Well whenever we help people, we get all kinds of different gratitude or recognition depending on the one he/she wants to give. Some might decide to give you a gift as a sign of gratitude while some will rather prefer to say thank your orally, others might actually want to throw a surprise party for you inviting so many people just for you to know how grateful they're.
To you what you might have done for the person or the help you render might look very small or you might not even expect anything from anyone based on the fact that you just love to help whenever you can. That help you think might be too small, might actually be a very big one to that person. Even if it's a small amount of dollars to buy food or any kind of help, the only thing there is that the person which you have helped, appreciate it and wants to show his/her gratitude.
In the case, I will rather prefer a private gratitude. I wouldn't want people to know what I have done and how I helped you. This is my nature of life, when I do something for someone, I wouldn't like the next person close to me to know that I have render a helping hand to you except you choose to tell him yourself. But if by any chance you want to appreciate what I have done, just come to me privately and do that because when I was trying to help you, I came to you privately so I see no reason other people should know.
I could remember back in school when i was to take my National Diploma results, I never knew or let me put it this way, I didn't remember I actually rendered a helping hand to someone not until after some years when I receive a message from my Facebook page from an old class mate whom I barely spoke with while I was in school but in one way or the other, he got my Facebook username and messaged me. At first I was surprised why he will even think of sending me a message. He then requested for my number which I gave him because we're now matured.
He called me immediately I sent my number to him and he was really appreciating me for what I did for him while in school. I didn't even remember what I did or what happened but he made me remember that when we were in school I helped him with money, then he was badly in need of money and when he walked up to me, I had no other choice but to assist. I had already forgotten about it but he still remembered and according to him, he has been looking for ways to reach out to me.
I was glad I could help, but I wasn't expecting anything from him because I looked at it as a favor and besides, the money was quite small in my side but was big for him.
In a nutshell, I would rather prefer a private gratitude than a public recognition.
Edited and also written here