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General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 14, 2018, 11:26:09 AM

Title: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 14, 2018, 11:26:09 AM
I've been trying to look for small opportunities to do good deeds every day. I'm not talking about saving a drowning child (although, you should definitely do that too!), but the really small stuff. For example, so far this year I've:

-Picked up trash at the local school while on a walk
-Cleaned up a shared break area at the office. Recycled a few things, organized, & just made it look generally tidier.
-Ran over & held the door for someone who was balancing many things & trying to badge into our office + open the door

Making a dedicated effort shows me all of the opportunities to do something good, even if it's super tiny. And, side bonus, it feels great! What about you? Any interest in joining? Post your small deeds here & inspire us.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on January 14, 2018, 11:34:29 AM
I'll join.

This is small but will make my partner very, very happy.

I just emptied the dishwasher (since I prefer to handwash & he prefers the machine..he tends to fill & empty it himself) :)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 15, 2018, 12:34:22 PM
I'll join.

This is small but will make my partner very, very happy.

I just emptied the dishwasher (since I prefer to handwash & he prefers the machine..he tends to fill & empty it himself) :)

Awesome!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 15, 2018, 12:35:04 PM
Yesterday I made the time to have a long chat with my mom. She's going through a challenging situation, & I know appreciated the chance just to vent & talk. I saved up some kid stories (always her request) to make her laugh as well.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on January 15, 2018, 09:50:06 PM
Yesterday I made the time to have a long chat with my mom. She's going through a challenging situation, & I know appreciated the chance just to vent & talk. I saved up some kid stories (always her request) to make her laugh as well.

Ahhh..good job.
I also called my mom today (is it strange that I actually thought to do it b/c of this challenge!) and then picked up some garbage off the streets on the walk to work :)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: jc4 on January 16, 2018, 02:14:55 PM
I'm a fan. I'll try to post some good stories for inspiration.

I was gonna do this anyway, but I'll include here. I'm gonna give my younger brother my college laptop for him to start school in the fall. He texted me for advice on what to buy today, so I told him this was my plan.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on January 16, 2018, 02:19:22 PM
I don't know if I can do every single day because I have quite a few days where I have very little human interaction, but I'll give it a shot... :-)

Today I walked a co-worker through benefits enrollment because he wasn't sure how to get into the website and accidentally locked himself out of it by entering wrong password info.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 16, 2018, 09:14:34 PM
Yesterday I made the time to have a long chat with my mom. She's going through a challenging situation, & I know appreciated the chance just to vent & talk. I saved up some kid stories (always her request) to make her laugh as well.

Ahhh..good job.
I also called my mom today (is it strange that I actually thought to do it b/c of this challenge!) and then picked up some garbage off the streets on the walk to work :)

Whatever works!

Helped my sister score a router, so she can stop "renting" from her cable provider for the outrageous fee of $11/month. Router purchase is $20. Paid off in less than 2 months.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 16, 2018, 09:15:09 PM
I'm a fan. I'll try to post some good stories for inspiration.

I was gonna do this anyway, but I'll include here. I'm gonna give my younger brother my college laptop for him to start school in the fall. He texted me for advice on what to buy today, so I told him this was my plan.

This is awesome. What a lovely idea.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: felixbf on January 18, 2018, 01:50:22 AM
I have decided for 2018 that every pay day I'm going to buy a food parcel and hand it to random people who ask for food at various street robots.  Just a couple of cans of beans, peas,tin fruit and long life milk & water. Effectually cutting out the middle man.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on January 18, 2018, 01:29:01 PM
I have decided for 2018 that every pay day I'm going to buy a food parcel and hand it to random people who ask for food at various street robots.  Just a couple of cans of beans, peas,tin fruit and long life milk & water. Effectually cutting out the middle man.

This is a great idea felixbf!

 My mini good deeds from yesterday and today have been..
 1) helping a young man (carrying 2 pairs of skis) who dropped his case of beer in the middle of the crosswalk, salvage a few of them. Ha. poor kid. He was shattered and most of the beer was spraying in all directions and cars were starting to drive.

2) Chatted with some visitors who were trying to make conversation, tried to give friendly local advise (we have a lot of tourists who visit our town and sometimes it's easy to tune into yourself, but people really appreciate the help)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 18, 2018, 02:13:37 PM
These are great!

I was parking this morning, and noticed a cafeteria spoon in the lot. Picked it up & returned it to it's appropriate location.

This one was harder, but we have shared electric car charging at work (free). There are very clear policies on how this works. I'd been charging for about 20 minutes when someone disconnected my car (leaving the charging port open) & started charging their own car, which is not at all the policy. There were also many, many unused electric charging spots that they could have chosen to take instead. I had a few ideas about how to respond, but ended up leaving a really polite note & not making a big deal out of it. I have the contact info & could have sent a snarky email (and, thought about it), but decided the person was probably a total newbie & likely just unaware of the rules. I also figured that the note was less "in your face" than an email with names & such. :-)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 23, 2018, 09:56:57 AM
-Apparently, people leave a lot of silverware on the ground. So random. Found another spoon today & returned it to the cafe to be washed & put back into use.

-Helped my son with a kindness challenge he's doing at school. We made hearts to distribute with kind words on them, and picked flowers to distribute to some of the staff. The kindness challenge gave me a few additional ideas that I'll have to try out. It's nice to see him motivated by the positive feelings of doing kind things for others.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on January 23, 2018, 10:02:48 AM
That's too funny MaybeBabyMustache--There must be so much silverware (and elastic hairbands, I see so many of these!)

I saw a younger guy wandering in the snow after he was in a workshop with me (it was evening). I asked if he needed a lift and turned out he was staying 8 km away in a hostel so I gave him a ride.  I felt a bit surprised that he hadn't done research as to whether there were buses running to his destination at that time!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Livingthedream55 on January 23, 2018, 10:24:05 AM
I'm giving up going to the movies tonight to sit with a niece and help her with college financial aid paperwork.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on January 23, 2018, 10:43:03 AM
Thanks for bumping, I got busy last week and forgot I was supposed to be doing this. :-/

Serendip, that was very kind of you. When you're from out of town it's easy to misjudge a walk or misunderstand some aspect of the local public transit system - been there, done that! One time a couple of strangers gave me a ride. Another time someone I'd just met walked me back to make sure I was safe. I was very grateful!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 23, 2018, 11:00:44 AM
That's too funny MaybeBabyMustache--There must be so much silverware (and elastic hairbands, I see so many of these!)

I saw a younger guy wandering in the snow after he was in a workshop with me (it was evening). I asked if he needed a lift and turned out he was staying 8 km away in a hostel so I gave him a ride.  I felt a bit surprised that he hadn't done research as to whether there were buses running to his destination at that time!

He got so lucky that you were around & available.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: ginjaninja on January 23, 2018, 11:15:13 AM
My friend started a "bag it up challenge"  What this means is that whenever you are on a hike or a walk, try to get at least 1 bag of trash to throw away.  I have been doing this by cleaning up after dogs in my neighborhood or at the dog park.  Also by picking up any trash that I see on the street. 

Also I have started to actually reply and private message people from social media when they post something.  It is so easy to just scroll past but it has been really cool to connect with old friends and talk to them about what is going on.  It makes social media way more fun for me.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on January 23, 2018, 07:08:03 PM
OK, I missed some days because I forgot I signed up for this challenge, but, since last week:

I gave some free concert tickets to someone I met three weeks ago, because I knew she really wanted to go and is on a tight budget. She ended up landing a freelance gig writing reviews of two of the shows for a magazine, so the bands will be really pleased about the publicity, and she will make a few dollars out of it, too.

I took a taxi home one night (because it was 2AM and the subway we were near was not running) and gave a ride to an elderly friend who lives near me. (Reason #1,271 why I love New York: I randomly run into elderly friends at 2AM at punk-rock concerts.)  He is some kind of expert-level Mustachian living his best life on a very tight budget, and would never pay for a taxi even at 2AM.

Today I offered to help my neighbor carry some packages because she had one more box than she could fit in her arms.

Also today I am trying to be emotionally generous with someone who is making me crazy (and being really unreasonable) because I know she is having a lot of stress in her home life.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on January 24, 2018, 11:40:41 AM
OK, I missed some days because I forgot I signed up for this challenge, but, since last week:

I gave some free concert tickets to someone I met three weeks ago, because I knew she really wanted to go and is on a tight budget. She ended up landing a freelance gig writing reviews of two of the shows for a magazine, so the bands will be really pleased about the publicity, and she will make a few dollars out of it, too.

I took a taxi home one night (because it was 2AM and the subway we were near was not running) and gave a ride to an elderly friend who lives near me. (Reason #1,271 why I love New York: I randomly run into elderly friends at 2AM at punk-rock concerts.)  He is some kind of expert-level Mustachian living his best life on a very tight budget, and would never pay for a taxi even at 2AM.

Today I offered to help my neighbor carry some packages because she had one more box than she could fit in her arms.

Also today I am trying to be emotionally generous with someone who is making me crazy (and being really unreasonable) because I know she is having a lot of stress in her home life.

Love all of these!

-Bought a gift for my sister that will save her lots of money in the long run. She's struggling financially (but, working hard & trying to make smart choices).
-Only visible to me, but forgave someone who failed to pay me money for three months (should have had it in a week). As soon as I got over it, as if by magic, the check arrived.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Rosy on January 24, 2018, 02:32:19 PM
@Dollar Slice - Saw your prolific link - I am thinking of picking up with prolific again. Somehow I haven't found my stride with them, I actually did better on Amturk. Maybe you could give me a couple of tips to make it more profitable?
Another good deed for you:).

I don't think I can totally commit to this challenge, but I am doing some things that qualify, which I had planned on already.
I am putting together a basket of food for a local open-air free food etc. pantry. I have two baskets left from Christmas and a fair amount of food from my emergency stash (my hurricane supplies) that I need to rotate out - I'll also pick up a ham in a can at Aldi and coffee and a box of chocolate truffles. It's nice to have some stuff besides the necessities and good coffee is expensive. I'll repeat this next month.

Been doing some nice things for Mr. R. and the kid like cooking favorite things that take extra time, researching stuff online to save us money and helping the kid with his job search. Made more time to talk with both of them and let Mr. R. watch all his football games without interruption:) even though I would have loved to go for a walk and wanted his help with my bike instead.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on January 26, 2018, 10:02:51 AM
I had some great advice from a friend who is a small-business owner.

She recommended writing Yelp reviews when you receive outstanding service (I told her about a fellow at an outdoor equipment store who really helped me out). Since it's one of the best ways to drive business to independent stores, I am going to write up a review for him & the store.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: dycker1978 on January 26, 2018, 10:42:30 AM
I will often use the hashtag #kindness matter on my FB.  I think that small good deads and positive actions are awesome!!

I am in.  I will start recording this as of 1/26/18.  So what does that leave me? 339 more days... and go!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on January 26, 2018, 01:48:31 PM
Haven't had much in the way of opportunity this week as I've been doing nothing but going to work and going home and not seeing/talking to many people. But I saw some friends were trying to fundraise on Facebook for charity, trying to reach a certain dollar amount as a goal, so I donated small amounts and wrote a funny/encouraging note for each one.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 02, 2018, 07:45:06 PM
-Escorted a coworker home from dinner in another part of the city, even though I was ready to go home (international work trip), as she was nervous to be on her own
-Tonight, bought dinner for our family + the 3 workers who were at our house. The kids were super excited to get dinner for the guys working. It was their idea - I merely paid. We had no power, & my jet lag is at epic levels, so this was all I could make work.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: redbird on February 02, 2018, 10:46:15 PM
Does doing a good deed for a wild animal count?

The roof over my front porch is supported by a few pillars. The pillars are square shaped and, in the back part under the roof, there's a ledge on top. A female house finch a few days ago decided to sleep there to get away from the cold winds and some rain. I noticed her huddling there and looking a little sad because of the brightness due to my front porch light being on. I turned my porch light off for her so she could sleep better. Normally I keep my porch light on every night for security reasons (don't really HAVE to, it's a super safe neighborhood and I even have a cop as a neighbor).

She has not only been returning every night now, but today when I went for my walk I saw a male house finch hanging around. I think that is her boyfriend. I suspect my being nice to the lady house finch is going to result in a nest being built on that ledge (there's plenty of space for that) soon enough. Bird watching for me and wild bird shelter for her and potential babies is a win-win, I guess.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Clara Smith on February 03, 2018, 12:21:30 AM
I have this parrot for like four years. I set her free last week. she was so happy. I miss her now
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on February 03, 2018, 10:16:36 AM
Does doing a good deed for a wild animal count?

The roof over my front porch is supported by a few pillars. The pillars are square shaped and, in the back part under the roof, there's a ledge on top. A female house finch a few days ago decided to sleep there to get away from the cold winds and some rain. I noticed her huddling there and looking a little sad because of the brightness due to my front porch light being on. I turned my porch light off for her so she could sleep better. Normally I keep my porch light on every night for security reasons (don't really HAVE to, it's a super safe neighborhood and I even have a cop as a neighbor).

She has not only been returning every night now, but today when I went for my walk I saw a male house finch hanging around. I think that is her boyfriend. I suspect my being nice to the lady house finch is going to result in a nest being built on that ledge (there's plenty of space for that) soon enough. Bird watching for me and wild bird shelter for her and potential babies is a win-win, I guess.

This a supremely good deed (and Clara's as well..although a bit sad)!  I think expanding our circle of kindness to include species beyond our own is a beautiful act.
I have been continuing to pick garbage and think of it more as an 'earth-tending' project than tidying for the benefit of other people :)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 03, 2018, 02:22:44 PM
I have been excessively helpful and patient with co-workers and former co-workers all week.

1. I saved someone severe humiliation or worse because he was winding up to get angry with our Big Boss about a mistake that didn't actually exist. The mistake he thought had happened didn't make sense to me, so I gently asked questions until we both realized it was simply a misunderstanding/misreading of something VERY basic that would have made him look like an idiot if he took it to the boss.
2. Didn't really succeed in this case because someone threw a tantrum in the office in the end, but I tried to be diplomatic and be a go-between for two co-workers who are not working well together. Even though I failed at solving the problem, two different co-workers said very nice things about me to the boss because they appreciated how hard I tried.
3. Sorted out W2 forms for the owner of a company I worked for a year ago because she is kind of hopeless at getting anything done these days (I have no idea what's wrong with her but she says she "has some kind of bug" and just "sleeps all the time" for the past 8 weeks) and I was afraid no one would be able to file their taxes if I left her to do it on her own. Luckily I was never removed from the payroll company's records as being a contact person for that company.
4. A former employee of that former company called me on my cell at 5PM on Friday to ask for a copy of her 2015 W2s ASAP because, I don't know, she hasn't filed her 2015 taxes yet and lost the forms? Or something? JFC. I got them for her because... well, see #3.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 03, 2018, 08:05:03 PM
I have been excessively helpful and patient with co-workers and former co-workers all week.

1. I saved someone severe humiliation or worse because he was winding up to get angry with our Big Boss about a mistake that didn't actually exist. The mistake he thought had happened didn't make sense to me, so I gently asked questions until we both realized it was simply a misunderstanding/misreading of something VERY basic that would have made him look like an idiot if he took it to the boss.
2. Didn't really succeed in this case because someone threw a tantrum in the office in the end, but I tried to be diplomatic and be a go-between for two co-workers who are not working well together. Even though I failed at solving the problem, two different co-workers said very nice things about me to the boss because they appreciated how hard I tried.
3. Sorted out W2 forms for the owner of a company I worked for a year ago because she is kind of hopeless at getting anything done these days (I have no idea what's wrong with her but she says she "has some kind of bug" and just "sleeps all the time" for the past 8 weeks) and I was afraid no one would be able to file their taxes if I left her to do it on her own. Luckily I was never removed from the payroll company's records as being a contact person for that company.
4. A former employee of that former company called me on my cell at 5PM on Friday to ask for a copy of her 2015 W2s ASAP because, I don't know, she hasn't filed her 2015 taxes yet and lost the forms? Or something? JFC. I got them for her because... well, see #3.

That is seriously some heroic stuff. You are demonstrating all of the patience I wish I had! Nice work, DollarSlice. You are inspiring me to try harder next week!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 03, 2018, 10:05:00 PM
That is seriously some heroic stuff. You are demonstrating all of the patience I wish I had! Nice work, DollarSlice. You are inspiring me to try harder next week!

Thanks! #1, 2, and 4 were all within about a 6-hour time frame on Friday so that made for a pretty rough day. Well, #2 has been an ongoing project, but the tantrum and aftermath were on Friday. I canceled my evening plans and came home and climbed into bed at 7...
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 08, 2018, 04:57:53 PM
Over the past few days:
-Offered to mentor someone at work on a specific topic
-Cleaned up the shared break area, & recycled all of the flat sparkling cider that's been sitting around since our holiday party.
-Picked up an extra carpool session with the kids for someone who had a personal emergency
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 08, 2018, 10:08:53 PM
-Cleaned up the shared break area, & recycled all of the flat sparkling cider that's been sitting around since our holiday party.

Nice one. I can barely even clean up after myself at home, let alone my co-workers :-)  I'm actually purposely not doing any cleaning up around the office (other than my own stuff) because I'm the only woman in the office and pigs will fly before I let myself become the office "maid" or office "mom."

I have a good friend who hasn't had a real job in a while (scraping by picking up a shift here and there but no benefits and hardly any money) and I mentioned to a musician he likes, who is playing shows every night this weekend, that I have a friend who wanted to come but couldn't really afford tickets... and they said they would put him on the guest list every night so he could come for free :-)  Mostly a good deed by the musician, but I helped. Friend is thrilled.

I've continued trying really hard at work with the co-workers who are not getting along, but I'm not sure it's helping :-( I know the angry co-worker has some bad family stuff happening, and he's just not dealing with things well in general. I'm trying to gently encourage him to let go of the job a little bit and not let it be so personal that it makes him angry - it's just a job and all he can do is try his best. Easier said than done for most of us. But I'm starting to feel incredibly unsupported myself because I've become everyone's crutch. Good deeds backfiring slightly :-/
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 09, 2018, 07:42:56 AM
@Dollar Slice - re: the shared area, it's actually where our contract employees sit. I'm a pretty senior full time employee, so it kind of feels like we had this party & then just left the mess. (My team is perhaps slightly more female than men as well.) I like a clean work space, and it just makes me feel good to slowly pick things up that you stop "seeing" after a while.

Love the musician one! Your music friend is awesome.

It's hard when other people are relying on you so much, & you really do have to draw the line so you can a) get your work done timely & effectively and b) not absorb the negative emotions of everyone else.

I did a bad deed at work today & feel like I need to confess. I get in super early. Probably 90 minutes before anyone, other than my office mate. We were in our office, & I was expressing my frustration about a situation & the way someone was handling. A short time later, I got up & walked past the conference room that is shared with our office (by a wall) & noticed that person I was venting about sitting there. I feel terrible. Based on follow up conversations, I'm pretty certain she heard me. I moved on & discussed the business stuff, & we are resolving that. However, I feel like an actual apology is warranted. However, what if she doesn't want to discuss/or didn't hear? Also, great lesson learned for me. It's inappropriate & jacka** to do that, & save the frustrations for another time/place.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 09, 2018, 10:34:57 AM
Love the musician one! Your music friend is awesome.

Yes :-) The music community here is (mostly) really great. I've met so many lovely and generous people. Very little ego, lots of "we're just happy to be here"/"we're so happy you came out to see the show" attitude.

Quote
It's hard when other people are relying on you so much, & you really do have to draw the line so you can a) get your work done timely & effectively and b) not absorb the negative emotions of everyone else.

Yeah, I think that ship has sailed, unfortunately :-P Emotionally I'm doing OK; but workwise it's hopeless. Today I'm sort of hitting a wall... I have a huge amount to do and I'm just sort of staring blankly at it with no motivation to do anything because it is so overwhelming.

Sorry about the accidentally-badmouthing-your-co-worker incident. Probably most of us have done something like that without realizing the person overheard us. :-/
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: BECABECA on February 09, 2018, 11:35:40 AM
I'm a little late to this party, but I love the idea of this thread!

On my dog walk today I picked up an extra poop from someone who must have forgotten (I do this every time we go for a dog walk, since I can improve the efficiency of the one poop bag that I already am using for my two dogs anyway. And if there's a few days break between our walks, then there's more than just one extra poop that someone forgot, sometimes I suspect it's from coyotes).

Also on the walk today I picked up some garbage that turned out to be an unused poop bag that I'll put to good use tomorrow. Instant karma!

I recently retired but my wife is still working, so each day I am trying to be sensitive to the fact that I am lounging in bed while she gets up and gets ready for work. This week I've gotten up with her when her alarm goes off and have taken the dogs out and fed them and then brought her coffee. I'm trying to keep up with this as my new morning routine, regardless of what time she has to get up that day. So far so good!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on February 15, 2018, 04:18:04 PM
For about 8 years I have been asking myself daily "Is the world a better place for my existence?" so this challenge fits in nicely with that question.  For a while, I felt the answer was usually "No" based on the fact that daily I consume resources, add to crowds, etc.   But over time the answer has been "Yes" more often.

Today I:
- collected clothes and toiletries for the homeless
- sent out emails to various connections which I hope will result in screenings of children's movies in the Bronx (they have screenings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, but as usual the Bronx and Staten Island were left out)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 15, 2018, 04:27:26 PM
Excellent, all! Glad to see people posting & contributing. My good deed for the past few days:
-Volunteered & contributed to a local community effort that needs help
-Have spent some time thinking how I can get further involved, using my skill set for the community group. They have a lot of passion, but not necessarily all of the skills (project management, crafting strong messaging, creating decks, etc) that I have. I'd like to figure out how to leverage my skills to help, as I'm passionate about the project.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on February 20, 2018, 09:09:00 PM
Helped out friends with child care today, and then as a bonus, fed extra kid lunch & dinner + sleepover. They are lovely parents who include my son in tons of stuff, so it's nice to be able to help them out.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 21, 2018, 10:59:14 AM
This morning I went to the box office to get $10 rush tickets for a friend as a surprise (they are normally $75 each and he couldn't afford them). They sell out quickly first thing in the morning, and you can only get them in person... but it's right on my way to work, so it only took me 10-15 minutes to stop and get them. It was almost sold out but somehow I got fourth row seats. He is super psyched. :-)

Yesterday I was at an event with a looong line (I waited almost an hour and a half to get in) and I saw an acquaintance of mine getting out of a taxi and making his way to the back of the line... he is very ill/disabled and can't take the subway or stand in line for a long time. I flagged him down and let him join me so he wouldn't get stuck way in the back. He has very poor vision so it makes a big difference if he can sit close to the front. Mission accomplished :-)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Herk on February 21, 2018, 11:59:26 AM
I have this parrot for like four years. I set her free last week. she was so happy. I miss her now

Depending on where you live, this might not be good at all. Pets shouldn't be released into the wild. Alien species are a huge problem world wide.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 24, 2018, 10:29:37 PM
My friend had to drive to the next state over to go help out his mom with something (she has a serious illness and needed a ride to the doctor) and he was really bummed because he didn't think he was going to get back in time to go to this concert he'd been planning to see for his birthday. No advance ticket sales, you just have to get in line and buy tickets at the door on your way in. And he knew it would sell out but he didn't know what time it would sell out and he was cutting it really close. Best case scenario he'd barely make it in and have to be in the last row, worst case he'd drive 90 minutes and get there to find it sold out. Soooo, instead of going home and working on a writing project I had due, I left work a little early, skipped dinner, went downtown and was the first person in line. I told the people behind me and one of the people working the door that it was my friend's birthday, so when he finally got there everyone was wishing him a happy birthday and asking if he brought them any cake. And he got to sit front row center since I got there so early. :-)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on February 28, 2018, 08:17:35 PM
...And he got to sit front row center since I got there so early. :-)

Result: We ended up getting our pictures in the New York Times because we were in the front row!

Today's good deed: ran into an elderly acquaintance who's been having a lot of issues with her and her husband's health. She probably should not have been out alone at this point, but that horse has already left the barn... so I sat with her for a while and listened to all her problems that she wanted to talk about, waited for her to talk to some other people that she wanted to talk to, and then carried her bags for her and made sure she got on the right subway train and got off at the right stop on the way home.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on February 28, 2018, 08:57:51 PM
...And he got to sit front row center since I got there so early. :-)

Result: We ended up getting our pictures in the New York Times because we were in the front row!

Today's good deed: ran into an elderly acquaintance who's been having a lot of issues with her and her husband's health. She probably should not have been out alone at this point, but that horse has already left the barn... so I sat with her for a while and listened to all her problems that she wanted to talk about, waited for her to talk to some other people that she wanted to talk to, and then carried her bags for her and made sure she got on the right subway train and got off at the right stop on the way home.

@Dollar Slice Amazing to get into the NYT whilst bringing some good deed-age into the world! :)

Today, I saw someone eject out of their skis on the mountain (low visibility conditions), since I was uphill I was able to ski over an fetch their lost ski & poles so that he didn't have to trek uphill with a bruised ego :) I've been there and it feels so nice when people make sure you are okay.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on March 02, 2018, 10:45:47 PM
@Dollar Slice Amazing to get into the NYT whilst bringing some good deed-age into the world! :)

Yeah, it was pretty cool! :-) 

Last night I was in a ri-donk-ulously crowded bar (I was getting worried they would get busted by the fire department or something) and when I was trying to get my tab to pay the bartender, I overheard some women near me... "Are you looking for something? What did you lose?" "My glasses! They're probably ground into powder by now, but I'm still trying just in case..." I looked over and they were both searching the floor as best they could in between everyone's legs and feet. I crouched down and looked around where I was standing, and lo and behold, they'd gotten kicked under the bar and behind the foot rail, protected from stampy shoes and totally unscathed. You would not even believe how excited she was to get them back! One of them told me I was a "hero." They must have been really expensive, or maybe she couldn't get home without them or something. Anyway, it wasn't much but I'm glad I stopped what I was doing to help for 30 seconds. :-)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 04, 2018, 08:35:14 PM
Love reading this thread. I messaged a friend on Facebook who is going through a hard time. I also have two giant bags of books to donate to the local library. (They accept donations & then sell them, thus funding more library stock).
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on March 10, 2018, 06:40:05 AM
There's another good deed thread somewhere around this forum but I lost it.  On it I posted that I helped set up a blind date.  Good news, there will be a second date and I was thanked for the introduction!!  Unfortunately this is all we will hear about this for now because at this point I need to butt out and give them space.

Yesterday I made 12 bags of food to help feed 12 of the 63,000+ people who were homeless in NYC last night, for 24 hours.  And collected enough toiletries to keep about 50 of them clean and feeling human.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on March 10, 2018, 02:32:28 PM
There's another good deed thread somewhere around this forum but I lost it.  On it I posted that I helped set up a blind date.  Good news, there will be a second date and I was thanked for the introduction!!  Unfortunately this is all we will hear about this for now because at this point I need to butt out and give them space.

Yesterday I made 12 bags of food to help feed 12 of the 63,000+ people who were homeless in NYC last night, for 24 hours.  And collected enough toiletries to keep about 50 of them clean and feeling human.

Oh good ones @Poundwise ! Helping people find love *potentially*, and sharing food & toiletries with so many people is INSPIRING!

I cooked some meals for family members and picked garbage up while out on a nature walk.
Will also reach out to a friend who is needing some support.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on March 10, 2018, 03:19:55 PM
Good job, guys! :-) Always an inspirational thread.

Someone gave me last-minute free passes to see two expensive concerts, and I remembered that a friend had told me he really wanted to go but couldn't afford it. So I texted him to come and said I would give him one of the passes instead of using them both myself. Then I went to the venue and asked nicely (just in case) if I could get a plus-one on the free passes and they said yes, so we both got in for free after all :-) A good deed and a mustachian win.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on March 13, 2018, 09:32:10 AM
Yesterday I picked up more garbage on a nature walk..and then helped some people out with directions.
 Small things, but here's hoping it all adds up.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 18, 2018, 08:16:40 PM
I've been MIA with a crazy few weeks, but was so happy to see that people are still posting & doing good deeds. Here's mine:

-Offered to help a friend with childcare, so she & her husband could run a half marathon together
-Took my mom on a long weekend. She's been pretty stressed out over a death in the family/selling a house, being the executor of the estate. We had a nice long weekend & I did a lot of listening :-)
-Helped two people with work promotion stuff. Spent about 6 hours of my own time providing feedback & input on the documentation they have to put together. I do this all the time for my own team & managers, so it's something I have a lot of experience doing, & was happy to help
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Frugal Lizard on March 19, 2018, 05:52:59 AM
I have been picking up garbage when on my walks.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on March 19, 2018, 12:06:36 PM
I treated a broke friend to a nice day out in NYC. We had some great talks and she seemed happier when I dropped her off than when I picked her up. :-)

I have a friend who's been through some very tough times (emotionally) lately; without being overbearing, I've been trying to find events she would especially enjoy, and invite a couple people I know she really connects with, so she can spend time with people who will support her without having to take the initiative of reaching out to people when she's feeling so low.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on March 26, 2018, 10:37:31 PM
There's another good deed thread somewhere around this forum but I lost it.  On it I posted that I helped set up a blind date.  Good news, there will be a second date and I was thanked for the introduction!!  Unfortunately this is all we will hear about this for now because at this point I need to butt out and give them space.


Oh good ones @Poundwise ! Helping people find love *potentially*, and sharing food & toiletries with so many people is INSPIRING!

I cooked some meals for family members and picked garbage up while out on a nature walk.
Will also reach out to a friend who is needing some support.

I hear that date #3 is planned!  Well,  I think at this point, even if there are no sparks, the pair are enjoying each other's company.  And, I'm happy to simply help new friends connect, so my job is done.

Good work on feeding loved ones, and beautifying the earth, @Serendip!

So what have I done lately? Hmm. I donated money and have done a fair amount of volunteer work for the church, which will indirectly lead to good works but also benefits me, so that doesn't quite count.  I also donated to an impoverished church in the Bronx... that's more altruistic. But I was kind of guilted into doing it. Gave canned goods to food bank, hmm hm.. nothing that is good in a new way, I think.

Oh, I did cook dinner for a friend who has had her 5th child!  She's usually a very upbeat and capable woman, but I think that she finally got overwhelmed, and appreciated not having to worry about dinner for once.

Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on March 26, 2018, 10:58:54 PM
Thanks for bumping the thread, the last week+ was kind of crisis mode for me and I have been pretty focused on myself and my problems. I think the best I can offer for last week is that I did not completely lose my shit with any of the people who deserved it. ;-)

My good deed for today is that I took a moment out of an extremely aggravating day to tell a slight acquaintance something just because I knew would make him feel good about himself. I honestly don't even like him very much, but I figure if you can make someone happy with 15 words, why not?
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Serendip on March 27, 2018, 10:10:29 AM
ha, good work @Dollar Slice!
& @Poundwise , I think that's great that they are enjoying each others company :)

I have continued -picking up garbage on walks
-will be covering a shift at work for someone
-will be writing a snail-mail letter to a friend who requested one
-bought groceries for my SO since I knew he would be happy to arrive home to beer, cheese & baguette
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on March 27, 2018, 01:56:35 PM
I volunteered to help at a school event, and also signed up for an unpopular (but, important) voluntary work committee.

I'm going to challenge myself to make a donation over the next few weeks with "found" money. (Money that I'm not expecting, not from standard paycheck sources.)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on April 01, 2018, 02:37:32 PM
I have continued trying to be especially nice to my unemployed/broke friend and my depressed/grieving friend.

Picked up some trash on a walk in the park today (and refrained from giving a dirty look to the parents of the kid who dropped it).
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on April 17, 2018, 10:07:36 AM
I saw someone drop some money and made sure they got it back.

I haven't been doing terribly well with this challenge lately :-/  But I thought of it last night, I went to a talk/discussion thingy put on by PEN America and there was some discussion that resonated with me and made me think of this challenge. One comment from someone who said after being in prison it made them want to help people who had less than them (less money, less power, less privilege etc.) because it gave them a window into what that's really like. And another comment about how the "first, do no harm" oath should apply to way more professions besides medical care. I really liked that. Withholding harm is sort of one step down from active good deeds, but I think it comes from the same place.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2018, 07:49:48 AM
I've been terrible about keeping this up to date, but. . . jumping back in! I'm volunteering twice today for a school activity.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on June 06, 2018, 08:09:30 AM
I've been doing a lot of volunteer work for school, church and political action, on the order of doing things like bringing dishes to potlucks, donating flats of water to canvassers, etc. But not sure if these really count as good deeds.

I've also been making a lot of small donations. I donated to Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project and the National Immigrant Justice Center because I was (am) so horrified that our government is grabbing the children of asylum seekers and these kids (including babies and toddlers) would be expected to defend themselves in court otherwise.

I also threw a little money to some GoFundMes to  help the poor folks in Guatemala.  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/how-to-help-victims-of-guatemalas-fuego-volcano

I put this as small good deeds because I didn't give much to each, about $20-$50 while I consider making room in my budget for a bigger donation.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on June 06, 2018, 11:54:46 AM
I've been doing a lot of volunteer work for school, church and political action, on the order of doing things like bringing dishes to potlucks, donating flats of water to canvassers, etc. But not sure if these really count as good deeds.

I've also been making a lot of small donations. I donated to Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project and the National Immigrant Justice Center because I was (am) so horrified that our government is grabbing the children of asylum seekers and these kids (including babies and toddlers) would be expected to defend themselves in court otherwise.

I also threw a little money to some GoFundMes to  help the poor folks in Guatemala.  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/how-to-help-victims-of-guatemalas-fuego-volcano

I put this as small good deeds because I didn't give much to each, about $20-$50 while I consider making room in my budget for a bigger donation.

These are definitely good deeds, and totally agree with you!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on June 14, 2018, 03:02:14 PM
I wrote up a little list of suggestions/recommendations for a friend who is having a similar surgery to the one I had last year. And I offered to pick her up from the hospital and make sure she gets home safely since she doesn't have any family here (she said she had already asked someone else to do it, but I'm her backup plan if he can't do it).
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on July 25, 2018, 06:20:37 AM
Well, it looks like the blind date went nowhere in the end. No chemistry after 3 dates. :~(

I have been helping out with separated families. Helped connect some detained parents who speak indigenous languages and no English or Spanish, with a translator who will help them in court; also donated to several bail funds to free imprisoned moms and dads; as well as support funds since once freed they are not allowed to work until their court dates.

There was a call for helpers in Orlando, Indianapolis, Dallas, LA, Baltimore, Miami, Chicago, Silver Spring, MD, Houston, Alexandria, VA, Portland, OR, Moline, IL... so I forwarded to a friend who lives 20 minutes from Silver Spring and hope she can network somebody.

Filled out an application form for a job training program for a refugee who speaks little English and is going to work for the first time to support her 4 children as her husband has cancer; if she gets in she will also receive a small stipend.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 25, 2018, 07:28:53 AM
Thanks for posting @Poundwise - super inspiring & a good reminder for me.

From my end, I'm trying to help get my disabled aunt prepped for an eventual retirement. She is quite mentally delayed but doesn't "accept" that, so she puts off asking for help & then tends to make quite a disaster out of situations. It's difficult & as she ages, I'm concerned about getting her set up for the future.

I've also been doing a lot of mentoring at work, which I really enjoy.

I need to do a better job helping my elderly neighbor. The times haven't worked out well yet, but I need to make it a priority.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on July 26, 2018, 12:56:14 PM
@MaybeBabyMustache  Oy, the elderly!  Those are good deeds which take much and return little.
I've found it helps to research a couple of acceptable choices (whether eldercare facilities, or in home aides), then accustom your elderly relative to these two choices. She may fight them both tooth and nail at first. It may take a few years for her to get used to them as ideas. Then have her try them out a little (like a tour or even an overnight stay at a facility). She'll hate them.

After a reasonable amount of time, propose a new alternative that is still good but you think she will like much less than the first two.  Hopefully, she will recoil against the new idea and say she wants one of the first two options.

Do not expect her to come up with any good options on her own. 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 02, 2018, 03:52:38 PM
Bringing this back after a long hiatus. Here are a few recent things I've done:

-Volunteered at the kids book fair
-Found clothes to donate to Dress for Success - they are having a super convenient drop off location near me tomorrow
-Watched our elderly neighbor's dog, so she could go help out with a voter registration event in Fresno
-Signed up for training at work to host listening sessions. Super outside of my comfort zone, very needed at certain times & places. Sometimes, as a senior woman in tech, there are a lot of expectations that rub me the wrong way. I value & enjoy paying it forward, but don't want it to feel like an obligation, because there are so few of us, & I "need" to be the example. Anyway, a rant for another day. I did sign up to host a listening session on a topic surrounding that, and have been a resource for other women dealing with challenging situations.
-Sent a compliment to someone who did something incredibly brave

I miss this thread, & love to focus on the positives, vs the current extremely negative press cycles out there
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Dollar Slice on November 02, 2018, 06:54:31 PM
Bringing this back after a long hiatus.

Good bump! :-)

Today my neighbor's niece was moving out after staying with them temporarily while apartment-hunting. I held the elevator for her and offered to carry a box that she was slowly scooting down the hall with her feet because she didn't have enough hands for everything.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2018
Post by: Poundwise on February 09, 2019, 03:07:05 PM
Started a new thread for 2019! https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/throw-down-the-gauntlet/what-small-good-deed-did-you-do-today/?topicseen
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2020
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 28, 2020, 10:38:54 AM
Dusting this off & relabeling it the 2020 thread. (If this thread already exists for 2020, please do let me know & I'll post there instead.)

With just under 100 days in the US before the next election, I'm finding myself very anxious & stressed. I'm going to focus on some good self care (have already removed Facebook from my phone). I also read about a 100 day random act of kindness challenge, which I'll join. 100 will be my goal, but will see where I net out.

So far:
-Took elderly neighbor's dog for a walk, as she was unable to get out yesterday
-Spent some time in the evening checking in on a colleague & did a coaching session for another

Today:
Planning to offer up fresh herbs to neighbors, as we don't currently have a kitchen (remodel) & they are largely wasted on us
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2020
Post by: Frugal Lizard on July 28, 2020, 12:55:22 PM
I printed out a mailing label for a neighbour and left it in her mail box.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2020
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on July 28, 2020, 01:29:05 PM
I printed out a mailing label for a neighbour and left it in her mail box.

Awesome! I posted about my herbs on our local neighbor site (not Nextdoor, but a very small community) & had 12 takers in an hour or so. Herbs have been cut, sorted, labeled & are on the porch awaiting pickup. Thrilled people will be getting use out of everything. Win/win, and I don't have to feel guilty about the herbs lingering during the remodel
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 11, 2021, 10:58:25 AM
I need this thread again, so bringing it back up. A few things lately:
-Picked up trash on my walks
-Shared apple crisp with a friend
-Helped another friend with a super early morning (6:30 on a Sunday) carpool, so she didn't have to get up early
-Gave away some items on Buy Nothing. it's great when you can fulfill an ask

Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on October 11, 2021, 11:48:33 AM
Nice to see this thread—fun to read through it, I don’t even remember most of the things I posted!
Will cultivate this idea for the remainder of the year in solidarity with you @MaybeBabyMustache
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on October 11, 2021, 12:06:09 PM
Nice job MBM!

I've been waiting on my mom hand and foot since Wednesday (she had surgery and came home Tuesday night) so I'm banking a lot of days' worth of good deeds, I guess...
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 11, 2021, 05:09:32 PM
That is definitely a lot of good deeds, @Dollar Slice . I'm sure your mom appreciates your help very much.

-I've been volunteering at a non-profit, and helping them out with an app they are launching, that helps kids learn to read. It's been a lot of fun.
-I also signed up to mentor through a program that is helping Afghani women who are in transition (being relocated). Still waiting for details on that.
-Made a donation to a food bank
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 11, 2021, 05:10:13 PM
Welcome, back @Serendip !
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: cannotWAIT on October 11, 2021, 05:43:41 PM
Oooh, this is the first challenge that has really appealed to me. I assume it’s never to late to join! I feel like I don’t get many opportunities to do in-person good deeds these days but yesterday I was out walking my dog across the street from the Catholic church just before Mass and heard a cry of frustration—it was a man in a wheelchair at the handicap entrance unable to open the door and no one else was around. It would be impossible for anyone in a wheelchair to open that door! So stupid. Why is there not an automatic opener? Anyway I ran over there and opened it for him. Then I emailed the church to suggest that they set up some kind of system to ensure he can get in, either human or mechanical. It’s the first actual “good deed” (as opposed to just doing something nice that you normally do) that I’ve had occasion to do in quite some time!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 11, 2021, 05:51:03 PM
@cannotWAIT - it's definitely never too late to join! And, love your good deed. I was on a run in my neighborhood last week, and saw an elderly neighbor struggle to pick up an overturned garbage bin, after pickup day. I came over to help her, & we had a nice chat.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Poundwise on October 11, 2021, 10:49:13 PM
A trans friend of mine was discarded by her family and left her job, and has been bouncing from couch to couch for a couple of years. She's now living in a far state, but I sent her a little money so she could treat herself, as she's been (understandably) depressed. I wish I could do more for her, but I've tried in the past and her mental health problems are too difficult to manage. 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on October 12, 2021, 04:46:13 PM
That’s a really thoughtful one @Poundwise ..some self-care/treating of oneself often gets forgotten if someone is in a hard place but it’s such an important gesture.

Yesterday I helped some kids find a trailhead, and today reached out to a friend who posted something on social media that seemed existentially fraught. Will take some time tomorrow to craft her a letter/care-package. I feel like so many  are in need of more intimate connections these days.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 12, 2021, 08:26:52 PM
What a thoughtful gesture, @Poundwise - sounds like a good way to help from afar.

Totally agree, on the need for more personal connections @Serendip

For today, I signed up to help out a friend when she's having surgery. And, put a small memorial back together at the soccer field my kids play at. One of the club players (a teenager) passed away, and there is a memorial outside the field with his picture, plants, a soccer ball, etc. We've had some tremendously windy & unusual weather lately, & it had knocked down the memorial.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on October 14, 2021, 12:38:21 AM
I made rice pudding for my mom before leaving their house today. I don't particularly like it and I've never made it before, but it's one of her faves and something she strongly associates with comfort food you have when you're sick. A friend of hers came to visit, so while they were keeping her company I went down to the kitchen and riced it up. Hopefully my first attempt at making it was a good one... :-)  It smelled good, anyway.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 19, 2021, 08:15:36 AM
@Dollar Slice - also not into rice pudding. I think it's the texture I don't like, and definitely reminds me of hospital food. Ick.

I chased down my elderly neighbor's dog, and figured out how to get her back home. I was running late, & not properly dressed for the adventure, but hey. Got the job done.

I also made applesauce, & shared some with the same neighbor. She lost her husband a few years back, so we like to check on her. I often send the kids over with food, and she loves to talk to them & they do a good job telling her about what's happening in their lives.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on October 19, 2021, 08:57:48 AM
@Dollar Slice - also not into rice pudding. I think it's the texture I don't like, and definitely reminds me of hospital food. Ick.

I had forgotten all about it... she never mentioned if it was good or not, so now I will never know if my rice pudding is acceptable. ;-) 

My good deed: dropped everything and went back out to see Mom when she was having a hard time this weekend. Spent the day there yesterday. This time I made homemade pizza and chocolate chip cookies. :-)  Also helped her set up a meal delivery service so they will be eating a little healthier/easier/better while she's under the weather. Last time I suggested it she said they would just get take-out from restaurants. After a week of actually trying that, I guess having some healthier meals in the fridge ready to heat up sounded appealing.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Loretta on October 20, 2021, 03:59:15 AM
I helped someone at work by sharing an email that she was looking for.  I didn’t know her name prior, but had seen her around looking a bit defeated. 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 20, 2021, 07:36:57 AM
Love reading these.

Yesterday, a friend reached out needing a ride for her son, due to handling a real crisis at the school she works at. It required quite a bit of juggling on my side, but I'm so happy it worked out & I could reduce her stress. On the flip side, another friend offered to take my son to an event on Thursday when we are at out of town. (My parents will be here, but we have two kids, and only one of my parents feels comfortable driving in our area.)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on October 20, 2021, 09:37:33 AM
There is a book I’m re-reading by Piero Ferrucci called
The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life.
It fits nicely into this thread 😊
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 20, 2021, 10:10:52 AM
@Serendip - thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Beardog on October 20, 2021, 05:22:40 PM
On a walk that I enjoy doing, I regularly pass an elderly homeless man panhandling at a street corner, as I did this morning.  My good deed for today is that I gave him a $5 bill, as I often do once a week.  He does not appear to have a drug or alcohol addiction, so I feel confident the money will not be spent on those things.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on October 24, 2021, 08:44:30 AM
Some simple things.. organized our townhouse recycling shed a bit (visitors tend to not organize into the correct bins), saw a man who regularly collects bottles so went inside to get our bottle box for him, asked someone’s name at work (the front desk reception often changes staff so it’s easy to just neglect to introduce yourself/remember a new name..working on being better at this and engaging with younger coworkers a bit more actively)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Poundwise on October 24, 2021, 05:09:41 PM
@Serendip Love how you are doing these small things that boost people or smooth their way in life!

@Beardog I'm sure that the gentleman appreciates the little bit of consistency that you give him... he must have so much uncertainty but he knows that a friendly face and regular $5 will come by.

Today I made lunch and baked birthday cupcakes for a young man with slight mental retardation... he has nobody in his life to do this for him.  I guess I've become the go-to birthday "mom" for a couple of low income young adults.  I feel a little uneasy in the role because my idea of parenting goes so much further than what I do for these kids... if they were luckier, they would find somebody without so many children or responsibilities who could really settle in, adopt them, and give them substantial help.  But they are so grateful for a little birthday and holiday attention, it's the least I could do. 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 25, 2021, 07:50:32 AM
@Poundwise - that is so thoughtful & what a great way to help them celebrate their day. I'm so happy that they have you.

It's really stormy in the bay area, and our neighbor had a tree blow down, taking down the power line & landing in her pool. We made her dinner last night, called her family, charged her cell phone, called the power company for her, and bought her a unit that allows you to charge your small electronics. When we dropped everything off, we realized that she was also missing a nice flashlight, so we brought over some battery powered lanterns for her.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on October 25, 2021, 08:42:04 AM
@MaybeBabyMustache —that storm is quite something isn’t it? We have power but there are huge outages nearby.. your neighbour must’ve appreciated that help!

Found $5 on the ground, so I waited to see who I could give it to—tucked it into the tip jar at a local cafe.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 26, 2021, 10:27:00 AM
@Serendip - it was definitely a storm. I grew up near Seattle, so it felt like a taste of the pacific northwest. :-)

-I made a donation to a fundraiser started to honor my coworker, who lost her infant daughter a week ago.
-Brought my neighbor (without power) dinner again last night
-Cleaned storm drains in my neighborhood, to help prevent flooding
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on October 30, 2021, 07:32:13 AM
I’ve been picking up candy wrappers on my walks and rescued two empty gin bottles that were in a stream and took them home to be recycled.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on October 30, 2021, 08:50:29 AM
I have a low-income friend who doesn't have internet or a smartphone at home, so when I spotted a couple of "free with online registration" concerts (sponsored by a city arts grant) that I knew he would like, I got him tickets, printed them out, and surprised him with them when we met up last night. He hadn't heard about them and was excited :-)

Also, I'm heading up to my parents' house today for a third time to help out my mom. Her knee surgery recovery is going ok but she started having awful sciatica from the weeks of (mostly) bed rest so she is depressed and miserable again... it's her birthday this weekend, so I'm bringing some little gifts and her favorite Halloween candy which my dad claims the store didn't have in their town (Reese's!? I think my dad was hallucinating). I'm going to offer to make a cake and whatever she wants for dinner, too...
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on October 30, 2021, 08:53:06 AM
Well done, @Dollar Slice ! I hope your mom is on the mend soon!

As for me, I helped another mom out with a ride yesterday. As someone who always really appreciates that, it's nice to pay it forward when I can.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Loretta on October 30, 2021, 08:54:02 AM
I hugged 2 guys retiring Friday afternoon.  Not to worry, we’re all uber-vaxxed thanks to Uncle Sam. 

This morning I made blueberry pancakes for my mother. 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on November 01, 2021, 06:18:06 PM
Offered directions to someone out in the woods (they were solo and kept glancing at their phone then looking around as if trying to get their bearings), picked up some litter, made a funn, handmade  birthday card for a friend and another one for an elderly relative (I don’t know him that well but my mom didn’t think he’d receive many cards so we are all sending them separately as it’s his 80th!)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on November 04, 2021, 12:23:00 AM
Delayed leaving by half an hour so I could help my dad put in the glass storm door so my parents' house would be a little warmer.

But I think I still made it in time for the 24-hour-results guarantee on the COVID test I needed to get for an event tomorrow night I'm supposed to go to with some friends. :-) With about an hour to spare.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 04, 2021, 07:46:14 AM
-Had a call with the non-profit I volunteer at, and signed up to help with a few projects
-Attended a training for an mentorship opportunity with an Afghani woman, who was evacuated. Super excited about this, and we are supposed to be matched this week
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on November 08, 2021, 09:32:41 AM
Since there has been an uptick in hate crimes against the AAPI community in the last year or two I've tried to (subtly, so they don't think I'm being creepy) keep an eye out for elderly Asian folks who are traveling alone at night when I'm on public transit. If I see someone who looks like they might feel unsafe traveling alone (e.g. a five foot tall elderly lady with a cane), I'll stick around that area of the subway platform/ride in that subway car and make sure to give them a smile when I am nearby so they know I am friendly. Just in case anyone makes them feel uncomfortable, they will know there is a safe person they can turn to or sit with. Takes almost zero effort on my part, but maybe it helps.

Anyway, I did this when I was on the subway at 10PM this weekend and my big smile (has to be big so you see it in spite of the mask!) gave this woman the opportunity to smile back and start to talk to me. She didn't speak a lot of English but she managed to half-mime that she was waiting a really long time for her train. And I was able to explain that it had been rerouted and wasn't going to come all night, and gave her alternate directions. Hooray for smiling at elderly strangers :-)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 08, 2021, 10:15:13 AM
Love that, @Dollar Slice

-Helped an elderly woman with her groceries. She was so friendly & happy that I was helping. I felt like it really made her smile, which in turn, made me happy.
-Picked up trash on my walk
-Stopped two parents from fighting during a kids soccer game. (Obviously, people can really be idiots). One parent was trying to not be involved, but encouraging them to walk away & set a positive example helped. The other parent was just an egregious fool.
-Helped several parents with carpooling, when they needed rides
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Beardog on November 08, 2021, 03:36:41 PM
Today must be the day for helping elderly women, @Dollar Slice and @MaybeBabyMustache. I stopped to help an elderly woman in the grocery store for whom English was not her first language find some no sugar cranberry juice.

I spent the day with my 85yo Mom helping her with various technical things and with some physical house maintenance type activities that are difficult for her.  The crowning glory of the day was a lovely walk with my Mom in the bright sunshine along a river boardwalk.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on November 10, 2021, 11:07:47 AM
This thread warms my heart..small details of attention to the souls living around us 💜

-picked some trash on a walk
-painted a card for someone with a new scary medical diagnosis
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 10, 2021, 12:38:45 PM
I've been matched with my new mentee, & I'm super excited about it. (I mentor a lot professionally, but helping someone resettling in the US is an entirely different thing.)

-Gave a coworker a lift
-Surprised my husband with tickets for an outing with a friend. He'd been wanting to go, but knew it would create a hassle for me (kid logistics). I worked that out, & he was so happy.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Beardog on November 10, 2021, 01:05:16 PM
@MaybeBabyMustache - That sounds so exciting to be helping someone resettling in the US.  If you are able to share more details, it would be wonderful to know more, including what organization you are working with?
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 10, 2021, 02:04:59 PM
@Beardog - sure, here's the organization I'm working with. (link - https://asian-university.org/2021/09/15/auw-plans-placement-of-all-148-evacuated-afghan-students-in-us-colleges-and-universities/)

Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on November 10, 2021, 03:29:10 PM
That's very cool, MBM! It must be so rewarding. I've donated to refugee organizations a few times but never directly worked with someone like that.

This week has been all about acts of service for me... Sunday and Monday I did some pro bono work for a non-profit arts org, Monday night I did my dad a favor (too convoluted to get into but he was embarrassed that he didn't know how to do something tech-y and I gave him an opportunity to avoid admitting it in front of his colleagues), went out to my parents' house for a couple of days where I did a little cooking, helped my mom with her physical therapy, helped my dad with some computer stuff, kept Mom company when my dad had some meetings and doctor's appointments, etc. She is finally able to drive again after her surgery so we were able to get her out of the house for some tiny trips like going to get iced coffee and a pastry, and going to the store to buy a card to mail to a friend. Really good for her mental health after being cooped up in the house with my dad for 5 weeks straight.

She found a really pretty Thanksgiving card at the store and I told her I would take it home, write in it and mail it back to her so she could put it on the mantel ;-)
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Loretta on November 10, 2021, 05:54:16 PM
Well, I held the elevator for a man at work who seemed genuinely surprised, congratulated someone retiring on the 30th, and at dinner I inquired how long the cashier had been working there and she said it was actually her first day!  I gave her a hearty congratulations and a “you’re doing great!”  I am hoping these few positives will help balance out all the other people at work I pissed off today. 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Beardog on November 11, 2021, 06:37:42 AM
@MaybeBabyMustache - What a wonderful program.  I greatly admire what you are doing.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on November 11, 2021, 09:33:54 PM
Walked home with a stranger from the subway after she got a little rattled by an angry nutjob who was getting off at the same stop as us. I wasn't watching him but I guess he hit something or threw something, it made a really loud noise. When we got off she was almost hiding from him behind the stairwell waiting for him to leave so she wouldn't be too close to him. I kind of waited near her to make sure she was OK, and broke the tension with a joke about whether it was faster to wait for the shuttle bus (notoriously slow/delayed) or just walk all the way home. She asked how far away I lived and it turned out we live about ~300m from each other. So we walked home together and had a nice talk :-) 
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on November 12, 2021, 10:16:38 AM
@Dollar Slice —I imagine she appreciated the company more than you can know!

My neighbours lost a wedding ring last weekend when throwing a snowball. They don’t live here full-time so I’ve been going over to the ‘suspected area’ on the daily doing little checks while the rain melts the snow and clearing patches. I found the ring in their garden this morning and they are over the moon—we thought it might be gone or that they would have to wait for spring to search.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on November 13, 2021, 04:39:02 PM
Picked up some smashed pumpkin off of a walking bridge—it’s the time of year when bears are getting desperate to find food before hibernation so having pumpkins out is a bad idea for both bears and humans.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 15, 2021, 07:56:33 PM
@Dollar Slice - that was such a kind thing to do. Well done. @Serendip - finding the ring! I love that story.

Mine is a smidge smaller this week. ;-) I picked up trash 2x on my walks during soccer practice.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Prairie Gal on November 18, 2021, 06:49:23 PM
I wish I would have seen this earlier.

On a FB group I am a part of a lady wanted to donate food to someone else, but neither had transportation so I drove across town and made the delivery. Threw in a few small items of my own as well.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on November 20, 2021, 07:56:08 PM
I sent a book to someone who received difficult health news and the response was amazing. They loved the book and said it spoke to their soul and was exactly what they needed—so glad since it’s hard to know how to support in those awkward times!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Poundwise on November 20, 2021, 09:13:49 PM
I wish I would have seen this earlier.

On a FB group I am a part of a lady wanted to donate food to someone else, but neither had transportation so I drove across town and made the delivery. Threw in a few small items of my own as well.

Great job matching up good deeds and needs like that, @Prairie Gal

I love it when it comes together like that.  I had a recent win as well... my church had a huge amount of tag sale leftovers and we saved some bags of warm clothes for the homeless in Manhattan. But  I knew it would be a couple of months before we went to NYC, and there was another collection/distribution for local Ida flood victims before then, so I got permission to drop off the bags.  Then when the Ida distribution was over, they were happy to give me their leftovers for our distribution to the homeless. Lots of people got coats, hats, scarves, and gloves, but the bags were as full as ever--  maybe even fuller!  It was kind of like the loaves and fishes.

It wasn't the case that worse clothes were left for the homeless, BTW. Just people's needs for various sizes and styles was different than was collected. 

@Serendip, well done!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: MaybeBabyMustache on November 23, 2021, 03:14:25 PM
This thread always inspires me. For the week:

-Helped with my non-profit
-Have a call with my mentee tomorrow!
-Picked up a bunch of super inexpensive toiletries (Black Friday sales) to donate to the local shelter
-Helped a friend sponsor a local family (and, by local, the family attends the school she works at, so I know it's going to a great place)
-Made a donation to the local athletic department, trying to buy new uniforms for the kids sports. Despite being in a very high income area, the school in our district receives one of the lowest amounts of state funding. There are weird tax regulations at play. Parents are expected to help out (if they can), to offset the gap.
-Requested a match for my donation, as well as the hours I worked as a volunteer. My company sends an in kind cash donation for every hour I volunteer for the year. It's an awesome perk!
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dollar Slice on November 23, 2021, 04:52:33 PM
Awesome stuff, MBM!

I did another few days helping out at my parents' house... I sat down with them and filled out the applications for credit freezes for both of them (three times each for three credit bureaus) to hopefully fix their identity theft problem once and for all, and got all the info/instructions printed and in their filing cabinet for safe keeping. I also did a little pre-Thanksgiving baking of a few things that either wouldn't get done or that my mom might have tried to do, just to make her happy or take things off her plate. (I'm not going to the family T-day because I'm not feeling up to it, but Mom really badly wants to go, so I did the best I could to help her get there.) She keeps overdoing it because she hasn't figured out how much stamina she has with her current medical problems. I also helped out with some errands like grocery shopping and picking up a replacement medical device which had malfunctioned, did laundry, and some other stuff.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Dutch Comfort on November 24, 2021, 06:12:46 AM
Picked up trash during my morning run.
Picked up a toddler's hat which got lost and put it on the nearest pole for the parents to find it
Hand-delivered a card to the house for the family's son who celebrates his sweet 16 today in quarantine
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Prairie Gal on November 28, 2021, 09:31:51 PM
I donated a winter coat, a quilt and pillows to people in need.

I am thinking of volunteering for Meals on Wheels in the New Year. I saw an article in the senior's association newspaper that they need drivers. Seems like it might be a low covid risk way to volunteer. I will have to find out more about the time commitment involved.
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: Serendip on November 29, 2021, 09:58:56 AM
Saw some people with maps out so helped them with directions & reached out to a friend who seemed to need a connection..
We have been going through our gear (we have lots of good winter clothing) with the intention to donate excess to people that could benefit..
Title: Re: One (small) good deed a day in 2021
Post by: SquashingDebt on November 30, 2021, 07:32:28 PM
A friend does an annual fundraiser where she "sells" quilts she's made in exchange for shipping costs and a donation to a non-profit of her choice (an organization that helps immigrants fleeing gender-based violence).

Another friend's mother just passed away, sadly, so I "bought" one of the quilts for her to bring her a bit of comfort in this hard time.  Charitable donation plus a gift for a friend - win-win.