11 ordinary Virginians who performed extraordinary acts of kindness in 2025
Learn about some of the many Virginians who worked tirelessly to make 2025 a year that was filled with kindness.
This year in Virginia proved to be one that was filled with extraordinary acts of kindness, thanks to a number of ordinary citizens who went out of their way to help others. From donating lottery winnings to charities to offering free back-to-school haircuts, these acts positively impacted communities across the commonwealth.
While these Virginians didn’t undertake their acts to be praised, the recognition they received serves as a reminder that a little kindness can go a long way.
1. Carrie Edwards
While most people dream of all the things they’d buy if they’re lucky enough to win the lottery, Midlothian resident Carrie Edwards decided to charitably donate all $150,000 of her Powerball winnings in September to charities focused on supporting military families and dementia research, including Shalom Farms, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, The Guardian reported.
Her excitement over discovering her good fortune quickly turned to an insistence that she needed to give back, Edwards recalled during a news conference in which she was presented with a check. A Virginia Lottery official remarked that few winners donate their prize money as Edwards, a widow and grandmother, did.
2. Arlene Cary
Arlene Cary, a Petersburg-based health and PE teacher at St. Joseph Catholic School, went the extra mile this year to make summer camp special for her students, WWBT 12 On Your Side reported in June. A former colleague noted she goes out of her way to positively impact students and staff at the school every day with a smile on her face. Cary doesn’t just spread joy to her students but to the broader community as well.
She also leads Aqua Zumba classes at the local YMCA on Saturdays.
3. Mark Conyard
Richmond’s Mark Conyard has been going above and beyond at The Virginia Home, a facility where adults with disabilities receive care, for more than 25 years, as WWBT 12 On Your Side reported in July. The director of maintenance services not only keeps the century-old building in working order but also connects with the residents.
Despite receiving an information systems degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, he decided to take a job at home, following in his father’s footsteps in maintenance services. His passion for connecting with the residents extends to driving them on Thanksgiving and Christmas so that they can spend the special days with their families.
4. Richmond Saurkraut Band
In 2025, the Richmond Saurkraut Band continued to spread kindness by using music to raise money for hospitalized children, an act it has been engaging in for decades, according to reporting from WWBT 12 on Your Side. To date, the band has raised $40,000 for Shriners Hospitals for Children.
John Stenstrom, the director, has kept the band running smoothly for over 40 years. He said the band gives him a sense of purpose.
5. Annie Allen
Annie Allen, a 95-year-old Hopewell woman, hasn’t let her age prevent her from helping others by serving in the charitable Order of the Eastern Star, the American Legion, and in ministry efforts, WWBT 12 On Your Side reported in July. She also makes home-cooked meals and her famous sweet tea and delivers them to members of the community.
Allen said she plans to continue to serve others for as long as she’s able.
6. Pete Richardson
Pete Richardson doesn’t just bag groceries at Richmond’s Libbie Market; rather, he also provides an unending supply of kindness to customers, WWBT 12 On Your Side reported in June. While bagging a customer’s groceries, he strikes up conversations with them. One customer said he makes people feel important by referring to them by name each time he sees them and can recall stories they’ve told him.
His acts of kindness also extend to raising thousands of dollars for his church’s homeless ministry.
7. Tiffany Hunt
Tiffany Hunt knows just how daunting the first day of school can be for children. To make the transition back into the classroom a bit easier at the start of school in August, the owner of the Henrico-based Lather and Locs RVA salon offered free hairstyles to local students, according to WWBT 12 on your Side.
Hunt and her staff worked at the salon on their day off to make the back-to-school event possible for children of all ages. She said she’s already planning ways to make the event bigger and better for next year.
8. Kristie Faison
Midlothian resident Kristie Faison is making a difference in the lives of caregivers through The Joy Group, a support group she founded for caregivers held on Thursdays at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, WWBT 12 On Your Side reported in March. The group allows caregivers to bring those they are responsible for, such as those with Alzheimer’s, to the group. While those being looked after are occupied with activities, the caregivers can have a little time to themselves and connect with other caregivers.
Faison was inspired to start the group in Midlothian after being a part of a similar group with her husband in Florida. Her goal for the group is that participants will leave each meeting feeling joy.
9. Robert Argabright
For years, Robert Argabright has poured countless hours into Bellemeade Park in South Richmond, with 2025 being no exception. In August, WWBT 12 On Your Side reported how Argabright has turned an overgrown plot of land into a vibrant green park.
The 83-year-old Argabright started working at the park after retiring from a corporate job 22 years ago. With funding and volunteers, he was able to turn the park into what it is today. He still regularly teaches science in the park to students from nearby Oak Grove Elementary School.
10. Jennifer Perilla
A Gainesville principal joined one of the most exclusive classes this year when she saved a second life through an organ donation, something only 100 individuals across the country have managed to do, according to May reporting from WUSA 9. Jennifer Perilla decided to donate a kidney after learning on social media that 47-year-old John Holden, a pilot, needed a kidney. Her timing was perfect, as others had volunteered to donate to Holden, but none were a match for his blood type.
Having donated part of her liver to a local woman in 2017, Perilla didn’t hesitate to donate again because of her desire to help others, which comes from her educational background. Although Perilla didn’t donate directly to Holden, given his size, a kidney exchange was facilitated. Holden received a kidney from another donor, while Perilla’s kidney was given to someone else.
Due to Perilla’s status as a two-time donor, she’ll be prioritized for an organ transplant in the future should she need one.
11. Jerry Sharp
It’s not every day that a member of one generation steps up and deeply impacts the life of someone in a different generation, but that’s exactly what 69-year-old Newport News resident Jerry Sharp did when he donated a kidney to help a 25-year-old woman.
Sharp told News 3 WTKR in February that he learned about the woman’s need for a kidney through his church, which prompted him to feel a need to help her. However, his efforts were complicated once he found out he wasn’t a blood type match. Undeterred, he worked with the National Kidney Registry to still aid the woman by donating his kidney to a man in Philadelphia, which moved the woman up the priority list. About two months later, the woman received a kidney from a donor in the Midwest.
Sharp’s message to others is simple: Those over the age of 65 can still likely donate kidneys if they’re in good health.
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