He Said No Once — Then Spent Four Years Saying Yes to Strangers

A woman knocked on Jon Potter’s car window while he was filling up at a gas station in Pittsburgh. She needed a ride to a shelter for women escaping abuse, or enough money to take the bus.

Jon said no. Almost immediately, he wished he hadn’t. He got out of his car and tried to find her, but she was already gone. He had no idea whether she reached the shelter safely.

The encounter stayed with him. Eventually, he made himself a promise: the next time somebody needed help, he would try to say yes. He had no idea how far that promise would take him.

The First Yes Was a TV Antenna

A few weeks later, Jon spotted a request on Pittsburgh’s Reddit community. Someone needed help installing a television antenna.

Jon knew how to do it, so he volunteered. He showed up, installed the antenna, and didn’t charge a penny.

Then someone needed a cat sitter. Jon helped with that, too.

Before long, he was answering requests to move furniture, fix broken windows, repair roofs, change tires, and give people rides. Sometimes he drove across Pittsburgh late at night to help strangers who had nobody else to call.

Jon had previously worked as a paragliding instructor. He was good with his hands, so as the requests increased, he began supporting himself through handyman work.

His payment system was unusual. People who could afford his services paid him, while people who couldn’t afford them received help for free.

He called his project Pittsburgh Good Deeds. At first, Jon planned to follow his promise for just one year. But helping people felt so rewarding that he kept going. By 2019, he had spent approximately four years answering requests and had completed an estimated 1,000 good deeds.

People around Pittsburgh began recognizing his name. Some had heard stories about the handyman who would show up to help almost anyone. Others knew him personally because he’d already helped them. And then Jon encountered a request unlike anything he’d seen before.

A Stranger Needed a Kidney

In early 2019, Jon came across a photograph shared online by the family of Michael Moore, a 57-year-old Pittsburgh-area man. Michael had been dealing with worsening kidney disease for years. He was receiving dialysis, and doctors had told him he needed a kidney transplant.

His daughters were trying to find someone willing to donate. Jon had helped plenty of strangers before, but donating an organ was something entirely different.

He began asking questions about living kidney donation. He wanted to know what the surgery involved, how recovery worked, and whether he could live a healthy life afterward.

He also contacted Michael. The two men talked, and Jon decided to get tested to see whether he could become a donor. The results brought some extraordinary news.

He was a match. Jon’s wife, Rachel Adler, was understandably concerned about him undergoing major surgery. The couple spent time learning about the procedure and talking through the decision.

Eventually, Jon and Rachel met Michael and his family for dinner. They talked for hours, getting to know the people whose lives were about to become closely connected with their own.

The medical screening continued. Doctors asked Jon to lose approximately 20 pounds before the operation, and he did.

Over the following months, the two men became friends. During one conversation, Jon heard Michael mention that he needed some drainage work done in his backyard. Jon immediately offered to do it for free.

Michael insisted on paying him. Even while preparing to donate a kidney, Jon was still being Jon.

August 13, 2019

On August 13, Jon and Michael underwent surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Jon donated one of his kidneys, and surgeons transplanted it into Michael.

Both operations were successful. For Michael, the transplant meant he could finally stop dialysis. After years of declining health, he had a chance to return to a more normal life.

Jon faced his own recovery, including several months away from his usual handyman work. But when reporters asked about the operation, he had no regrets.

One of his favourite moments happened shortly after surgery, when he woke up near Michael. The two men reached toward each other and touched hands.

Jon knew the kidney he’d donated was now working inside the man beside him. Michael later explained that the gift had given him something beyond freedom from dialysis. It had reminded him that complete strangers could care deeply about one another.

The Kindness Spread

Long before the transplant, Jon’s generosity had already begun encouraging other people to help. When a local organization awarded him $500 for his good deeds, he decided not to keep it. Instead, he posted on Reddit asking whether anyone needed the money.

People responded with requests for help. Others offered to contribute.

Before long, the original $500 had grown to approximately $1,500. Jon used the money to buy groceries, help people pay utility bills, purchase bus passes for workers who needed transportation, and buy shoes for a nurse who was struggling financially.

His projects attracted volunteers, too. People offered tools, money, transportation, and their own time to help answer requests.

Following the kidney transplant, Jon’s story received national attention. CBS News featured him in September 2019, and messages began arriving from people who wanted to join his efforts.

Jon told a Pittsburgh television station that he was overwhelmed by the response. He had always preferred quietly helping people, but now strangers were contacting him because his story had inspired them.

He was especially pleased that people were offering to help others rather than simply congratulating him. And Jon was already thinking about another way to give.

During his CBS interview, he revealed that he hoped to donate part of his liver someday.

Four years earlier, he had been standing at a gas station wishing he could take back one word.