A year later, I got a small package in the mail. There were a photo and a note inside. The photo showed the man, smiling proudly, standing outside what looked like a tiny house. He was wearing the coat I’d given him.

The note read: “You don’t know me, but your kindness changed my life. That coat kept me warm through the worst winter of my life. It gave me hope that people still care. I found a job a few months later, saved up, and now I have a place to call home. I wanted you to see what your small act of kindness helped me achieve. Thank you.”

I stared at the picture, speechless. That old coat, something I hadn’t thought twice about, had become a lifeline for someone else. Sometimes, the smallest gestures carry the greatest weight.