SALT LAKE CITY — Every week, KSL.com readers share stories of times they were given service.

These stories range from generous gestures of $20,000 to people shaping their lives around service, and all touch someone in one way or another.

On a lasting impact:

Robin S.

"The following is a story about some very wonderful people that came into our lives and then we were able to reunite with 49 years later:

"Back in April of 1965, my family and I were in a pretty serious car accident. My mother, who was very pregnant at the time with the sixth child in our family, ended up on the floor in the front seat of the car. She got the worst of the injuries and we were all so worried about her. The car had been smashed up against a guardrail and they couldn't get her out at first.

"Back in those days we didn't have cellphones so there was no way to call for help. To our great relief, a young couple happened upon the accident within minutes after it happened. They were so eager to be of help to our family and so right away they took us five kids to the hospital in Logan, made sure they got help sent back to the accident for my mother, and stayed there at the hospital with us kids. They offered a prayer on our behalf and kept reassuring all of us that our mother would be OK.

"After my parents made it to the hospital, my dad came to be with us kids and in all of the confusion of things this couple just kind of vanished. My mother ended up being OK and my youngest sister was born a short time later. We all recovered from the accident. Every time we have talked about this accident, we have always talked about how we wished we could find these wonderful people again to properly tell them thank you for the kind and caring service they gave our family that day.

"As my parents are getting along in years, I decided that we really did need to find these great people, mostly for my parents' sakes. After a bit of a searching and a lot of help from another wonderful lady up at Utah State University, I was able to find this couple and get in contact with them. I planned a surprise party for my family to reunite with this couple.

"As we all got to meet our wonderful guardian angels after 49 years and recall the events of that day, it was so wonderful to be able to properly thank them for their service and kindness and compassion from so long ago. They are still the same wonderful people that we remembered and it was such a privilege to get to meet them under better circumstances and to share our great love and thanks for what they did for us!"

On a simple gesture of kindness:

Jason E.

"At a summer youth camp, a popular, outgoing 16-year-old boy in our neighborhood noticed a girl sitting by herself on the ground for lunch. He told her half-teasing that she should either join him and the others at their table or they were going over to join her. She shrugged it off only to find the whole table quickly joining her in her spot on the ground.

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Uplifting

Read more stories that aim to uplift and highlight the good in the world in KSL.com's Uplifting section.

"It's so nice to see those in the next generation that were raised on good principles of kindness."

On making a friend through service:

Ed T.

"After picking up a couple of items at Walmart, I got into my truck and was readying to leave when I noticed a young mother with a couple of beautiful children trying to figure out how to get her new hard plastic wading pool into the back of her minivan. It was fun watching her try to figure it out, but it was obvious that pool was not going home in that minivan.

"I pulled up next to her and offered to follow her home with it in my truck. Her face lit up with a gorgeous smile as she said, 'That would be wonderful.' It cost me nothing but 50 cents worth of gas to warm my heart and make a new friend."

On following through with service:

Tarbie T.

"I often encounter home repairs that I just don't know how to fix. Last year I was having trouble with my sprinkling system, and a co-worker said that her husband would come out and take a look.

"He did come out, and he ended up digging up the yard and re-routing the system. My lawn looked great! The amazing thing, is that this year he drove by my house and noticed some dry areas and called to see if I was having trouble again. I was, and he came right out and repaired each broken sprinkler. Such a relief to a single woman. He'll never know how much he is appreciated."

Have you seen any moments of service or kindness? Do you want to share a story about something that made your day? Email a brief story (100 words or fewer) along with any photos or video to crosenlof@ksl.com.

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