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...

Not me, but my lovely mum:

Back in my childhood, we lived just down the road from this other family, a single mum (as was my own) with mental health problems who was really struggling to make ends meet.

My mum hired her as a cleaner. There wasn't ever much to clean at our place since mum liked to keep on top of things and both of us kids were earning out pocket money by doing chores, too, so our home was virtually spotless at all times. So our "cleaner" would mostly just sit with mum, enjoy a cup of coffee and be paid £25 for it.

When I asked my mother why she didn't just give the woman the money, she said that it was because the coffee and chat part and the dignity of having work were as important for someone like our cleaner.

I love my mum.

I was at the NEC attending Crufts a few years ago, after queuing for the loo, I spotted a purse rammed with cash wedged into the holder on the back of the cubicle door.

I finished up and grabbed the purse, came out washed my hands and after looking about for someone panicking, started to leave to hand the purse to a steward.

A lady came barrelling in with tears streaming down her face, I said lost your purse? She was so grateful, she had just lifted cash to get portraits of her dogs done. She tried to give me cash as a reward, I told her to pop some money into the first rescue stand she came across.

On the way back from an evening out there was a man flat out on the pavement.

Checked his top pocket first, intending to check the others if no ID or anything was there and found a hotel card. It was just along the road so picked him up and hauled him to the hotel. It turned out he was staying there so handed him over.

Next day he turned up at my work to say thank you.

Seems a good post to share my eternal gratitude for being the recipient for one of these RAOK - I forgot my DC's formula on the train from London to Glasgow (on the way to my FIL's funeral), realising about 1 second after we left the station.

The train manager put an announcement out over the tannoy and some lovely mum gave me 2 bottles of formula. I was in tears of gratitude and relief. I didn't get to meet her but who knows maybe she is on here and will now know how much that meant to me on what was already a horrible day.

Went to put the rubbish out late one night and there was a commotion next door. Someone was trying to get the guy who lived there to look for his keys but he was too drunk to make any sense, he had just broken up with his partner and not coping well.

The other guy was the barman from the pub and had taken him home but couldn't get him inside as he appeared to have lost his keys.

In the end he held on to neighbour to keep him still and upright while I opened the unlocked window as I was small enough to get in and the barman wasn't, went inside and opened the door from the inside.

I was feeling a bit Bonnieandhyde ish before reading this thread but its proved remarkably uplifting. Very cheering.

Wandering about in a department store, looking at clothes and passed a carrier bag hanging on the end of a clothing rail. Left it assuming someone would go back to look for it.

I was at the till paying when a lady came up in a panic saying she had lost a bag. I took her to where it was and have never seen anyone so relieved, she kissed me. I have often wondered what was in the bag.

Had a batch of theatre tickets, a group of us went but there were 2 spare tickets.

People were queuing to buy tickets so I gave them to a couple who were waiting. They were good seats and they were very pleased, offered to pay for them but I declined.

I went to the National autism show in London and a man came up and spoke to me saying he had autism and wanted to attend but he hadn’t realised the tickets were so expensive
and he was short of money. I paid his entrance for him. Both my sons have autism and I’d like to think people would help them if they needed it.

I was on a train trip to Liverpool wogh prebooked seats. It was a massive detour through Wales due to rail works. One of the trains was 3 carriages and massively overfilled. A woman in her 60s and her elderly mother with sticks had to force their way on through the crazy number of people trying to cram into the carriage. I held back, figuring that I'd either squeeze in or get the next train if needs be.

I did squeeze on, and spotted that no bugger had given the old lady a seat as she was standing in the aisle. so asked if she'd like mine. She said yes, so I pulled my booking ticket out and bellowed down the carriage that whoever was sat in seat (whatever it was), could they please move and let the lady with the sticks sit down! It bloody worked. Half the train offered her their seats all of a sudden. She took a seat for the next 2!! hours of the trip. I sat in the vestibule on my suitcase with everyone else, it was a very strange day.

As we were getting in our car after a bit of shopping on a Saturday afternoon, i heard a weird squeaking noise, and saw a quite elderly lady driving into the car park with one tyre absolutely flat as a pancake.

I showed her, and said that if she didn't mind, I'd change her tyre while she was in the shop.

She was so grateful, as she was planning on going on to a friend's art exhibition, and wouldn't have been able to otherwise (not to mention struggling to get home).

When she came out and I'd finished, she was quite tearful, and tried to give me some money, because she'd seen I was with my children. I wasn't have any of it though, and just asked her to pay it forward.

I was just thinking about my grandma or MIL in the same position, and how much i would hope someone would do the same for them.

All of these are beautiful. It's hard to believe sometime, that you have to be the one to instigate help before others will join in.

The latest thing I did, was collected a couple of shoe boxes and filled them with sanitary products for a local school.

Last year I was driving to work. In a little village that I used to pass through there was this tiny adorable old woman who had about 5 bags. It was about -17 degrees. I stopped, took her in the next village, carried her bags inside. She tried to give me money and I said no. I'll never forget the look on her face.

Ihhhh I remembered my best one. I was about 10, walking home from school. My home country is somewhere in Eastern Europe where winters are tough, can get to -30 degrees.

There was this little girl, she wasn't begging or anything but she had only a thin jacket on and her face was almost purple, whereas I had a lovely, new padded coat with a huge fur hood. So what did I do? I took of my jacket and gave it to her. She started crying instantly and she thanked me.

I was worried about what my mom would say. She just said 5 words "I am proud of you".

These are truly making me feel like the world isn't such a bad place if we scratch beneath the surface.

I love the little gestures as much as as the larger ones and really like to hear that people are looking out for the elderly and vulnerable.

Just come back on the thread to read some more of these lovely stories, some have actually made me well up!
I remember another thing I do (only because I've done it this morning!). I have an elderly neighbour and round this time of year when all the leaves start to fall they end up in a big pile outside her front door (big tree right on the path in front of her house) last year I was coming home from the shop and saw her struggling with a broom to shift the leaves into her green bin so I took my shopping home, grabbed my own broom and went back out to ask if she needed any help, she accepted and we cleared all the leaves up. She offered me a cup of tea as thanks but I said it wasn't needed, I was happy to help as I know it's a pain as I have to do the same in my back garden. I sweep up leaves in my garden a few times a month in these months so from then on when I did my garden I would go out front and have a look if hers needed doing and if so sweep up and put it all in my bin, have done so this morning as its been very windy recently, wet leaves stuck to her door and everything! Weren't that many there though as my dad had come round the weekend before to do some odd jobs for me and decided to do some leaf sweeping also and did all the neighbours fronts as well (row of 5 houses).
My dad is always doing RAOK, it's like he can't help himself to do it - I remember once when I was little going food shopping with him, he paid for someone's full shop because she'd accidentally left her purse at home. I don't remember the in and outs of the conversation that led to my dad offering to pay but she had a small child with her so looking back now, she probably needed at least some of the items urgently (nappies etc) and I can imagine if I was ever in that position I'd be pretty upset too.

I wish the world were full of people like my dad - would do anything he could to help others even if it meant putting himself out and god knows he's done that enough times for me in the past.
Last year, he drove a 6 hour round trip to pick up my mums best friend from her house and bring her back to my mum as they were missing each other (both having a difficult time and needed their friend), and then drove her back the next day!

@Jenala can't believe his brother told him to go how awful kind of you to help him though.

SkullPointerException

Your mum sounds lovely.

Not a huge thing but back in the day when Burger King used to do buy one, get one free deals on their burgers or meals, I'd take my son in to get a meal and then give the other one to a homeless person - there were usually homeless people sat outside the shops, I'm sad to say.
I also, as a teenager, used to offer to carry old people's bags of shopping if I was going their way. Many of them didn't accept, I never took into account that it probably seemed a really dodgy thing to offer to do! I was just brought up to offer to help if I could!

Found someone's purse with cash and cards dropped by the side of the path. Fortunately, it had her driving licence in it so I was able to take it to her house. She was beside herself with worry.

Several times have paid small amounts at supermarket checkout for families who are just a bit short of the total needed. Paying cash. Mum trying to decide what to put back.

I inherited money from a family member who left everything to me. I went to visit all his friends and gave them a little something to remember him by. Young family who lived opposite were very good to him. Gave them some money towards a holiday

My late father always told me that he believed that we were put on this earth to help others. He certainly lived his life that. I try to do the same

Oooh. A post deleted by MN. Wonder what it said. Not pleasant I'm assuming.

It's a spammer.

I love threads like this.

Before I went on maternity leave, I organised The Backpack Project at Christmas.

The company I worked for was based on a large business park, so I would ask the receptionist to send out an email to every company, asking for donations of thermal socks, hats, scarves, gloves, cereal bars, soup packets, toiletries, etc to be dropped off at my office.

My colleagues and I (only 4 of us) would then chip in to buy backpacks, and things like camping mats, thermos, torches etc. We would then parcel everything up in to rucksacks suitable for a man or a woman, and drop them off at the local homeless people's breakfast club, to be distributed to those who need them.

This year I am making up 10 bags of toiletries, treats, mugs, etc to be taken to a hostel. Its not on the scale of what I did when working, but it's something.

Deleted message was a spam bot thing - "you can earn this much if you do this work" type thing.
You didn't miss much.