and the Nicest Place
partners
The Nicest
Our goal is to tell the complete story of how America unites in kindness during challenging times of racial injustice and health crisis and we couldn't do it without organizations across our great country that help spread our call for stories.
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Casper, WY
THROUGH SICKNESS AND HEALTH
A neighborhood rallies around a family who needs it when illness strikes.
Sassy Cow Creamery
in Columbus, WI
FREE MILK FOR THOSE WHO NEED
At this dairy farm, if you need fresh milk and can't afford it, it's yours. Don't need? Adopt a cow to help those who do.
Huntington,WV
FEEDING OUR HEROES
A town with a PR problem finds the perfect solution: Make kindness grow.
Bellden Cafe in Bellevue, WA
A CAFE WITH PURPOSE
A café owner who had experienced extreme kindness, repays the actby keeping her
doors open, herworkers employed,
and the poor fed.
Virtual Tip Jar, VA
THE BIGGEST TIP JAR EVER
A digital tip jar solves
real-world problems.
Cyberspace, VT
TELEHEALTH FOR ALL
A cancelled internship turns
into a big opportunty for one
student to help her whole state.
Backyards in Saratoga Springs, UT
ZUMBA TO THE WORLD
A casual backyard fitness class for friends sparks a movement that brings joy nationwide.
Highland Village, TX
ANGELS WITH COWBOY HATS
Not all angels have halos.
Some wear cowboy hats.
Nashville, TN
TEENS ORGANIZE
Teens lead the way in the
fight for racial justice.
Iroquois School District, SD
MORE THAN A SCHOOL
Some students didn't have an internet connection when school went digital. Thanks to local teachers, they do now.
Pawleys Island, SC
KIDS LEADING THE WAY
A call for support is met with a mighty response and two unlikely neighbors find common ground on racial justice.
Belmont Market in
Wakefield, RI
RAISING MONEY FOR LOCAL CAUSES
A grocery store scales to meet new
needs for the elderly in town.
Yardley, PA
CARING FOR FRIENDS
When hunger intensifies,
the soup brigade mobilizes.
Hillsboro, OR
THE VALUE OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS
Where essential workers are given
the respect they deserve.
Colefax Hill Neighborhood
in Tulsa, OK
THE VALUE OF HONEST WORK
One family turns pandemic lemons into lemonade of kindness.
Clintonville Neighborhood
in Columbus, OH
A SPECIAL NEIGHBORHOOD
Social distancing couldn't stop the party in this neighborhood.
Minot, ND
HEARTS EVERYWHERE
It's still a mystery who started planting wooden hearts all over town.
Dirtbag Ales Brewery
in Hope Mills, NC
BEER FOR THE TROOPS
You know what helps quarantine
pass quickly for troopscoming home? Free, local beer.
Riverdale Neighborhood
in The Bronx, NY
FRESH FOOD FOR ALL
From pizza to fresh vegetables,
when you're in The Bronx, you're
going to get fed.
Bueno Para Todos Farm
in Villanueva, NM
LIFE ON PAUSE ON THE FARM
When the lockdown stranded foreign students in America, a local farm made sure they felt like they were home.
Jefferson Washington Township Hospital in Turnersville, NJ
SHARING THE WEALTH
When her stimulus check arrived earlier this year, JoAnn Kates knew exactly how to spend it, sparking a movement.
Temple, NH
BIRTHDAY PARADE
Even COVID-19 couldn't stop
this town from celebrating.
Sparks, NV
THE HELPFUL BURGLAR
A neighborhood burglary
turns to the good, all part of
the giving ways in this town.
At the End of a
Cul-de-Sac in Lincoln, NE
A NEIGHBORHOOD BECOMES A FAMILY
A tradition from a world away
unites a tiny cul-de-sac.
Ronan, MT
TEACHERS ARE YOUTUBE STARS
Teachers in this small village won’t let
a little thing like a pandemic get in the way of their offbeat sense of humor.
Thousand Oaks Subdivision
in Parkville, MO
FIREWORKS FOR THE AGES
A community honors the
memory of the local pyrotechnic
master after tragedy strikes.
Florence Gardens
in Gulfport, MS
A NEIGHBORHOOD UNITES
In a rare twist, COVID-19 opens up a town.
Victoria’s Ristorante and
Wine Bar in Rochester, MN
NO CHILD HUNGRY
When the schools closed abruptly, a local restaurant told food insecure kids, mangia!
Buchanan, MI
HONORING THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR THE 1ST AMMENDMENT
With Memorial Day parade cancelled, locals find another
way to honor the troops.
Springfield, MA
THE HAM LADY
With salaries cut and Easter around the corner, an unlikely heroine made sure those who needed a ham got one.
Gaithersburg, MD
THE YOUNGEST ACTIVST
Young children lead the way in being
the "helpers" during the pandemic.
The Cedars in Portland, ME
ART MAKES LIFE WORTH LIVING
The pandemic doesn’t care if
you have Alzheimer's or dementia.
But these students do.
Red Handed Tattoo
in Shreveport, LA
DONATIONS FROM UNLIKELY PLACES
A tattoo-artist turned his shop into
a free market for needed supplies during the pandemic.
Signature Health Care Nursing Facility in Elizabethtown, KY
A PICTURE OF KINDNESS
A man with a camera needs
just a little extra help to spread
joy to everyone around him.
Olathe, KS
LISTENING IS LOVE
Listening is the first step to healing trauma, and the
people of Olathe are all ears.
Iowa City, IA
Where joyful roller-skating
dinosaurs are not extinct!
UNICORN ROLLER DERBY
The Doorsteps of
Central Indiana, IN
PICTURING OF KINDNESS
Families are coaxed out of quarantine
for socially distant portraits that
capture this moment in our history.
Collinsville, IL
FREE LUNCH IS REAL
A local barbecue joint gets the whole
town to participate in kindness.
Meridian, ID
OLD-FASHIONED NEIGHBORLINESS
Neighbors caring for neighbors is
the key to this city’s growth.
Kamiloiki Valley on Oahu, HI
DOING WELL WHILE DOING GOOD
A debt-ridden student has a brilliant plan to get out of the red: He’ll do good for others.
The Dream Center in Augusta, GA
UNITING TO SERVE THE NEEDY
A non-profit that gives blankets
to those who need is emblematic
of a town with giving ways.
Pine Hills, FL
DISCOVERING NEW COMMUNITY
A community welcomes all,
even an unlikely transplant
worried she won't fit in.
Edgemoor Terrace Neighborhood in Wilmington, DE
A CONCERT SERIES IN YOUR LIVING ROOM
Two musicians take to Facebook to bring live music to a world where concerts are forbidden.
Bloomfield, CT
JUSTICE FOR ALL
A hate crime galvanizes the town to fight for justice
at home and across America.
Struggle of Love in Denver, CO
Thanks to compassion from restaurants, charities, and the police, the Struggle of Love doesn’t struggle to feed the needy.
Rio Vista, CA
WALKING TALL TOGETHER
When an elderly black man shares that he’s afraid to walk the streets lest he be racially profiled,
his neighbors come to the rescue.
E Gershon Ln in Tucson, AZ
SPEED BUILDING PROTOCOL
When a teacher needed a hand to make
sure kids got the education they deserved, a neighbor went to extraordinary lengths.
Anchorage, AK
HOUSING ALASKA'S HOMELESS
A city know for its cold warms
hearts by ensuring its homeless
are safe during the pandemic.
Owens Cross Roads, AL
DANCING FOR CHARITY
Two young dancers use their talents to fill food pantries and spread the love.
NH
VT
MA
NJ
DE
MD
CT
RI
the 50 nicest places in america
When COVID-19 hit, local communities across America
worked together to stay healthy, safe and sane. When racial injustice
became too much to bear, Americans in every state stood together
and said, "enough!" In 2020, more than ever, people looked to
their neighbors, friends and family for the strength to overcome some
of the biggest challenges we've faced as a nation. In every state,
there are places where people are doing heroic things every day to
make their communities better places. Here are their stories.
Erich Offenburg
Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce
in Columbiana, 2019's
Nicest Place in America
MEET ERICH
Bonnie Kintzer
CEO,
Trusted Media Brands
MEET BONNIE
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
CEO of Feeding America
MEET CLAIRE
Dr. Kelli Harding
Physician, author,
Assistant Professor at Columbia University Medical Center
MEET DR. HARDING
Geri Weis-Corbley
Founder of
Good News Network
MEET GERI
Mitch Albom
Author, journalist,
radio and television broadcaster and musician
MEET MITCH
Sarah Friar
CEO of Nextdoor
MEET SARAH
Bruce Kelley
Editor-in-chief
of Reader's Digest
MEET BRUCE
advisory council
meet the
advisory council
meet the
When COVID-19 hit, local communities across America
Reader's Digest partnered with More in Common, an organization with the goal of helping build a more united, resilient and
inclusive America. Together, we surveyed America to find out
just how united we've become in our local communities since the start of the pandemic.
in America is...
FEEDING DENVER'S HUNGRY
For Nicest Places in America 2020: United in Kindness,
You can read the results here.
You can read the results here.
Sardis, AR
TINY PANTRY BIG HEART
A tiny, homegrown movement to make sure folks get the food they need while maintaining dignity spreads across the country.
When COVID-19 hit, local communities across America worked together to stay healthy, safe and sane. When racial injustice became too much to bear, Americans in every state
stood together and said, "enough!" In 2020, more than ever, people looked to their neighbors, friends and family for the strength to overcome some of the biggest challenges we've
faced as a nation. In every state, there are places where people are doing heroic things every day to make their communities better places. Here are their stories.
nicest places
in america
S. Chestnut St. in Casper
Wyoming
The Lingonberry Llama Coffee shop
Wisconsin
B.A.R.K. Club Doddridge County High school
West Virginia
Kitsap peninsula
Washington
colonial beach
Virginia
barre city
Vermont
Springville
Utah
Texarkana
Texas
Franklin
Tennessee
rapid city
South Dakota
Lake Trollingwood
South Carolina
Maury Loontjens Memorial library
Rhode Island
Delta Pizza
Pennsylvania
Molalla
High school
Oregon
country aire estates in broken arrow
Oklahoma
columbiana
Ohio
Watford city
North Dakota
sunset hills in greensboro
North Carolina
Harding Park
in the bronx
New York
Las Cruces
New Mexico
Hunterdon County YMCA in Flemington
New Jersey
Pembroke
New Hampshire
Dayton
Nevada
sehnert's bakery in mccook
Nebraska
Ovando
Montana
Columbia
Missouri
Jourdan
River Estates
Mississippi
Fertile
Minnesota
Armada
Michigan
Plymouth
Massachusetts
whitehurst community in severna park
Maryland
bristol
Maine
houma
Louisiana
winchester
Kentucky
Cedar House in Abilene
Kansas
Lansing Iowa Food Trust
Iowa
Lafayette transitional housing center
Indiana
Fox Point in barrington
Illinois
Hidden springs
Idaho
Ahuimanu
Hawaii
the fugees academy in clarkston
Georgia
The Villages
Florida
Estates at Saint Anne's
Delaware
Clintonville elementary school
Connecticut
pueblo west
women's league
Colorado
Anaheim
California
Texarkana
Arkansas
Kingman
Arizona
North Pole
Alaska
Drexell & honeybees donations only restaurant
Alabama
worked together to stay healthy, safe and sane. When racial injustice became too much to bear, Americans in every state stood together and said, "enough!" In 2020, more than ever, people looked to their neighbors, friends and family for the strength to overcome some of the biggest challenges we've faced as a nation. In every state, there are places where people are doing heroic things every day to make their communities better places. Here are their stories.
For Nicest Places in America 2020: United in Kindness,
S. Chestnut St.
in Casper
Wyoming
The Lingonberry Llama Coffee shop
Wisconsin
B.A.R.K. Club Doddridge County High school
West Virginia
Kitsap peninsula
Washington
colonial beach
Virginia
barre city
Vermont
Springville
Utah
Texarkana
Texas
Franklin
Tennessee
rapid city
South Dakota
Lake Trollingwood
South Carolina
Maury Loontjens Memorial library
Rhode Island
Delta Pizza
Pennsylvania
Molalla
High school
Oregon
country aire estates in broken arrow
Oklahoma
columbiana
Ohio
Watford city
North Dakota
Sunset Hills
in greensboro
North Carolina
Harding Park in the bronx
New York
Las Cruces
New Mexico
Hunterdon County YMCA in Flemington
New Jersey
Pembroke
New Hampshire
Dayton
Nevada
sehnert's bakery in mccook
Nebraska
Ovando
Montana
Columbia
Missouri
Jourdan
River Estates
Mississippi
Fertile
Minnesota
Armada
Michigan
plymouth
Massachusetts
whitehurst community, severna park
Maryland
bristol
Maine
houma
Louisiana
Winchester
Kentucky
Cedar House
in Abilene
Kansas
Lansing Iowa
Food Trust
Iowa
Lafayette transitional housing center
Indiana
Fox Point in barrington
Illinois
Hidden springs
Idaho
Ahuimanu
Hawaii
the fugees academy
in clarkston
Georgia
The Villages
Florida
Estates at Saint Anne's
Delaware
Clintonville elementary school
Connecticut
pueblo west
women's league
Colorado
Anaheim
California
Texarkana
Arkansas
Kingman
Arizona
North Pole
Alaska
Drexell & honeybees donations only restaurant
Alabama
Tap to learn more!
When Buchanan Chief of Police Tim Ganus saw the video of George Floyd being killed by police, he was sickened. Deejra Lee felt the same way. They teamed up to show the people of Buchanan that nothing like that would ever happen in their town.
In Buchanan, kids are taught from an early age the importance of giving back. These girls have raised hundreds of dollars for charitable causes in the Nicest Place in America.
When COVID-19 struck, the people of Buchanan, Michigan, would not
be defeated. When the evil of racial injustice rose, they united to say in one voice,
"not in our town!" The people of Buchanan will restore your faith in America.
Read our
Nicest
Q&A with
Mitch
Read our
Nicest
Q&A with
Mitch
Buchanan, MI
Buchanan, MI
The people of Buchanan, Michigan, united to defeat the virus and join the fight for justice.
READ THEIR STORY HERE
READ THEIR STORY HERE
READ THEIR STORY HERE
READ THEIR STORY HERE
READ THEIR STORY HERE
READ THEIR STORY HERE
TAP TO Read our heartwarming story