Project.  Pets bring people great joy, and this initiative supports more pet friendly shelters. Smith-Williams was motivated to help after hearing a sexual assault survivor ask this question: If you’re a good man, what are…Read more »

Lest we think plagues are just something we read about in the Bible, the town of Enterprise, Alabama experienced a Biblical infestation of boll weevil insects up close and personal in the early 1900s.  The bugs destroyed everything in their path, including the local cotton crop.  But instead of hiding away this difficult and destructive history, the…Read more »

Joey Leathwood loves the water, but he never had a chance to enjoy the sea . . . until now. Joey has quadriplegic cerebral palsy. A trip to the beach seemed out of reach until a group supplied him with a beach wheelchair. His mother, Helen Butterfield, shared that “the chance to experience waves and…Read more »

Unfortunately, Florida has had its fair share of hurricanes, and it was hit again by Hurricane Ian. “Hurricane Cats” are well known there. Mike Ross went above and beyond the call of duty to save a small orange tabby cat from the rushing water. This is one of the many stories people are now sharing…Read more »

There was so much bad news yesterday. So many heartbreaking things happening around the world. Kidnapping. Shooting. Stabbing. War. Hurricane. On a day like that, we at Stories of Joy thought everyone could use some extra joy, and Stephen Vogt of the Oakland A’s supplied that joy. Vogt was playing in his final MLB game…Read more »