To ask for random acts of kindness that you've carried out...

[IchWill]

I believe that kindness breeds kindness. I often carry out random acts of kindness, because:

1. If I'm able to, why wouldn't I?
2. The world would be a nicer place if we all helped others out more often.
3. It makes me feel good to make a positive impact on someone's life.

Most I go about and do quietly, genuinely not helping people for recognition or glory, but when I have shared one or two examples with friends, they've said I've inspired them.

Let's hear your random acts of kindness...

Just remembered that I was helped by a ROAK.

Back in March with all the snow I was still working at about 8 months pregnant. I'd managed to walk to the station without falling over as most of the snow on the pavement was gone, or at least a clear path was there.

When I got to the station the floor was so wet and slippy and I knew I'd go flying. A lovely man noticed me hesitating at the entrance and he offered me his arm and walked me across the station and down to the platform.

Gave my cigarette lighter sub plug in thing to a couple of random stranger who pulled up as I was getting out my car.

Asking directions to hospital, they're phone was out of charge that had been giving directions. A relative had just been taken into hospital.

This is such a sweet thread

I was in Amsterdam recently & had half a joint left that I knew I wasn't going to finish, so I gave it to some guys who were pouring into town for a festival

Ahem, apart from that one, I try to do small things just for the sake of it - whether it's holding open doors for people struggling with them, collecting post for a housemate, giving spare change away, stopping to help an elderly person if it seems they need it, letting people go ahead of me in a queue, making cups of tea for people

I would like to do more and am trying to find more steady volunteering - but these are all little acts of kindness that I try to do unconsciously or reflexively - they cost nothing and they can make small moments pass easier for other people.

I'm very into the ideas of kindness and grace as ways we can treat ourselves and others

Lovely thread x

And I have been helped by them too - out of the three times I have been crying my eyes out in public, twice I was given a kind word and once a hug from a stranger. I was mid nervous breakdown and waiting to take a bus to A&E and it was nice to feel that on a busy street in London, someone cared as I was this close to losing my mind and inconsolable

a few weeks ago I was in McDonalds and an older woman was clearly struggling with her order, she had only a few coins in her hand so sounded like she wasn't going to be able to afford more than a burger

Anyway, as I was waiting behind for her a while, I came up & asked what she wanted, added a hot drink and I think something else and paid for it

She was sweet and said it was her birthday

When I got my actual order later they missed out on my apple pie!

But absolutely just nice to do kind things for others, not for a gloat - I only told my mum about it on the phone later - one McDonalds meal is not very expensive and at least she got to enjoy it

So far my advent RAOK have been:
30th Nov: Put money in a charity box
1st Dec: Paid for my friend when we went out for dinner
2nd Dec: chatted for an hour to an elderly woman who is going through a tough time and needed an ear

A few years ago, I was staying with my friend, overseas, and she and I went to the supermarket. When we were paying, there was an older lady by the tills asking for help as she was having a back spasm. I suffer with back pain myself so went to help her. We got her a seat, etc, and the supermarket staff got a wheelchair for her. My friend offered to drive her home, so we took her in the wheelchair, and got her into the car.

It then became clear she was quite confused, and a bit slurred in her speech. She lived in a care home, so I called them. We ended up taking her to hospital, I stayed with her, whilst my friend went to get care home staff, to come and relieve me.

My friend’s husband wondered why a supermarket shop took us 3 hours!!

Also, a couple of years ago, my close friend’s dad died suddenly. Her dad had been going through a rough time, and been on benefits, and had no savings. My friend was in a mess emotionally, as she has no other family.
A group of about 12 of us all chipped in money and paid towards the funeral. Didn’t say anything - just put it in her account. She was in tears when she realised. Said she’ll never forget it.

Last winter when it was very cold I was late night shopping in my nearest city with my teen DS. I was horrified at how many people were sleeping rough so went into McDonald’s and bought a stack of burgers and we handed them out. I was pleased to do that with my son as it has made him want to get involved in a homeless charity project at school.

Lovely things on here

My colleague at work’s baby had died at birth due to heart failure andvyears later she commented that hearts were special to her. I bought her a small prestat chocolate heart and popped it in her locker.

My friend’s brother had died a few years back I. Awful circumstances. Her and her mum were reminiscing whilst saying their favourite flowers were forget me nots. I secretly bought her handmade forget me not earrings and posted them on her birthday.

They still don’t know it was me x

Ive just spent a few unpaid hours writing complicated references for students I've only taught for one term. And I fed the birds this morning. I reckon those will have to do! Not exactly random, but AOK nonetheless.

How’s everyone doing with their Advent calendar RAOKs? We should keep this thread going til Christmas!
I’ve paid a debt that wasn’t strictly speaking mine and added some cash to put towards a gift for it being late.

@ferntwist what a great idea.

I've decided I'm doing the ROAK advent calendar. So far I have:

1 Dec: Paid for a friend's lunch as I've not seen her for ages
2 Dec: Gave a friend a genuine compliment
3 Dec: Gave a homeless person my umbrella when it was pouring with rain today and gave him money for a cup of tea.

Oh wow amy #heartwarming

I love threads like this. They always inspire me to do more.

We don't have loads of money but I donate small amounts to Shelter, Beat and Alder Hey children's hospital every month. Wouldn't consider those random acts though.

A few months ago I came out of McDonald's with some food for my family. I wasn't even hungry but went in randomly on the way home to buy everyone snacks - a load of mini McFlurry's and a double cheeseburger and a coffee for myself. Came out and saw a man of about 50, I'm assuming homeless, rummaging through the bin to find something to eat. I asked him if he was hungry and he said he was, have him my cheeseburger and coffee. He was really grateful and I just felt bad for not giving him an ice cream too. Felt so gluttonous holding about a tenner's worth of food and drink while he was picking through leftovers just for a few cold fries.

I need to do more.

Once waiting in a que in McDonald’s a uni student was trying to buy a 99p cheese burger but mentioned his card might declined to the cashier. I gave him 3 pounds as that’s all I had in change and said order what you like. The uni halls are atleast a 45 min walk from where he was and it was raining outside that day too.

I always invite people with only a few things to go before me at the check out when I go food shopping since I do a monthly shop and take bloody ages!

Paid for someone’s parking at a&e late at night last week. The last thing you want to be thinking about when you’ve a loved one in hospital is whether you can afford parking. He was just short of the money needed so I used my prepaid card and asked him to pass it on.

I don't work on Friday and instead spend the day helping out at the school my two daughters go to. (I'm a teacher and it's quite fun to hang out with my kids, be useful but have no responsibility!)

Last week after 2 hours of cutting and sticking, I'd had enough and went home earlier than usual. My sister lives round the corner from me so I thought I'd pop in for a hug before I tackled the mountain of crap that is my housework. When I got there, she wasn't in. But I had my keys in my pocket with her house key on so I thought I'd leave her a note to make her smile.

I let myself in and took about 10 seconds to realise that she was a bit stressed from how messy it was to usual. So I hoovered downstairs and the stairs before washing up :-)

I love my sister :-)

Nicest bit was that she got home just as I was sneaking out and made me a full English for lunch and we sat and watched Miranda together. :-)

Not random, but my friend is unwell and has frequent hospital stays, usually ending up in a 4 bed ward. I visit her with flasks of hot water, tea bags milk sugar coffee and most importantly china mugs. 5 of them. Enough hot water to warm the mugs then make everyone who wants one, a decent hot cup of something in a proper mug. Certainly beats the cold stuff they get served up. My friend expects it now, but the other inmates dont!

PUt some cleaning stuff in the food bank today. They say they always need cleaning things at Christmas a speople really want to be able to make their homes smell nice at this time of year.

ROAK Advent Calendar

4 Dec: Took a tin of chocolates to the hospital I had my little boy at, I can't eat them as I'm dairy free, and decided to take them to the midwives.

Was doing a tip run today and had abit of space left in the car. Noticed my neighbours who dont drive had a pile of rubbish with no space in bin so cleared it all for them txt her after to say its all cleared and she was really pleased. Not the biggest gesture in the world but im inspired to do atleast one thing a day, dont have alot of spare money so if I see a opportunity like that where its bot costing me anything more than a few extra minutes then il go for it.
Will definitely do some of the homeless food/drink roak inspired by all you lovely people xx

I keep coming back to this thread, seeing all the lovely acts and if there's any new ones added.
Lifts me up to think that there's still lovely people out there even though other threads can sometimes make you feel otherwise
As well as my running after someone at the cash machine contribution upthread, I can now add that I left my magazine I'd bought in a waiting area yesterday so someone else could read it after me.
Hope that counts lol

@fuzzyduck That sounds scary but made me laugh! Have you not seen what happened to Ben Stiller in Something About Mary?