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...

@OneStepMoreFun - I got a big electric keyboard from someone on Freecycle . I couldn't afford to buy Christmas presents for my DDs, and I placed the ad asking if someone had a keyboard while thinking there's no way anyone would just give one away. Well, a woman gave me a practically brand new Yamaha keyboard. I was in tears.

I know. So disrespectful!

Thought of another I had a really nice delivery guy from Sainsbury's so I called up and put a good word in about him, to say thanks they asked for my nectar card and put £5 on to get some chocolates for myself

Small things like buying homeless people ice creams in hot weather, or offering hot drinks in the winter. Taking present duplicates etc to the domestic violence shelter at xmas.

But a couple of years ago, found a teenage lad sleeping rough near our house. I invited him for dinner, he came, had a shower, we offered him one of my husband's shirts as his was frayed, and over a few months he came for dinner a few times, and we helped him apply for jobs and sorted his CV. A few months after that we got a lovely email from him saying he was back on his feet and thanking us. It's what I hope someone would do if my children were ever in such trouble.

Found a fiver and a proof of postage receipt in the street. Walked way out my way to take them both back to the post office incase the owner went looking for them.

@GruntBaby You're amazing.

Oh lord! When i was early 20’s I had a job working nights in a casino. I’d walk home after my shift finished at 4am.

A guy passed me in the street in a quiet (but slightly dodgy), edge of town/resi area and he must’ve reached for his phone in his pocket or something as he passed me. I noticed he’d dropped some notes on the ground. They were £20s. Before I could think, I bent and picked them up and shouted after him “babe, you’ve dropped these”.

I handed over more than my night’s wage (inc tips) before I had chance to think about where he’d got that wodge of twenties from

So a few examples.

Whilst on a lunch date with a friend, I met an elderly couple who were there celebrating their wedding anniversary alone. So mentioned how they missed their children and wished they were with them. They also said this is the first time they have been out together in a very very long time as it all adds up. Before leaving the restaurant I went to the counter and paid for their food and drink. I didn't tell them that I had paid, so I really hope the restaurant didn't charge them again!

I drove someone i didn't know's mother to hospital yesterday as her daughter was in labour.

Hit send too soon.

A few weeks ago I was in KFC and in front of me was about a 9-10 year old child who was sent there to order for his family. His family were not in the shop and he was trying to pay with a bank card. His card declined and he kept asking the assistant to keep trying. He was getting distressed and worried, so I paid for all his food. The look on his face made it all worth it.

As karma would have it (or not have it in this case) when I ordered my own food and took it home, about a third of the items were missing from the bag!

@Pyracantha1 Beautiful examples.

I always try and give away for free things I don’t need. Gave away a big Xmas tree this week.
And I always say hello and give a smile to
People I see out and about. They probably think I m nuts but I’ve had days where just someone making eye contact and say hello would have made a difference.

Thanks @IchWill, I was actually inspired by someone else's tale of kindness, so thought I'd share in case it had the same affect on someone else!

I wouldn't invite just anyone home, that would be potentially dangerous, and I stick to other ways to help others, but this boy was was very young and very lost.

effect, duh.

I'll not blow my own trumpet about the lovely things I doa couple of examples of RAOK done by my adult dd who has been in hospital for mental health reasons for years....and would be forgiven for not having the mental energy to care for others as she has severe problems of her own.

She and a friend bought a big bunch of sunflowers and randomly gave them out to people in a shopping centre who looked like they needed a boost. It really was lovely. They made so many people smile from old ladies to young men......and people observing like me

Striking up a conversation with a middle aged man who looked upset at a train station. It turned out he had just been to his brothers funeral and really needed someone to talk to.

@WoofwoofMooWoof - if you live on the outskirts of South West London, maybe we met!

@OneStepMoreFun - no, I live right on the other side of the country, coastal South East .

@OneStepMoreFun - sorry, pressed send to early. Just know that if that child was half as happy as mine were when they got their keyboard, you did a very wonderful thing, and made a huge difference.

3 of my friends died in a car accident, we had a large group of friends, the joys of being 16. We went to the local supermarket to pick up some flowers to take to the place they died, And prinited some pictures of the girls whilst we were there. The lady in the kiosk refused to take payment for the pictures, she said I know who you all are (the accident was national news) and said this is the least we can do. Me and said group of friends have just been talking about this, and it's brought tears to my eyes. That ROAK will never be forgotten

When I worked at a swimming pool, I used to refuse to charge the local homeless people for a shower. I also used to buy a bag of bits - tissues, a meal deal, gum etc. For one of them most weeks. If I was buying coffee at the station I’d always see if one of the rough sleepers by the station wanted one too.

I don’t live in the city anymore and I do miss being able to make someone’s day with a sandwich and a chat tbh.

I clean up in public loos...

It started when I was younger and going out drinking-I really hated the thought of what the cleaners had to deal with at the end of the night.
I appreciate that they wouldn't have stayed like that for very long!

Nowadays, I think about the person following me in and that it is much nicer to enter a toilet that isn't covered with paper / rubbish and whatever else. If there's a bog brush I'll use that if the toilets filthy...but mostly just cleaning the floor is all that's required. I've never told anybody IRL.

Absolutely love this thread. I’ve got a few too.

Just this evening, I added a few items into the food bank trolley in tesco. Currently on maternity a bit skint ourselves but there’s people more worse off than us.

I’m a nurse, and I remember an old lady being admitted on to our ward not long before my shift finished. I went to assist her with something and got chatting. She was a bit fed up as she didn’t have any money with her as her admission was a bit rushed. She loved watching the soaps of an evening but didn’t have any money to buy a tv card. Myself and a hca secretly chipped too and bought her a card so she could watch her soaps. She was well chuffed.

Before being a nurse, I was a carer in the community and got close to a few ladies I went too. During the time I was visiting them, it was only enough time to do the essentials, wash, food prep, etc. Wasn’t ever enough time to do anything nice, so in my lunch break I used to take them out for a walk or to local garden centre. Sometimes they’d not have left the house for weeks.

Currently in the process of donating a load of baby clothes/Moses basket/travel cot/men’s clothes/sanitary products/women’s clothes to our local refuge.

@HappyHippy45 your daughter sounds lovely

Just reading how lovely people are, remember they walk among us 🌈😁

We're fostering a couple of cats for a lady in need. I was a bit wary at first then I saw she was panicking and thought we ought to help. They are beautiful and are much growing on everyone in the family.