What random acts of kindness have you seen displayed amid the coronavirus pandemic?

Murphybear

Some people have set up a group in our little market town to help the elderly and vulnerable.  They’ve had loads of volunteers to do shopping, collect meds and even dog walking.  I live in an over 60s community, there are 34 of us.  I’m helping out where I can, I did a “Boots run” yesterday, we had to queue up outside the shop and they let us in one at a time.  The weather was glorious.  I did a “Sainsbury’s run” at 8.00 am this morning chauffeuring 2 people.  The problem is we can’t shop for a number of people at a time due to the restrictions in place.  I can imagine what would happen if I bought milk and toilet rolls for half a dozen people plus myself.  

Although I am under 70 I am also vulnerable. I feel tired at the moment but life goes on.  When I feel particularly down I think about what my parents did during the war.  They got through it, they managed even though my father was a POW for most of the war 

couple of little things.  Yesterday Waitrose handed out beautiful little flower arrangements which they couldn’t sell for Mother's Day because so many people couldn’t visit their mothers. This morning I got 2 massive bunches of lilies and roses from Sainsbury’s.  Enough for 3 vases and 2 bud vases..  i was gobsmacked when I saw the prices, £25/£12.  I’ve put most of them in the communal lounge so everyone can enjoy them.   We can use the lounge as long as we are 6 ft apart.  Fortunately it is massive and one resident arrives with a 6ft pole to check 

olgadapolga

My seven year old daughter had me in tears yesterday. She brought down her moneybox (full of coppers) and asked me to help her count it. When we'd reached the total (£14.86) my daughter announced that she wanted to spend it on some boxes of chocolates for the NHS staff.

She was a little disappointed that we couldn't go out there and then to get the chocolates but I reassured her that next time we go shopping, it will be the first thing on the list.

Misslayed

My pup's doggy day care is staying open (with permission and restrictions) for key workers' dogs. 

Former_MSE_Molly

Auntiepat said:

Oops ...Thank you Molly for starting this thread, it's such a great idea - you're awesome too 😊❤️

Oh Shucks! (Said in the style of Goofy! Haha)
Thanks Auntiepat

Former_MSE_Molly

olgadapolga said:

My seven year old daughter had me in tears yesterday. She brought down her moneybox (full of coppers) and asked me to help her count it. When we'd reached the total (£14.86) my daughter announced that she wanted to spend it on some boxes of chocolates for the NHS staff.

She was a little disappointed that we couldn't go out there and then to get the chocolates but I reassured her that next time we go shopping, it will be the first thing on the list.

This is gorgeous!
Let's keep this up!
Easter eggs may be a cheaper alternative if she's hoping to make her money go further! How lovely.

elsien

A takeaway restaurant who donated several several boxes of chicken nuggets before they closed  to a child with autism who has a restricted diet. His very relieved mum now knows he's not going to starve in the next few weeks. 

And the unknown person who left a large bottle of hand sanitiser on my elderly mother's doorstep this morning.

Siebrie

My parents are 78 and 83, and live a 4-hour drive away from us, but I don't have to worry: they had notes through their door from 6 neighbours offering help.

in_need_of_direction

I work with a homeless charity who are in receipt of donated food from restaurants that had to close.  Yesterday a terminally ill man handed in £500 so his money could do som good.

Smodlet

Our next door neighbours have been absolute stars, asking if we need shopping and, indeed, showing up with stuff we had not even asked for; don't worry, it will be used.  They (and we, actually) think my husband should count as in the vulnerable group but, apparently, his asthma is not bad enough (nor even mine, which is worse) and he is three months shy of 70.  I realise the line has to be drawn somewhere and am glad we are deemed by the government to have some chance of surviving infection; they would know, of course

We have been able to reciprocate with bars of soap; we bought loads when it was on offer, back in the day, about a month ago.  They cannot find hand wash atm; good, old fashioned, soap, eh?  It is really good to know we are not alone as, if one of us gets it, I don't give a fig for the other's chances of not doing so, no matter how many times we wash our hands etc.

I want to shout out to Pyxis and co. for keeping me (relatively) sane with their voices of reason.  It is so easy to lose all sense of proportion at the moment.  I have not intruded on their thread as I feel too down to contribute but they have pulled me back a couple of times in the last few days.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who is helping someone they did not really know before.  What a pity it takes a life-threatening illness to bring out the best in some people.  To those who think it is really a good thing as it will kill off the boomer generation who are just a waste of your taxes, I hope you get what you deserve in spades.

HornetSaver

MSE_Molly thanks for starting this thread, I really, really needed to see some examples of people doing good things today.

I'm one of the very lucky ones - I work in a key industry (private sector) and my role, despite being relatively front-line, is conducive to working from home. I take shielding myself very seriously because if I'm ill there's fewer of my team who would be well to take up the slack, and people are depending on us to perform to our best. But it sort of makes me feel guilty because by taking this attitude, providing help outside of my home is not really an option. And a lot of what I hear from the outside world is the negative side of it, such is the nature of media and social media.

I'm doing what I can to communicate on the Coronavirus forums (it's the one thing that I feel that I can do), but reading through people's concerns is emotionally draining at times because often the answer is either not known or not good. That said, seeing half a million people volunteer to support the NHS in just a couple of days, seeing stories like the ones here, it gives me a bit more strength to say to myself "right, other people are doing what they can out there; I need to continue to learn as much about what support is out there as possible, and to support in any way I can when people are seeking that knowledge."