From Hidden Brain Media, I'm Shankar Vedantam.

This is my unsung hero, stories where one person reached out to help another in a time of need.

I would like to thank my unsung hero. I do not know her.

He just pulled up a chair and we talked. I'd say for about...

I can't even express to you how much you've changed my life.

Today's story comes from Julina Rothweil.

In 2007, Julina was in the midst of a divorce from her first husband.

The process was expensive and she was struggling to pay the lawyer and cover essential living costs. One especially hard week, with her bank account completely empty,

she asked a coworker if she could borrow $20, enough of food and gas, just to make it to payday.

Fast forward to the next morning and on my desk is a little note with $200 in it.

And all it said is you can't pay it back, but you can pay it forward.

And that touched me so deeply because at the time, that was a lot of money for them.

And for them to do that was just amazing.

So it not only got me through to payday, but it just touched me so deeply.

I got through that divorce.

Fast forward a few years.

A couple friends of mine were going through some employment struggles.

It was wintertime.

They were saying that they weren't even sure how they were going to pay their heating bills,

much less get each other a Christmas present.

And so remembering my co-workers note, I went and I got $200 and I made a photocopy of his note, which I still have.

And I slipped in an envelope, but the next time I was over there to visit, I handed that to them.

...