My old neighbours son got a rare form of cancer when he was 5 or 6. A local real estate agent nominated her family for a local Xmas fundraising event. She was so overjoyed by complete strangers generosity at such a sad and stressful moment in her life. Because it was a rare cancer she got less financial support than common cancers like leukaemia. I'd consider donating to a family going through something like that.
Random Act of Kindness
- Thread starter Simon
- Start date
I'd go with Painter and put it towards someone's groceries or anonymously pay someone's restaurant bill.
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Sounds like the second person is just lazy. IMO opinion a random act of kindness should be something that the person provided to feels 'special' or whatever.
Paying for someones groceries is a good idea as mentioned by someone else.
I've done knock and runs: leaving cash, flowers, food hamper...I have always done it with the intention of being anonymous - but you don't need to be anonymous.
If you see a lonley person, you could take them out for dinner.
Buy a homeless person dinner. (not a fan of giving them cash personally)
I'm thinking that the intent, as I see it anyway, is not to give to charity but to do something unexpected and kind for a random stranger.
Such as paying for a meal or groceries etc.
I was just thinking now of paying for ten coffees and leaving a card for the beneficiary explaining it was a pay it forward thing. They could use the card to pay for someone else's coffee and leave them the card if they wanted to continue it.
Was even wondering about adding a facebook page where they could write a line ... Be interesting to see if the cards kept going.
I think it might be a bit too much to expect. Not that people aren't kind but they are busy and the card will end up in the bottom of a pocket or handbag and be forgotten about.
I'm going to think about it some more. I guess the purpose of the whole exercise was to encourage thinking rather than just giving it away to the first stranger you met or favourite charity you already had.
Part of me wishes I'd sat somewhere else ..
Such as paying for a meal or groceries etc.
I was just thinking now of paying for ten coffees and leaving a card for the beneficiary explaining it was a pay it forward thing. They could use the card to pay for someone else's coffee and leave them the card if they wanted to continue it.
Was even wondering about adding a facebook page where they could write a line ... Be interesting to see if the cards kept going.
I think it might be a bit too much to expect. Not that people aren't kind but they are busy and the card will end up in the bottom of a pocket or handbag and be forgotten about.
I'm going to think about it some more. I guess the purpose of the whole exercise was to encourage thinking rather than just giving it away to the first stranger you met or favourite charity you already had.
Part of me wishes I'd sat somewhere else ..
I agree, in that it's more likely designed to inspire thought and where that might lead rather than simply donating the $50 to someone/something.
Year before last I was supposed to go to Tasmania to complete in a bike race.
I got chatting to a Tassie local on a cycling forum who was starting to push his distances out a little.
He started a thread, during the month of December, you were to post your longest ride, (with a GPS trace as proof), entries clsing on New Years Day.
He then challenged himself to beat the longest ride posted before January 6th. If not, he was going to PayPal the person with the longest ride in December as a "bet" if you will.
Anyway, the longest ride posted in December happened to be mine.
When I uploaded my ride at the stare of December I said to the guy that if he didn't beat me I would not take the $50, but instead I wanted him to pay it into the Bushfire appeal, Tassie was being smashed by fires and the race I was supposed to go out and do was cancelled due to them.
I also told him that if he did beat my distance, then I would put $50 in the bushfire appeal anyway as long as he put his original $50 stake in too.
Long story short, he didn't beat me, so he put the $50 into the appeal and I matched it, along with a few other people who had been following the thread.
I popped a note on the thread to say I'd put the $50 into the fire appeal, and this was the reply.....
I have been waiting all day to update this thread.
After reading this post from you this morning my wife and I got talking about what could we do to help. I felt so powerless.
So, inspired by your selfless donation we decided to get involved.
We contacted emergency services and asked what people needed in the way of donations.
Then with a shout out on my facebook page to all my friends and family-
"Going through the house room by room getting donations. If other people in hobart would like to do the same, I can pick it up and take it out when we go. Just let me know, and please check the Tassie we can help site to see what they need. Some things like Mens shoes, toiletries, non perishable foods and entertainment (books games etc), pots and pans. Go check the site and let us know if you can help and we'll swing by".
Within an hour my private message box was inundated with friends and strangers sending me their addresses and lists of items they could donate.
I hit up the neighbours too and got a couple of houses in the street all chipping in to make a massive non perishable food hamper and a whole bunch of other stuff.
We chucked the kids in the car and grabbed the smart phones and went to all the pickup points one by one all over hobart and down to kingston to collect the donations.
I couldn't believe how generous these people were!
Before we knew it we had the 7-seater Nissan Patrol loaded up and full as a goog with all kinds of stuff. Clothes, shoes, baby stuff nappies and clothes and linen, bags of clean socks and undies - most of them new and unopened christmas stocking stuffers, toys, toiletries, books, kids activity stuff, tonnes of food, camp chairs, sleeping mats, torches, batteries, you name it. All good stuff too. No junk in there.
We headed out to the drop off point and helped the crew load the stuff. The little one got involved too which was great. She gave away a whole bunch of her toys, some favourites in there, and some of clothes too bless her.
Here she is helping unload some foodstuff. Don't worry, didn't donate the beer!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd....403x403/796_10151229417288915_293240778_n.jpg
We just got home with big smiles on our faces. I feel so much better knowing that Propgates $50 has gone to this cause and inspired todays events.
Great day.
Unfortunately, I don't think the photo's work anymore but they were of him and his kids handing out the things they'd collected.
So, even though it wasn't the intention, that $50 inspired an awesome act of kindness by this guy and his family, it really choked my up at the time.
Just thought I'd share, it might help inspire some more lateral thinking on this thread how to use that $50?
Year before last I was supposed to go to Tasmania to complete in a bike race.
I got chatting to a Tassie local on a cycling forum who was starting to push his distances out a little.
He started a thread, during the month of December, you were to post your longest ride, (with a GPS trace as proof), entries clsing on New Years Day.
He then challenged himself to beat the longest ride posted before January 6th. If not, he was going to PayPal the person with the longest ride in December as a "bet" if you will.
Anyway, the longest ride posted in December happened to be mine.
When I uploaded my ride at the stare of December I said to the guy that if he didn't beat me I would not take the $50, but instead I wanted him to pay it into the Bushfire appeal, Tassie was being smashed by fires and the race I was supposed to go out and do was cancelled due to them.
I also told him that if he did beat my distance, then I would put $50 in the bushfire appeal anyway as long as he put his original $50 stake in too.
Long story short, he didn't beat me, so he put the $50 into the appeal and I matched it, along with a few other people who had been following the thread.
I popped a note on the thread to say I'd put the $50 into the fire appeal, and this was the reply.....
I have been waiting all day to update this thread.
After reading this post from you this morning my wife and I got talking about what could we do to help. I felt so powerless.
So, inspired by your selfless donation we decided to get involved.
We contacted emergency services and asked what people needed in the way of donations.
Then with a shout out on my facebook page to all my friends and family-
"Going through the house room by room getting donations. If other people in hobart would like to do the same, I can pick it up and take it out when we go. Just let me know, and please check the Tassie we can help site to see what they need. Some things like Mens shoes, toiletries, non perishable foods and entertainment (books games etc), pots and pans. Go check the site and let us know if you can help and we'll swing by".
Within an hour my private message box was inundated with friends and strangers sending me their addresses and lists of items they could donate.
I hit up the neighbours too and got a couple of houses in the street all chipping in to make a massive non perishable food hamper and a whole bunch of other stuff.
We chucked the kids in the car and grabbed the smart phones and went to all the pickup points one by one all over hobart and down to kingston to collect the donations.
I couldn't believe how generous these people were!
Before we knew it we had the 7-seater Nissan Patrol loaded up and full as a goog with all kinds of stuff. Clothes, shoes, baby stuff nappies and clothes and linen, bags of clean socks and undies - most of them new and unopened christmas stocking stuffers, toys, toiletries, books, kids activity stuff, tonnes of food, camp chairs, sleeping mats, torches, batteries, you name it. All good stuff too. No junk in there.
We headed out to the drop off point and helped the crew load the stuff. The little one got involved too which was great. She gave away a whole bunch of her toys, some favourites in there, and some of clothes too bless her.
Here she is helping unload some foodstuff. Don't worry, didn't donate the beer!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd....403x403/796_10151229417288915_293240778_n.jpg
We just got home with big smiles on our faces. I feel so much better knowing that Propgates $50 has gone to this cause and inspired todays events.
Great day.
Unfortunately, I don't think the photo's work anymore but they were of him and his kids handing out the things they'd collected.
So, even though it wasn't the intention, that $50 inspired an awesome act of kindness by this guy and his family, it really choked my up at the time.
Just thought I'd share, it might help inspire some more lateral thinking on this thread how to use that $50?
I like the idea of lots of little acts of random kindness. That way you get to spread the love as far as possible. Even though a random free cup of coffee or the like may not seem like much at the time if will more than likely make a big difference to the person on the receiving end. Then hopefully they will feel inspired to do the same.
Some of my favourites are:
- Pay for the coffee / drink of the person who is behind you in line
- If I have to pay for parking and have over compensated then I will put the ticket back in the machine for someone else to use
- Have an extra umbrella handy on a rainy day to hand out
- Give items of value to people who need it
- Leave scratchies in random places with a 'good luck' note
Even better though, are the ones that hold no monetary value
- Making eye contact and saying 'good morning' to person in the elevator, next to you on the street etc
- Say 'thank you'
- Use the skills you have to teach others
- Bring in your neighbour's bins
- Let someone ahead of you in line
- Compliment someone you don't know (and mean it)
- Do something for someone who is unable to do it such mow their lawn, drive them somewhere, reach that item at the back of the top shelf at the supermarket!
- If someone is looking lost ask them if they need help
- If someone is on the roadside with a broken down car, pullover and see if there's anything you can do to help
- Let that car merge in front of you in traffic
- Be nice / acknowledge / chat to - to people who are doing their job ie taxi driver, parking inspector, ticket inspector, retail person, call centre person etc
Unfortunately though, sometimes kindness is taken as flirting / trying to pick up.
Some of my favourites are:
- Pay for the coffee / drink of the person who is behind you in line
- If I have to pay for parking and have over compensated then I will put the ticket back in the machine for someone else to use
- Have an extra umbrella handy on a rainy day to hand out
- Give items of value to people who need it
- Leave scratchies in random places with a 'good luck' note
Even better though, are the ones that hold no monetary value
- Making eye contact and saying 'good morning' to person in the elevator, next to you on the street etc
- Say 'thank you'
- Use the skills you have to teach others
- Bring in your neighbour's bins
- Let someone ahead of you in line
- Compliment someone you don't know (and mean it)
- Do something for someone who is unable to do it such mow their lawn, drive them somewhere, reach that item at the back of the top shelf at the supermarket!
- If someone is looking lost ask them if they need help
- If someone is on the roadside with a broken down car, pullover and see if there's anything you can do to help
- Let that car merge in front of you in traffic
- Be nice / acknowledge / chat to - to people who are doing their job ie taxi driver, parking inspector, ticket inspector, retail person, call centre person etc
Unfortunately though, sometimes kindness is taken as flirting / trying to pick up.
Hi!
. Give me that ticket and Ill break your fu<k!ng kneecaps! Have a nice day !pinkboy
Hi!
pinkboy
Ha, I realise what you say is in jest but.... like I said, be nice to people doing their jobs as someone has to do it.
If you're getting a parking ticket then chances are you're the one in the wrong. Why should the inspector cop it if you are the one either knowingly or unknowingly breaking the rules or law.
Too many people don't take responsibility for their actions these days.
Of course.
I need to brush up on my kindness skills. I lack in the 'nice' department.
pinkboy
