--- title: 5 Times Strangers Were Kind on the Reddit in 2017 description: Here are five times users on Reddit showed strangers true kindness in 2017. canonical: https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/ author: Ashley Hoffman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-12-07T19:29:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:26.022Z og:title: 5 Times Strangers Were Kind on the Internet in 2017 og:description: From finding a favorite toy to rebuilding a wheelchair van og:url: https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Times Strangers Were Kind on the Internet in 2017 twitter:description: From finding a favorite toy to rebuilding a wheelchair van twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 5 Times Strangers Were Incredibly Kind on the Internet in 2017 > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=b139cf6f-29c8-48ed-b080-06c26cac1a30&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 540,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 45.6% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 3.3% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=b139cf6f-29c8-48ed-b080-06c26cac1a30&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=b139cf6f-29c8-48ed-b080-06c26cac1a30&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It reaches 540,000 subscribers with a 45.6% open rate as of August 2026. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: Terry Crews on His Advice to Men [Watch (HLS stream): Terry Crews on His Advice to Men](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uN2fsrur.m3u8) (0:47)  _Published 2017-12-06. Terry Crews—who was recognized as one of the Silence Breakers, TIME's Person of the Year—spoke to TIME about the reception to his story and why it's imperative that men advocate for women's rights._ by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Dec 7, 2017 7:29 PM UTC by [Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/) ## Ashley Hoffman Dec 7, 2017 7:29 PM UTC _TIME’s new_ [_weekly roundup_](http://time.com/5026623/viral-people-2017-reddit/) _brings you the best and most surprising things happening on Reddit._ In 2017, people turned to social media to share support, stories and take part in important conversations, and Reddit was a gathering ground for messages of hope and service. Here are five times redditors showed strangers true kindness in 2017. ### **A Christmas Wish Fulfilled** Ask the internet and you might receive. Kind strangers and a toy company all pitched in to help Maryland redditor Cassie Gretschel find a very [special discontinued toy truck](http://time.com/3089384/influential-toys/) for her 25-year-old brother [Max, who has cerebral palsy](https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2017/12/03/tis-season-woman-gets-help-with-brother-special-gift/3kpF2XYEpymsh4YzowbB4N/story.html). The internet answered the call with a shiny new truck, and it looks like he’ll have a fleet: Tonka plans to send Max “as many as we can find” along with a care package. ### **Terry Crews Rolls Deep With the Crews Crew** _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_ actor [Terry Crews was recognized as one of the Silence Breakers, TIME’s Person of the Year](http://time.com/5049671/terry-crews-interview-transcript-person-of-the-year-2017/) after candidly saying that men have a responsibility to support women’s claims of sexual assault. Crews has his own personal experience with the pervasive issue, as he [is suing William Morris Endeavor agent Adam Venit, alleging that Venit groped him at an industry event.](http://people.com/tv/stars-support-terry-crews-sexual-assault-allegation/) “Men need to hold other men accountable,” he told TIME. Speaking up has got him supportive messages from fellow celebrities and of course, his fans on the [subreddit CrewsCrew](https://www.reddit.com/r/CrewsCrew/comments/7hmk56/thank%5Fyou%5Fguys%5Ffor%5Fall%5Fyour%5Fsupport%5Fthe%5Freddit/), where the actor dropped by with a thank you. ### **Safe Swiping Comes First** Another person thanked reddit for reminding them how to scope out a potentially risky situation at the ATM. Their photo appeared to show they were able to jiggle a card reader to discover an overlay skimmer, a device that thieves attach to ATMs to steal credit card information. ### **The Van Plan** The reddit community was also instrumental in helping a gamer rebuild his wheelchair van, even giving his [GoFundMe page](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NMWcdXhCmQ&feature=youtu.be) a powerful boost. **Support System** A proud mother took to [/r/pics](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/) to share that her daughter was cancer-free after nearly a yearlong battle, during which the Reddit community supported the family through chemotherapy and surgery. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/"},"headline":"5 Times Strangers Were Incredibly Kind on the Internet in 2017","datePublished":"2017-12-07T19:29:18.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:47:26.022Z","description":"From finding a favorite toy to rebuilding a wheelchair van","url":"https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/","keywords":["Newsfeed","celebrities","viral","reddit","Family","relationships","health","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ashley Hoffman","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/","name":"5 Times Strangers Were Incredibly Kind on the Internet in 2017"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Terry Crews on His Advice to Men","description":"Terry Crews—who was recognized as one of the Silence Breakers, TIME's Person of the Year—spoke to TIME about the reception to his story and why it's imperative that men advocate for women's rights.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/uN2fsrur/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-12-06T12:15:46.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/uN2fsrur.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/","duration":"PT47S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5050708/strangers-kindness-internet-reddit-terry-crews-tonka/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```