Unemployed giver plans to continue random acts of kindness


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SALT LAKE CITY — Daniel Smith devoted his month to helping others after he lost his job, and now his random acts of kindness may continue past that deadline.

Smith said he has started to receive offers of donations to his cause, and he will continue his kind acts as long as the donations kept coming.

"I really learned to appreciate the smaller, smallest things out there, and it's just been an amazing experience altogether," he said.

Friday, Smith and wife Melissa trekked to Billy Blanco's Motor City Mexican restaurant in Park City to surprise a single mom working as a server with a $100 tip.

"Single mom with three, just moved up here from Arizona," Smith said. "Kind of struggling to make ends meet, and I was really glad that we were able to help her."

April San Nicolas embraced Smith after the tip.

"It's nice," San Nicolas glowed. "Nice that people think I'm worthy of a good cause."

It was the fourth act of kindness in a month from Smith, who is still looking for work.

Previously, he handed out care packages to the needy, picked up the tab for diners at a restaurant drive through and handed out gift cards at a Walmart.

"It's actually got a lot of attention," Smith said. "I was not expecting even a quarter of what it's been."

Smith expected his acts of kindness — captured by his own photographer, in many cases his wife — to be lost in a shuffle of YouTube videos.

He has now captured the attention of people across the country.

He recently received a call from Walmart. He has received a donation offer from a woman in Massachusetts to continue his charitable giving.

Smith's story also caught the attention of Steve Gordon, an attorney who was inspired to do what he could to help.

"You never know what you can do for somebody with $20, $50 or $100," Gordon said.

Gordon said people can be just as effective in giving of their time and energy.

He made a phone call and helped Smith connect with the server.

"The message is don't think you can't help somebody else, and it doesn't always take money," he said.

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