Ordinary Arizonans who performed extraordinary acts of kindness in 2025
Small acts of kindness can quickly turn extraordinary, as evidenced by these 13 stories.
As 2025 comes to a close, reflecting on both the good and bad of the year is a great way to make room for gratitude and change in 2026. This year has certainly been filled with political turmoil, rising cost of living, the passing of public figures, and many more marred memories. Among the muck, though, there are several Arizonans who stand out for their extraordinary acts of kindness in 2025. These are people who decided to be kind for the sake of being kind. As 2025 comes to a close and 2026 begins, take a moment to consider how one act of kindness can make an extraordinary difference for more than one person. It certainly worked out that way for these Arizonans.
The Contreras Brothers
The first act of kindness on this list comes from a pair of teenage brothers. Max and Pedro Contreras began discussing how to live authentically in faith and selflessness. At the time, Max had a savings account that he had been building for a year. The day after the pair’s discussion, Max took action. After brainstorming ideas with his family, he decided to donate his money to The Salvation Army Tucson Hospitality House, a facility that feeds unhoused individuals—one of his driving passions. The lady at the intake desk was a mixture of impressed and surprised when 15-year-old Max walked in and handed her $800 with a request that it be used to provide food for the homeless. His generous donation funded hundreds of meals, inspired many, and showed that living a life of active selflessness can begin at any age.
Shafeeka Brown
Dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases are life-altering in many ways, both for the patient and for the loved ones. After losing her husband to dementia, Shafeeka Brown recognized an opportunity to both honor her late husband and to help others going through a similar situation. She turned to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Chandler, where she now hosts a Memory Cafe on the first and third Fridays of the month. There, those who suffer from neurodegenerative diseases—along with their caretakers—can socialize, snack, and have an outing that is not tied to a doctor’s appointment. This social and lighthearted outing centered on a moment of normalcy is a missing, yet crucial, aspect of patient health. Brown’s ability to transform her grief into a tangible solution that she wished she had with her husband shows the power of empathy, love, and healing.
Miami Vandals Baseball Team
A high school baseball team in the small mining town of Miami stopped practice when they heard loud booms. Not far from the field, a transformer blew, sparking a fire on private property. With a car in the driveway, a dog barking, and no one exiting the house, the Miami Vandals rushed into action, ultimately alerting the woman—who had her headphones on loud enough to miss the comotion—of the fire. Their quick thinking saved her and her four-legged fur friend’s lives. It’s not too often that you hear of a group of teens making the best possible decision.
Roger Wendt
Roger Wendt is a regular volunteer at the St. Mary’s Food Bank. So regular, in fact, that he showed up to his 1,000th volunteer shift to find a cake, balloons, and many grateful people excited to celebrate his generosity. A reliable servant of the cause, he decided to celebrate in his own way and further his generosity by donating $1,000 of his own money right back to the food bank.
Izzy Collins
In June, Izzy Collins began a TikTok with the goal of supporting the community. The profile “Izzy’s Kitchen” quickly attracted followers who were encouraged to send food donations for a pantry set up in Collins’ yard. A great success, the project has expanded into a slough of little pantries and food banks across Tucson. This project, started as a tinier act, has evolved into a lifeline across the city.
Reflecting on the project, Collins says, “We’ve been super lucky to have two very successful drives; one for the Trevor Project back in June. We raised $1,000 … [there was also] a back-to-school drive where we were personally able to stuff 35 backpacks for Tucson’s local children.” This is a person who continuously finds ways to give and support those who need it most. If you are interested in building a community pantry of your own, check out The Little Free Pantry.
Jarvis Johnson
Late September saw deadly and destructive flooding throughout the state, bringing to life some real-life heroes and banding communities together in powerful ways. One man named Jarvis Johnson became a hero at the 60 and 101 interchange, where many cars were stuck in deep flooding. Johnson was headed from the hospital—where his wife had just given birth—to pick up his other children from home, who were excited to meet their new baby brother. Excitement and a sense of urgency did not prevent Johnson from doing the right thing. Once he noticed a couple of women trapped in the flood with no way to get to safety, he jumped into action and rescued them. Because of Johnson, there are two fewer casualties from the September floods. He proves that there is always time to do what is right.
George Frasher
The flooding in the valley proved deadly, as was the flooding in the mining community of Globe-Miami, where locals are still working to repair several downtown businesses. George Frasher, owner of three restaurants in the Valley, was instantly moved by the catastrophe that the tiny towns were experiencing. He quickly organized a crew ready to help serve first responders in Globe following the devastating flood. Once he arrived, service evolved to include volunteers, medics, and anyone affected by the floods.
In a statement, he said that no one was turned away from having a hot meal and that everyone remained humble. After the mayor of Globe asked him to stay longer—an ode to the necessary service Frasher stepped up to provide, largely from his own pocket—Frasher ended up serving the community for about a week, offering roughly 2,000 pounds of meat in the form of 400-500 daily meals. These meals fueled a diligent workforce of volunteers, providing high-quality nourishment and the ability to open severely damaged roads in a matter of days. Frasher’s role in the Globe-Miami recovery efforts was vital and fueled by only heart-centric action.
Riyaben Bhakta
Riyaben Bhakta is a teenager with a passion for both crafting and helping others. Earlier in the year, she crocheted handmade stuffed animals, which led to the formation of her nonprofit Comfort in Stitches. Comfort in Stitches boxes are created for children facing homelessness, foster care, and other traumas as a way to show care to a kid who feels lost and forgotten. Each box includes a handmade stuffed animal and a note, a little light in an otherwise dark time.
Betsy Vincent
The average shelter provides the basics to those in need, with plain, unassuming walls that offer protection from inclement weather. This is often enough to help people get on their feet, or at least get a night of reprieve. But having something positive to focus on, such as art, has been shown to have profound effects for those in crisis, recovery, or seeking relief. Art can offer a distraction—and a reminder—of beauty that still exists in the world, or at least offer a break from a cycle of thoughts. Cue 85-year-old artist Betsy Vincent, who donated her time and talent when she created 1,000 original paintings to add color to the walls at St. Vincent de Paul’s Manor. This shelter offers both temporary overnight housing and transitional living, now enhanced by the vibrant color that Vincent spent time creating.
Emmet LaFave
The majority of teachers deserve to be recognized for acts of kindness, but Emmett LaFave definitely stands out this year. Working at a Title 1 school—which serves at-risk youth—on the Pima reservation left LaFave’s music room limited. With the help of the Arizona community, he put together a piano keyboard lab, allowing students to learn music. Students who may never have had the chance to experience the joy of learning music now have access to a brand-new facility.
Calling upon the community and using resources to help the next generation is not an easy feat, and offering lessons to students that cannot practice at home is a next-level challenge that LaFave is willing to undertake. Who wants to bet that LaFave is the fave teacher on campus?
Willis Wipf
The 55-plus communities in the Valley have resort-like amenities and offer many workshop resources, such as lapidary rooms. 95-year-old Willis Wipf used the lapidary at his 55-plus community in Mesa to make earrings, a hobby that evolved into a large act of generosity. At fairs, farmers markets, and more, Wipf has shared his jewelry-making skills with others, giving out nearly 14,000 free pairs of handmade, one-of-a-kind earrings. This act of kindness sounds like a retirement “job” done right.
Paul Farmer
Paul Farmer knows the struggle is real after having to live through a Phoenix summer without AC. During a rough financial patch, he needed to forgo running the AC to afford other basic necessities (an unfortunate sentiment that many can likely relate to). A few seasons later, Farmer found himself out of the rough patch, but not forgetful of what he had endured. To give back to others, he vowed to go without AC during the summer of 2025, documenting it along the way.
He used fans and ice packs to stay cool, and shared that the money he saves on running the AC will go directly to families in need. To up the ante and offer more to the families struggling to afford utility bills, he even created a GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $5k. He shared that his ultimate goal is to pay the utility bills for at least three families for an entire year, to prevent others from enduring such hellish heat in the name of survival. This act of kindness is ultimately a reminder of empathy; it is easy to forget others are going through the struggles you once faced.
Richard Agers
At the age of 33, Richard Agers traded in his stable, high-income job for a pair of shears and service. Shortly after the passing of his grandfather, a Vietnam vet, Agers decided that he wanted to dedicate his life to serving others who are in need. So, he began offering free haircuts—and a listening ear—to those experiencing homelessness.
Agers is now beginning a mission to reach Maine, living out of his car as he travels state to state to offer his services along the way. You can follow along on social media or on his website, cutsacrossamerica.org (which should be live by December).
Agers shares that he is gratefully accepting donations to help fuel his mission, as he cashed out his retirement to make ends meet. “If I can get help, I will stay as long as I can. I’d love to do a year-long journey,” he said, adding that his two border collies will be joining too. If you would like to support the cause, there is a donation tab on the website as well as a Patreon and a Venmo (@thegentlebarber).
Lead with kindness in 2026
As you step into 2026, may these people’s acts of extraordinary kindness become akin to a north star for your own actions. As these Arizonans proved, it doesn’t take extraordinary action to be extraordinary—just simple, intentional steps led by passion, empathy, and doing what you know in your heart to be right.
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