Random Acts of Kindness - revisited
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Whit4you | Tuesday, October 29, 2002 - 07:16 pm     I think we used to have a thread like this... always brought smiles and tears to my eyes. Stories you've heard about random acts of kindness? Websites on it? Something that's happened to you? Or if you care something you've done for others? (don't think of it as ego-stroking to share it .. it'll inspire someone else to do the same for someone else) I'm bummed cause I've been saving this story to post here for days and now I can't find it - but it's about some poor immigrant who worked as a carpenter his whole life and lived as a very meager life... he died in the past couple weeks and left everything over 1 million dollars to the '9-11 neediest fund' The story was touching and if I can find it again I'll post it. Since I'd like others to share their own Random acts of Kindness to give others ideas and motivation .. I'll start by sharing one of my own. Me and my guy at the time (see "best date thread' lol) had alot of free time but not alot of $$$ so we decided to utilize the X-Mas Charity here. It was probably in it's 5th year then? Well I was not working at that time - so I decided to offer to help out ... I typed oh 80ish words a minute back then and knew that would come in handy... while I was there I got an inspiration and came home suggesting to my babe that we both help out (He was on X-Mas break from College) so we did... and lemme tell you we got soooooo much more then we gave - both of us 10+ years later will never forget it, ever. No X-Mas can go by without it being a major thought in our minds. He was very strong physically... and almost all those there volunteering were elderly guys. I was a very fast typist - most the ladies typing there were elderly retired ladies. We worked 12 hours a day there - we'd take our breaks at the same time and we were so happy. He was "Mr Mom" to his own kids... so whenever there were not trucks to unload he'd work in the kiddie-corral where they kept the kids while Mommies shopped for their free presents. I shouldn't have this under random acts of kindness I suppose because as I've said we may have made alot of people happy for a few weeks then... and saved so many kids a few hours standing outside in the cold cause the line moved so fast with us there. We may have done a little for them then, but it gave us so much more - I could right this moment 10 + years later write a book on those 2 weeks and the incredible time we had 'giving' to others. And the joy it still gives me just remembering it...... Anyhow I don't know if that really fits in with the concept of this thread but maybe I wanted to share it to get the ideas flowing with others on random acts of kindness they could do etc.......?
I truly believe that if everyone 'practiced' one act of random kindess a day - (pay it forward - was an aweeeeesome movie) that the entire world would feel the impact... and I believe it's possible to do this. |
Sia | Tuesday, October 29, 2002 - 11:29 pm     Whit, it's a great topic for a thread! Sometimes a nice random act of kindness can be as simple as talking with someone who normally gets overlooked. I try to always have a kind word for people, whether I know them or not. It takes extra time to complete my shopping, and that drives my husband nuts, but I will always help elderly people who can't reach things on higher shelves (not that I'm tall, because I'm NOT!) or who are looking for a product and don't want to "bother" the sales-people. The way I chat-up strangers just confuses my hubby, but I can't change; my dear Dad is exactly the same way. My daily routine always included a few random acts of kindness. Yesterday I asked for the supervisor of a young customer service rep who answered questions for me when I called an 800#. I reported that she was extremely helpful, well-informed, AND well-spoken. I love that in a customer service person, and always reward a good operator by singing his/her praises to the supervisor; it helps the rep when the time comes for performance reviews. It just takes me an extra five minutes of less. I have five minutes to help someone who has helped me! |
Twinkie | Tuesday, October 29, 2002 - 11:42 pm     Sia, I'm with you on the helping old ppl. I will definately go out of my way to help them anytime, anywhere. For that matter I try to do anything I can to help anyone who is going thru a major crisis whether I know them or not. I've just always been a nurturer and I'm way too old to change now. LOL |
Jagger | Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 06:31 am     I live next door to an 88 year old lady who has more spunk in her than I think I ever had. I have always stopped by her place if I see her outside when I get home from work. Several years ago when I was home sick I noticed that she would always come outside at 3:30, which is 15 minutes before I get home from work. I started to watch anytime that I didn't work and she did this everytime. I finally realized that she was coming out just so that I would stop by and talk to her. So I made it a habit of at least stopping over to chat for 5 minutes each day. When winter hit she never came out, so I took it upon myself to go over there at least once a week, of course I have to bring my dog along so she can give him a treat,. I have been doing this for 3 years now. Several weeks ago her son came to my door to thank me for being so nice to his mom, telling me that everytime he visits her, which is almost every day, she mentions how I always come over to visit. Granted I do get bored going over there but I figure if I can't give up 30 minutes to an hour per week to make someone else happy there is something wrong with me. With winter coming up I will start marking my calender to keep one evening a week open to go over and visit her. |
Vixeninvegas | Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 12:27 pm     I love this thread! I enjoy hearing about stories like this - makes up for some of the yucky people we run into on a sometimes neverending basis. Jagger - I LOL'ed @ your story - I have elderly neighbors in my condo who moved in shortly after I did 8 years ago. They are in their mid 80's & for some reason have been special to me since they day we met. They recently bought a computer (well a year ago) and ever since they did have called me on a weekly basis to do many different little things (i.e. replace the printer cartridge cuz she is "afraid" to break it when she puts a new one in ((& she has to a TON cuz she prints out EVERY EMAIL she gets LOL - I can't seem to explain to her that they are "saved" till she deletes them)), or maybe unjambing a stuck paper, or "fixing" the monitor when she forgets to push the power button). I crack up every time she calls & starts out the conversation with "Pammy this old woman needs a little help" (Hehe). I love them both dearly & they always introduce me to people as their "granddaughter". And dont you know they give back as much (if not more then) they ask. I am a single 40 year old woman & once I had the really yucky flu & hadn't moved off my couch in like 2 days - she was worried since they noticed my car hadn't moved in 2 work days so here comes "Grandma" less then 3 months after having one of her knees replaced, trotting up the stairs to my 2nd floor condo with chicken soup & crushed ice cubes. She sat with me for over an hour - feeding me & wiping down my face. I swear she is one of those "angels on earth". |
Vixeninvegas | Wednesday, October 30, 2002 - 02:12 pm     You know I just thought of another “RAOK” that I would like to share with you all. At one time I worked for this man – lets call him “Mr. B”. He owned a very large contracting company with a couple hundred employees. Our Mr. B was very eccentric. He believed in UFO’s & took monthly trips out to area 51 to see if he saw any of em. He was know as the “slum lord” of this town I lived in at the time because he owned a lot of run down properties that the prostitutes & drug dealers tended to frequent due to the fact that they didn’t have to have any credit to live there – just pay by the week / day / month. No Lease required. Anyways he was very wealthy & kind. Once a week into our office trotted a hair stylist and a manicurist. We all referred to this as his “buff & puff day”. It made us all laugh. I could go on & on about his little “quirks”. Regardless I’m getting off the subject. In November he called a company meeting & we were all summonsed to the huge conference room. He informed us that he had contacted all the local orphanages & shelters in the area & gotten “Santa Wish Lists” from local needy children. He requested that each one of us take as many as we felt comfortable with & asked us to “adopt them”. I selected 6 lists from the passed around bucket. To each list was an envelope attached with $300.00 per child. His only request was that we purchase, wrap & deliver the gifts to the children & stay with them as they opened the gifts so that the children would know people out there cared about them. It was the most special Christmas I have ever had. These children were so amazed that a total stranger would do for them. It was magical. I think we need more “Mr. B’s” in this world. |
Jagger | Thursday, October 31, 2002 - 05:28 am     Vixen our company started that same thing last year for Christmas, this was the first year they did it and it was just part of the warehouse personal who did it, it was about 20 people and they collected close to 1000 bucks. They only adopted one family so this family had a great x-mass. This year they plan on doing this company wide and at all divisions. They plan on adopting a bunch of families this year so more families will have a good holiday season. |
Whoami | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 01:19 am     Well, my story is a follow up to a situation I wrote about in the "Positive Vibes" thread. To summarize, on October 22, my sister was coming home from a job in Nebraska, when their van overturned (on a freezing drizzle road condition), and rolled into a ditch. My sister's co-worker (the driver) was killed. My sister, and one other passenger in the van survived. Another van carrying four other workers was just ahead of them, and witnessed the whole thing. Those four were taken somewhere (can't remember where), while my sister and the other co-worker went to the hospital to be checked out. The four other people wanted to know what happened to the people in my sister's van, and they were finally told one of them had died. Those poor people then had to spend the rest of the evening wondering which of their co-workers was now dead. Needless to say, even though they weren't physically involved in the accident, they were most definetly emotionally involved. Enter the Nebraska State Patrol, and the people of Kimball, Nebraska (the town nearest the accident site). The State Patrol drove the 2 people from the hospital (and wherever the other 4 people were) to a hotel, and put them up for the night. They then came and got them in the morning, and brought along a minister for greif counseling, and took them to breakfast in the hotel. The hotel set aside a specific room for them, so they could dine in private. Then, two volunteers from Kimball drove the 6 survivors home to Cheyenne, so nobody would have to worry about driving. I always assumed in a situation like this, the State Patrol would take care of the accident, take names, write up the report, and be done with it. The extra effort they put into it to take care of these people, the effort on the hotel's behalf, and the volunteers who drove my sister and her co-workers home warms my heart like you can't believe. It makes me cry to know they were so well taken care of in such a time of horror. So, to the people of Kimball, Nebraska; the Nebraska State Patrol, and the unnamed hotel in Kimball. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking care of my sister that night. It means more to me than I can ever express. |
Twinkie | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 02:48 am     Oh Who.....my heart goes out to all of you. I wish I could do anything to help all involved. I'm so very sorry. |
Aussiedeb | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 06:57 am     Who, that is such a wonderful story, I am glad your sister is ok though. I had one of my college friends show me a RAOK. We have hit rock bottom at the moment with hubby off work for over a month now and me getting back surgery the day before his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder hit with a vengeance. He is the breadwinner here, and to go from a decent paycheck to 0 was devastating. His family wouldnt help us but said to pray. He went to our local priest and was told the same thing, I was mad. I told my friend in class the next day what had happened and the next day she handed me a note with a walmart shopping card of $40.00 value saying that its an answered prayer. I was so moved by it all as she is a divorced mom with a son who is multi-handicapped. Since we are both in the same degree program at college I let our instructor know her act of kindness since we are majoring in Human Services (social work)as I felt that it was so wonderful. She wanted to help us with gas and groceries. My job at college is to tutor and help other students with disabilities get thru college, so I perform RAOK everyday. I always take the time to say hi to them around campus and see how they are doing. I am a member of 2 clubs and a student senator and my project at the moment is to make the school have more disabled parking, and then to make the college fully handicapped accessible. This is a great thread |
Max | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 08:32 pm     THere's a website that fosters RAOKs every day. It's called Modest Needs. The motto is "Small change. A world of difference." This is one of my preferred charities because I know that (a) the most money of any organization I've researched goes to those who need it, not administrative costs; (b) it's designed to help folks who just need a bit of a financial boost. Grants aren't for much, sometimes less than $100, but they make a big difference for folks. Anyway, this is one small way to practice RAOKs on a regular basis.  |
Lancecrossfire | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 08:46 pm     Who, that is great everyone was given so much extra attention from the State Police, a hotel and a few caring individuals. I hope after everything settles down, some can get in touch with the State Police and give a thank you to them, as well as find out the hotel and individuals. In the maen time, a big thanks to them Deb--you are so amazing for being in such a tough position and still provide so much to so many others. A big heart felt thanks to you as well for making such a difference in the lives of others. |
Max | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 10:44 pm     A good way to say thanks to the state police and pass the act of kindness along (pay it forward, if you will) is to send them some teddy bears. Sounds silly, but most police officers carry a teddy or two in their car. If they have to deal with a situation with children involved, they give the bear to the child to help calm and reassure them. Just a thought. |
Wargod | Sunday, November 03, 2002 - 10:54 pm     Fire stations too, Max. Every year my kids preschool takes a field trip to the fire station. They make thank you cards, take home made gifts and canned food for their food drive to them. The fire fighters love it, cuz the kids work hard to do it, and they're adorable...but the kids also learn it's important to say "thank you" to those who give so much of themselves to others. They may be young and not understand it fully, but it starts them on learning about giving back. |
Jagger | Monday, November 04, 2002 - 05:19 am     I was out this weekend from 10 to 6 on Saturday raking yards for senior citizens. This is something myself and several of my neighbors have done for several years. We sort of turn it into a mini neighborhood party with snacks and coffee and other beverages. We have a great time and the people who we rake their yards are very happy. |
Whit4you | Monday, November 04, 2002 - 08:42 am     I'd like to share this story I read - I think all act of kindness stories touch me but some especially do, you know the choking up...fighting tears and so on? I guess different stories do this to different people so here's a link to the site I read this at there are tons of these stories there... Kindness Stories and here's the story Okay we all know that yesterday was international kindness day.... and many of you know the money problems my husband and I have been having...well, Ihad been saving up money to take a trip home to Indiana for about 6 months from moneys I made babysitting, we had about $200.00 saved up, which is not alot, but when I am only able to put 5-10 in at a time...I was very proud of myself for letting that go untuched for so long... Any way I have just started a job as a cashier at Wal-Mart and yesterday while I was grocery shopping acouple of hours before work, I met this lady with 4 kids in the produce area....she looked beat down...not abused....at least not physically but just beat down by life....I was grabbing some potatoes, when her daughter who is about 6 years old walked up to me and asked me if I could get her a bag down as well...I heard her mom telling the other kids who were wanting to get donuts, mac and cheese....you knwo the kinds of things all kids like to eat, that they only had about $20 for groceries that week because there dad had lost his job and she had to find work, so they had to keep the groceries down to a minimum so they could have enuff money for bills.....I nearly cried with this little 6 year old girl...she lookd so embarrassed for her mom....it was truly sad.... they only had a few items in their cart...some peanut butter, potatoes, bread and one of those 5lb chubs of hamburger meat. My manager Terry saw me staring at this woman and her kids and came over to ask what was wrong... I told him what I had heard and that I wanted to help them out...I asked him to keep the lady there on some pretext or other and ran to the ATM machine and pulled out all the money we had saved up....I went to the cash register and bought a wal-mart gift card and was going to put all the money on there that I had in my hand....while I was waiting my manager came up to me and handed me another $200 in cash, and some of the employees also chipped in to help this lady and her kids out. In all total we put a little over $500 on a gift card for groceries for this lady. Terry had asked one of the produce men to keep her there by telling her that the potatoes she had were being pulled off the shelf and he was going to go get her another bag...we made it back over to produce and gave her the card, well she was a very proud young woman and kept refusing the card....Finally Terry had had enuff....he told the lady that it was International Kindness day and if she remembered nothing of this day, that it be this: For every kindness you accept, do a kindness for someone else...." Finally she took the card and went thru and bought groceries enough to last her and her family for several weeks....She was crying the whole time she shopped... She asked whose idea it was to do this and my manager said it was mine...but that just was not true! I had only decided to do this small thing for her and her kids, having been there before and knowing how hard it was...she came over to thank me, which I accepted, but I made sure to tell her that it was not my idea for a kindness like that...it was God who gave me the means and opportunity to help her, and that it was a wonderful group of friends I had made that gave me the power, Random Acts of Kindness. So I am telling you all this story just to let you know, that not only have you made my life better, but you have helped to make her life better too. Shared with us by Christina |
Marysafan | Monday, November 04, 2002 - 09:07 am     I will share this story of my oldest daughter, a single mom with three kids. Dear daughter works for a large retail grocery chain managing the service desk and handling most payroll & personnel issues. One day last December, she was on a break in the break room when one of the young female employees approached her. She asked my daughter if she had any idea about how to go about contacting "Toys for Tots". This gal was a single mother with a two year old, who had just gone through a terrible divorce and had come back to the city to live with her father until she could get her life back together. With all of her expenses from the divorce and the move, it was going to be a pretty bleak Christmas and she wanted to know how she could get a couple of things to put under the tree for her little boy. My daughter feigned ignorance, but told the young lady that she would check into for her and get back to her...not to worry about it...and she would take care of all the details. She then stated asking the woman about the little boy, sizes, favorites things to do, what kind of toys he might like, etc. Then both woman went back to work. When my daughter got back to the serivce desk...she had big tears in her eyes. When asked if she was okay, my daughter related the story to the girls working behind the desk. Enthusiastically, they all agreed to "adopt" this young women and her son. They made a game plan, went shopping, wrapped what they bought, and had it all ready in only a couple of days! Then my daughter contacted the manager of the department where the young woman worked. She explained what they were doing and told the manager that she needed to see the woman at the end of the day "in the office". At the end of the day, my daughter showed up to escourt the young woman to the office. Along the way, the young woman asked my daughter if she was "being fired" or if she had done something wrong. My daughter assured her that it was nothing to worry about. When they got back to the office there was a fairly nice size stack of wrapped presents for the young woman and her son. Needless to say...there were lots of tears and lots of gratitude expressed. I was so very proud her. |
Whit4you | Friday, December 13, 2002 - 05:50 pm     Well not to blow my own horn - but maybe just to revive this thread - cause I like RAOC's. Today at work - a guy came up to me a bit panicked - said he was taking his aunt to the hospital but she couldn't make it so needed to use our bathroom. He stuttered some and asked if I could possibly help her that she couldn't do it alone. So I said sure. I helped her get set up in the restroom and then left and shut door for her privacy but she needed additional help with pulling down and up her undies - she was very very old probably 90..95.. and I helped her with all that. It was ackward for me mostly because I didn't know how much to help you know... but she was very touched by my help as was her son when I brought her out. To me this seems like something anyone would do but neither of them seemed to think that they were both calling me a kind soul and stuff. Made my day anyhow - to be able to help her like that and to do so in a way that did not make her feel helpless (I tried to let her do as much as she seemed able to do, herself) |
Jmm | Friday, December 13, 2002 - 06:26 pm     Congratulations Whit, and it's really ok to blow your own horn. What you did was extremely nice and you helped an old lady kepe her dignity. There's not a nicer RAOC than to give an old person their dignity. |
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