Originally published in 2019
I love hearing about and seeing random acts of kindness, especially nowadays when so much of the media is filled with terrible things. What’s even better than just hearing about random acts of kindness is being a part of it.
So often we think, “when I’m in a better position financially or when life slows down and I have more time, I want to give back to my community and help others out,” but the truth is, wherever you’re at right now, THAT is the best place to start. Cultivating a giving attitude and mentality where you’re at right now will ensure that you will continue to give as your situation improves.
Want to see some ideas for some random acts of kindness that you can do no matter your budget? Some that don’t cost a thing!? Want to hear about some of the random acts of kindness that our family has been the recipient of?
Well you’re in for a treat today! For Day 2 of our Frugal Festivities 25 days of Christmas Cheer on a Budget I’m collaborating with a bunch of great YouTubers and Bloggers to bring you a bunch of ideas for Random Acts of Kindness you can do with your family this season. At the end of this post I’ll share the list of others who are participating so you can check them out. I know you’ll be inspired!
Okay, now let’s talk about Random Acts of Kindness.
I really wanted to get our whole family involved in the planning and execution of blessing some people with our random acts of kindness. They had lots of great ideas. I love that kids don’t worry about logistics or limitations, they just think big. So while some of their ideas were out of our budget (like “buy a car for a homeless person”), they were thoughtful and sincere.
I also wanted to give some ideas of things you can do to make a difference no matter what you financial situation is.
Thoughtful notes for nursing home patients
We thought about the forgotten elderly people at the care home where great grandpa lived before he passed away and thought we could write thoughtful cards to them and have the nursing home staff pass them out to the patients who are lonely and don’t get any visitors, especially at the holidays. The patients loved seeing the kids when we’d go visit great grandpa each week.
Mike also had the idea to include a picture, not because we want them to recognize us or anything like that, just because it’s tangible evidence that someone cares. They love looking at pictures and having things to decorate their rooms.
Other random acts of kindness that don’t cost anything
We rarely get snow where we live, but a big storm was on the forecast for yesterday. The kids thought it would be great to shovel driveways for people anonymously. Sadly we didn’t get any snow, so we didn’t have that opportunity.
Those are both opportunities that don’t cost anything. There are so many others.
- You could offer to babysit for a busy mom.
- You could write thank you notes for those who serve your family but are often overlooked like the school crossing guard or custodian.
- You could make a point of giving sincere compliments to strangers.
- You could donate blood.
With some time and thought there is so much good you can do even when your budget is tight.
Care packages for the homeless
The next project we took on required some funds but we account for giving in our Christmas sinking fund.
We thought about the homeless people we regularly see as we drive out of the store parking lots in town. We often share a box of crackers, an apple, or an ice cream sandwich or something from the groceries we just bought, but thought it would be nice to have something more to give them. We wanted to make bags with some necessities that would be useful for them.
The kids decorated ziploc bags with pictures and positive messages. In each gallon bag we put:
- Wool socks
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Nail clippers
- Wet wipes
- Bandages
- Beef jerky & cheese
- Applesauce pouch
- Peanut butter crackers
- Salmon packet
- Bottled water
We will keep a couple of these bags in our car so that we have them easily accessible when we meet someone who could use one.
On the receiving end of random acts of kindness
I also wanted to share with you some of the sweet acts of kindness that our family has been the recipient of.
A couple of years ago, we took our kids to Chipotle for the first time. They had earned free dinner coupons from the summer reading program at the library and were eager to redeem them. We were taking a while to order because we had to tell our kids all of the options and they each had to make their decisions. It was pretty obvious we weren’t regulars to eating out.
As we got to the cash register, the man in front of us handed my husband a small envelope and said “God told me to give this to you.” Thinking it was a religious tract or something, he simply put it in his pocket. The cashier, who was a little dumbfounded asked my husband if he knew that man. He shook his head. Then the cashier said he just gave you a $50 gift card. Confused, Mike opened the emall envelope and found that sure enough it contained the gift card that the man had just purchased. Of course he was long gone at this point, so we couldn’t even thank him. As we prayed before eating, we gave heartfelt thanks to that generous stranger and asked God to bless him for his kindness to our family.
Another time I was at the grocery store with my kids. At the time I had four or five. A stranger asked if they were all mine which is a common question. And then she complimented me on how well behaved they were. She could have stopped there and my day would have been made, but she didn’t. She handed me some cash and asked if she could treat them to ice cream. And that made the kids’ day!
More inspiration for random acts of kindness
No matter what your budget, there are plenty of great ways that you can give. Check out the other posts and videos in this collab for even more ideas.
I would love to hear what acts of kindness and service you have done or been the recipient of. Please share down in the comments so we can get more great ideas!
This is amazing, a true act of love!
The most meaningful act of kindness that was given to me was a short conversation with a woman in her 90s. I was a new mother, and decided to take my six week old infant in to visit the adult day care where I worked. Every single woman there had something negative to say about my mothering. She’s dressed too warmly. You don’t have enough clothes on her. You’re feeding her too much. You’re starving her. I knew that most of it had very little to do with me; the women all had their own internal squabbles so if Betty said she was dressed too warmly, Janey would say she wasn’t dressed warmly enough, not because she cared one way or the other but because Betty couldn’t possibly be right. But still. By the end of the visit I was blinking back tears. Then, a coworker said, “Let’s go see Ivy. Ivy loves babies.” Ivy, who was one of the nursing home residents, held my little baby, exclaimed over how perfect she was, and said, “Look at how beautifully she’s dressed! It’s just perfect for a day like today.” She asked me some questions, and no matter what I said, she was pleased with my answer – “Oh, how sensible!” “Yes, I did just the same with my babies!” “You’re so smart, what a good thing to do!” When she handed over the baby she said, “You obviously know what you’re doing, she’s such a happy little baby.” It couldn’t have lasted more than ten minutes, but Ivy was my angel that day. She made me feel competent. She made me feel like I could trust myself. Ivy passed on several years ago; but I will always love her and remember her for her sweet, precious words, when I really needed to hear them.
Thanks for sharing Becca! It’s amazing how words and their impact (for good or for ill) can really stick with us. Such an important thing to remember! Let’s all be like Ivy and build others up with our words!
My mom (who is visiting to help with our new baby) was just telling me that when I was a newborn she was visiting a lady from church and as the lady watched my mom change my diaper she commented on how my mom was such a good mom because she was warming the wipes up in her hand before using them on me. Such a simple thing to say to a new mom, but those kind words have stayed with my mom thirty-something years later.
Where were you able to buy the wool socks? They’re such a great idea and I’d like to get some for the same purpose.
Hi Pam! We got them at Walmart. They were on an endcap in packs of 2 pairs for $10. I just searched online and found 4 pair for $13 also at Walmart! Mike did some research and found wool socks to be the top request by homeless shelters.
I was shopping one day before Christmas and a young boy said to his Mom “Look she is wearing a cool college scarf”. I took it off and gave it to him. He was astounded. It was fun to do!
Oh that’s awesome!! Something similar happened to me at church a few years ago. There was an older man with a really neat tie. I complimented him and asked where he got it so I could get one for my husband. He took it off and gave it to me and told me to wrap it up for my husband for Christmas! Every time my husband wears it I am reminded of the kind gesture! 🙂