One (small) good deed a day 2024

[MaybeBabyMustache]

Helped DS17 clean up all of the trash (water bottles, cups, uniform bags) after their first school soccer game. Collected two water flasks & gave them to the coach to be reunited with their owners.

[Dollar Slice]

Very minor, but I was at my parents' house doing Thanksgiving prep/cooking and my mom almost cut herself on the Costco-size plastic wrap box because it didn't have the little cutter-slider attachment installed. I asked why it wasn't there, and she said she wasn't sure how to put it on (but I think probably they can't do it because my mom has a pretty bad tremor and dad has very poor vision, and you have to slide the blade into a very thin slot to install it). So I took the time to find the little thingummy and install it on the box, since it's safer and easier to use.

[Dollar Slice]

Very minor, but I was at my parents' house doing Thanksgiving prep/cooking and my mom almost cut herself on the...

In further family-cutting-themselves news, I ended up fetching and applying band-aids to both my brother and my father while visiting for Thanksgiving when they cut their fingers on two different occasions. A fraught week for fingers!

Yesterday I stopped to help some ladies who were trying to find a particular store after dark on a cold night on a section of road where there was scaffolding making it hard to read signage unless you were right in front of it.

[crocheted_stache]

I was biking home a little later than usual tonight and I realized that a thing I had just rolled by in the bike lane, in the dark, was a wallet. Yay for freshly charged bike lights!

I went back and picked it up. It seemed to have all its contents, including a driver's license with an address just a couple doors down. It must have escaped his pocket or bag between the car and front door. The lights were on inside. I knocked on the door. The guy who answered was in his pajamas. He was surprised to see what I had to give him, and he was certainly glad to have it back.

[Dollar Slice]

Had to go get blood work done so I walked over to Quest... spotted a debit card on the ground about six feet from the door of a small shop. I took it in and gave it to the store in hopes it belonged to someone who had just been shopping there and might come looking for it.

I might have taken it home and called the bank (maybe I could return it to a branch or something?) but a couple of older men saw me pick it up and I didn't want to just pocket it and walk away like I was stealing it! But there are no other stores near that corner so I think they were probably a customer there anyway.

[LaineyAZ]

I helped a relative get their apartment prepped for fogging.
 
There's an insect infestation in the building, so to eradicate them the residents had a strict checklist which included removing everything from the kitchen and bathrooms including inside all cabinets, and covering all contents with plastic or sheets.

The work was akin to a partial move-out, hard for us seniors, but we mostly got it done.  Will be going back today to finish.

[pachnik]

I picked up a piece of glass from the walk way of a hotel we are staying at.  It is beachfront so people are in sandals or barefoot.

[crocheted_stache]

I feel like we've been raising the bar on "small" things lately. It's not a bad thing that we're doing amazing things, but this is a small things thread.

Today, I reported a couple of maintenance issues found on my bike ride to work.

[crocheted_stache]

Inspired by Giving Tuesday, the dwindling time left in the year, and the fact that a lot of money sits in DAFs without getting distributed, I went through and made a bunch of my contributions for the year. I even sent along receipts to get couple of them counted towards matches. I hope, in the aggregate, some of it does some good.

[BECABECA]

Picked up about half a blender’s worth of glass shards on my walk today, along with the blades on the base. Not sure where the other half ran off to, but at least it’s not on the walkway anymore.

[crocheted_stache]

I attended an event this evening that started with everybody in a crowded lobby. A senior in attendance lost his balance and fell. He kind of leaned into me and slid down, which is actually how you're supposed to help someone who's falling,* except I was facing the wrong way to see it coming or do much about it. I can take a bit of credit for holding my ground, meaning I slowed his fall a little and managed not to topple anyone else around us in the process.

If there was a deliberate good deed, it was making sure he was okay (seemed so) and then weaving my way back through the crowd, collecting a roll of paper towels from someone in charge, and cleaning up all I could of the drink he spilled on the way down, before anyone else slipped in it.

*If someone is falling, rather than try to keep them upright, get them as safely as you can to the floor. Ideally, lean them against yourself and slide them down. It's a useful thing to know if you're taking care of someone who's old or ill enough to be unsteady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PRQ0CRn5w

[crocheted_stache]

Picked up about half a blender’s worth of glass shards on my walk today, along with the blades on the base. Not sure where the other half ran off to, but at least it’s not on the walkway anymore.

I'd wonder who takes their blender for a walk, but I guess it's a weekend. Anyone with pneumatic tires, bare feet, or dogs, thanks you—or would if they knew.

[Dollar Slice]

*If someone is falling, rather than try to keep them upright, get them as safely as you can to the floor. Ideally, lean them against yourself and slide them down. It's a useful thing to know if you're taking care of someone who's old or ill enough to be unsteady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PRQ0CRn5w

Now you've done a good deed by sharing that :-) I've been in that situation a couple of times with friends in a public place, and never knew quite what to do.

[crocheted_stache]

*If someone is falling, rather than try to keep them upright, get them as safely as you can to the floor. Ideally, lean them against yourself and slide them down. It's a useful thing to know if you're taking care of someone who's old or ill enough to be unsteady: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PRQ0CRn5w

Now you've done a good deed by sharing that :-) I've been in that situation a couple of times with friends in a public place, and never knew quite what to do.

Yep, that's why I shared it.

Once upon a time, I was taking care of a loved one who was ill. I wasn't right there when he started to seize, but he had the presence of mind to speak up just as it started, and I got there quickly enough. I did not know what I was doing, but I managed to keep him from hitting anything too hard on the way down, which was all that mattered. The paramedics took it from there. After that, it occurred to me to look up what I should have done, which fortunately turned out to be a more controlled version of what I did.

By the way, if someone is feeling dizzy or faint but is still at least partly in control, stand behind them with your hands near their hips, and help them to take a seat. The ground or floor is a safe place for them to wait while the next steps happen. That is, call emergency services and keep the person safe, unless you know otherwise. (You might know otherwise if you know from last time that the person is diabetic and just needs to drink some fruit juice and sit still for a while. Still call for help if you have any doubts, of course.)

There are also videos on various techniques for helping someone up safely from chairs, beds, and floors, so you don't injure yourself or them.

It's not exactly first aid, but it seems like this kind of thing should be more widely taught, especially given how many people at some point end up being the home caretaker for an aging or ill relative.

[Dollar Slice]

It's not exactly first aid, but it seems like this kind of thing should be more widely taught, especially given how many people at some point end up being the home caretaker for an aging or ill relative.

Yes, that's a good point!

When it happened to me it wasn't something I expected - not at home taking care of someone who was sick or anything. One time was on the street and one time in an art gallery. One of them grabbed at me for help but the other just started toppling backwards like a tree going down (but I was right next to him and was able to give him enough support to recover his balance).

[MaybeBabyMustache]

I posted a bunch of my expiring Hyatt awards to my local Buy Nothing group. I've had them expire before, & I'd hate to have that happen. (They are intended to be gifted, so no rule violation there.) I've had so many people reach out with excitement! I love that. It's so fun to be able to get them in the hands of people that can use them & not let them expire. Even though it's technically not "waste", it always feels wasteful to see them expire in my app.

[crocheted_stache]

I posted a bunch of my expiring Hyatt awards to my local Buy Nothing group. I've had them expire before, & I'd hate to have that happen. (They are intended to be gifted, so no rule violation there.) I've had so many people reach out with excitement! I love that. It's so fun to be able to get them in the hands of people that can use them & not let them expire. Even though it's technically not "waste", it always feels wasteful to see them expire in my app.

I did something sort of like that once. I had gotten a code for one lunch worth of credits for Doordash or one of those. It was for an event that would have happened at work if it hadn't been during quarantine, and I didn't want to create an account or waste the money, so I offered it on my BN group. To contain the stampede a little, I asked people requesting it to recommend their favorite restaurant within about five miles. Some excellent suggestions, and I should continue down the list, but we don't go out that often.

[crocheted_stache]

Took a group photo for a group I passed on the way to an event. They were trading photographers and taking selfie-in-front-of-group shots before I offered to get everyone in the picture.

[jeninco]

Took a group photo for a group I passed on the way to an event. They were trading photographers and taking selfie-in-front-of-group shots before I offered to get everyone in the picture.

Nice!

I was part of a group taking a selfie, and as a member was about to take it, another member,who for DV reasons doesn’t do web photos, came out. He pressured her to be in the photo, and she declined, twice. Then I stepped over, grabbed his phone out of his hands, handed it to her, and told him to get in the photo.  I apologized after; it felt pretty aggressive, but sheesh: if she has told you twice she isn’t going to be in the photo, maybe believe her? (He was fairly gracious about accepting my apology…)

[Dollar Slice]

Tried to help a couple of friends who are having major anxiety issues with some of their life admin stuff. Both are planning trips and one is looking for a therapist

Nine months later, my friend who was looking for a therapist has finally got an appointment with... not a therapist. But a nurse in the mental health department at the hospital. Who will refer her to a therapist. And get her a prescription for anti-anxiety meds. She has had such a hard year and I'm so proud of her! Me and another friend have been doing gentle hand-holding and encouragement along the way. She has panic attacks and severe anxiety. I hope they can help her.

It's been almost a full year but my friend had her first appointment with a therapist today :-) I'm so proud of her. The nurse suggested two practices and one of them was the same practice I had thought would be a good fit for her after scouring through just about every listing in the state, so she ended up going there.

[oldtoyota]

We were on a college campus and helped a student load a tall dorm fridge into her car.

[crocheted_stache]

I stopped on my bike ride today to carefully remove a fallen branch from the middle of the road.

[crocheted_stache]

Reported a social media profile impersonating someone who's a local public figure and a senior who may not be too sophisticated about managing such things himself. Here's hoping the platform follows up in a way that makes sense to the person.

[crocheted_stache]

Picked up a few pieces of trash along my walk, including the remaining half of a safety vest.

[Dollar Slice]

Picked up a few pieces of trash along my walk, including the remaining half of a safety vest.

I also picked up some trash on my walk, a big paper shopping bag had blown into the middle of an intersection of a fairly busy street, so I went out and nabbed it when the light was red. Drivers have a hard enough time around here without any two-foot brown objects suddenly rolling across the lane at night.

[crocheted_stache]

Another walk, another handful of trash removed from the streets. @Dollar Slice , the half a safety vest was in a pretty busy street, too. I figure my cautious retrieval of it might prevent someone from swerving and whatever mishap comes next.

[crocheted_stache]

Helped out with a group bike ride. Someone was struggling to ride a borrowed bike that was the wrong size. I helped get the seat tightened so it stopped twisting and made sure she had a way to get home before I left.

[crocheted_stache]

Today I biked on a street where the city is studying prospective bike lanes. It's a part of the city I don't often visit. I mainly concluded that it does, indeed, need bike lanes, and I sent suggestions and feedback about it.

I also reported an ugly pothole (is there any other kind?), some graffiti, and a hole in a publicly-maintained fence that should be keeping the public out of a hazardous area.

[crocheted_stache]

Took a longer-than-usual walk today and picked up more litter than usual. I deposited some of it in public trash cans along the way, so I only carried home the last few things.

[crocheted_stache]

I brought food to the family gathering today, and not gifts. No adult I know needs more stuff, but I can crank out homemade bread and a veggie side dish with a lot less effort and lost sleep than my mom can, and the result is better and more consistent, if I do say so.

We gave money in a card to the two children in attendance. It's not very imaginative, but I didn't have time to shop even if I'd known what they wanted, and nobody ends up rolling their eyes at Aunt crocheted's hopelessly bad taste in whatever. Just maybe, they get to try out this money stuff and learn something about it and about themselves.

[oneday]

Yesterday I fed the feral cats at the community garden. Whoever normally does it had not done it by noon, so the kitties were very grateful.

[crocheted_stache]

Picked up a couple pieces of trash along my walk, as usual. Also wiped some barbecue sauce or something off the touch screen of an ATM I visited. I refill my tiny bottle in my purse from a larger bottle at home, so using a little dab doesn't cost much. I'll put a couple of my surplus restaurant napkins back in my purse now, for the next time something needs to be cleaned.

[crocheted_stache]

I nudged and advised the right people at a small, local organization I support to begin the process of setting up their donation tool to better accommodate donations through donor-advised funds. Some of the details may wait until folks are back from holidays, which is fine.

This activity is partly selfish on my part, in the sense that I'd like to send donations that way. Hopefully, getting the setup done will also open the door for others with DAFs who may not have such close contact with the people inside the organization. I feel like I'm still learning to operate this account, even though I've had it for a couple years now. It seems to put a couple layers of remove between me and the organization, and for organizations where I'm an active volunteer, that's not what I want.

(This was from a couple days ago. I found the draft still open in a tab and I guess I never hit 'post.')

[LaineyAZ]

I donated a small amount to Wikipedia when their request popped up. 
I only donate annually but compared to how much I use them for information, it's really nothing.

[Serendip]

Picked up some random bags of dog poop along the trail (I often carry a sealable bag for my own dog).

[crocheted_stache]

I donated a small amount to Wikipedia when their request popped up. 
I only donate annually but compared to how much I use them for information, it's really nothing.

Don't feel guilty about making only a small contribution. Their public fundraising has always been many small donations that add up to a lot. They also are pretty well endowed. Donations further the lofty additional goals.

[Monocle Money Mouth]

Picked up some random bags of dog poop along the trail (I often carry a sealable bag for my own dog).

I appreciate that you do that.

It drives me bonkers when people bag up their dog's shit then leave the bag of turds on the ground. You might as well not even do it if you aren't going to throw the bag in the trash.

[crocheted_stache]

Someone got on public transit asking for hand sanitizer. The vehicle didn't have any onboard, but I carry it, so I offered some.

[crocheted_stache]

Today I reported, among other things, a foot-sized pothole in the middle of a crosswalk. It's definitely a hazard for feet and smaller wheels.

[crocheted_stache]

The hole in the crosswalk (previous post) has been patched. The next couple I reported are still in the queue. Maybe city staff are still on vacation. I've reported the next couple bits of graffiti, too.

Today I removed and recycled a good-sized, empty cardboard box and one of those little "buzzball" drink containers. I have the feeling that those can't be recycled, but the recyclers can sort that out. They have an aluminum soda-can-style lid on an otherwise plastic container. They're one of my pet peeves when picking up litter, both for that reason and because they seem to be a very common thing to litter. Not that there is good litter.

[crocheted_stache]

Spotted and reported some graffiti. Sometimes small things are small.

[Poundwise]

Fuzzy nightrobes were $10 at Costco so I picked one up for a low income friend.

[crocheted_stache]

I removed a good-sized slab of packing foam from the roadside before it could blow anywhere less accessible or more harmful. I tossed it in the work dumpster on my way in.

[crocheted_stache]

Took a long walk around the neighborhood in the quest of dropping off a Buy Nothing item today. On the way back, I picked up several pieces of trash and took pictures of a handful of things to report for city maintenance attention, including one hole in the sidewalk. They need to fix that one before anyone puts their foot or skateboard/scooter wheel in it and goes tail over teakettle.

[Dollar Slice]

Thanks for keeping the thread going, crocheted. I have been very unwell for most of the last six weeks and was also prepping for my disability hearing, so I have been mostly focused on myself recently and also not leaving the house much.

I did: 1. bring a little food treat for someone who was working a 16-hour shift 2. buy something for my friend who doesn't have a credit card, and found him a 15% off coupon for it (he'll pay me back when I see him next weekend).

[Dicey]

Thanks for keeping the thread going, crocheted. I have been very unwell for most of the last six weeks and was also prepping for my disability hearing, so I have been mostly focused on myself recently and also not leaving the house much.

I did: 1. bring a little food treat for someone who was working a 16-hour shift 2. buy something for my friend who doesn't have a credit card, and found him a 15% off coupon for it (he'll pay me back when I see him next weekend).

Ugh, I hate that you're sick. Fingers crossed for actionable test results.

[crocheted_stache]

I've mostly done the usual, where the usual is reporting various graffiti, illegal dumping, and a damaged fence (in a public place) I've found on my bike rides and walks.

I seldom report code violations, but one local business has persistently blocked nearby sidewalks with their signs. Those signs were back in their parking lot last time I went by, so I guess it worked for the moment. I'm okay with them thinking "the city" has no patience for such things, but this is the third time I've reported them for it. That's a busy stretch of sidewalk, and if ever someone needs to move a wheelchair or stroller along it, the least we can do is keep open the four or five feet they're supposed to have.

Also, I caught up with another bicyclist at a red light and suggested he pump up his very soft back tire. I hope he got home without getting a pinch flat.

[oneday]

On my morning walk, I took a detour outside the gated community to grab a chair with only 2 legs that has been on the median strip for weeks. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the small bookcase that was its companion. It was too heavy to carry, but I will be prepared with my furniture dolly.

[Dollar Slice]

2. buy something for my friend who doesn't have a credit card, and found him a 15% off coupon for it (he'll pay me back when I see him next weekend).

Wanted to shout-out my friend who made a special trip up to see me so he could pay me back early; he had picked up some tickets at the box office for a show we're attending soon (we both prefer having paper tickets to digital tickets) and he brought me a fancy organic dark chocolate bar as a thank you. Sometimes your small good deeds come back to you!

[crocheted_stache]

On my morning walk, I took a detour outside the gated community to grab a chair with only 2 legs that has been on the median strip for weeks. Maybe tomorrow I'll get the small bookcase that was its companion. It was too heavy to carry, but I will be prepared with my furniture dolly.

If the abandoned furniture is on a public street, chances are there's an app for that. Trouble is, every city has their own. (A few other agencies do, too, like the water district and Caltrans, but cities are very good at redirecting you if something isn't theirs.) Search for something like "report maintenance [city in question]" and you should find an app, web form, or email address. From there, it's usually a question of attaching a photo and giving an accurate location. You'll also be ready to go the next time you find potholes, graffiti, water leaks, or whatever else.

Personally, I'll remove a littered coffee cup, but for furniture or major appliances, my taxes and yours are already paying for someone who can come out with a truck. Likewise anything that might be a safety issue to deal with, like if it's in heavy traffic or down an embankment.