13 Random Acts of Kindness in the Age of Coronavirus That’ll Give You Hope
Updated: Sep. 11, 2020Acts of kindness, no matter how small, can still bring hope during a pandemic.
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
An act of kindness
Life as we know it has changed significantly as the novel coronavirus pandemic spreads across countries and continents around the world. From closed restaurants and bars to spending more time indoors, staying at home and away from friends and family has become a way of life. Thankfully, acts of kindness, no matter how small, can still bring hope during a pandemic. Here are 17 small silver linings to help you feel better about living in quarantine.
Birthday parties on the road
Birthday parties are a time to celebrate getting older, but how do you celebrate a birthday when you’re in quarantine due to coronavirus? Luckily, people have figured out how to celebrate while social distancing and maintaining a safe six feet apart. For Peyton Buss’s eighth birthday, team members from his 2019 Conejo Valley Little League All-Star Baseball Team drive by his home on April 16, in Thousand Oaks, California. More than 25 vehicles took part in the celebration, and there were many gifts, cards, balloons, and cheers. Here’s why this woman’s quarantine birthday was actually her favorite birthday yet.
Sending care packages to medical professionals
On March 24, in Munich, Germany, an employee of a family doctor’s practice holds up a care package filled with gummy bears, mouthguard, and a card reading, “You need it more urgently. All the best for the coming weeks. And thanks for your work!”
Donating face masks
You can still help out, while also staying at home. Using a 3D printer, 15-year-old Brandon poses with the face shields he printed out and even created “Print the Curve Flat,” a campaign to print face shields for first responders and local groups. Here’s what you should know before creating your own face mask.
Teddy bears in windows
If you’ve gone out for walks in your neighborhood, you may have noticed that there are more teddy bears displayed in windows. But have you wondered to yourself why that is? The act of putting a teddy bear on the window sill was inspired by the children’s book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by United Kingdom author Michael Rosen. People have placed teddy bears on display around the world so children can have something to look forward to during walks while on lockdown. Here are 15 international fiction books to help you feel connected with the world around you.
Words of encouragement in chalk
On the sidewalk outside New York University Langone Health Hospital in New York City, a person wrote a chalk message with the words, “tough times, toughen people” on April 12. During these hard times, it’s good to see words of encouragement in all kinds of places, including in sidewalk chalk messages. Here are 13 everyday habits that could (and should) change forever after coronavirus.
Volunteers buying food for the elderly
If you have elderly neighbors, now might be a good time to check in on and save them a trip to the grocery store by offering them groceries. In Venice, Italy, the “Laboratorio occupato Morion” volunteers to do just that and buy food for the elderly. Here’s how you can avoid germs when grocery shopping.
Appreciation from firefighters
It’s not only citizens who show appreciation for essential works. In front of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, New York, an epicenter of COVID-19, New York City fireman display a sign and show their appreciation for the hard work of health care workers on April 2. Here are 18 pre-social distancing photos that feel like ages ago.
A rainbow for support
A picture of a rainbow and flowers on the window of a home in Penarth, Wales, helps to show solidarity when staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Rainbow pictures have been displayed across the United Kingdom and other countries as a symbol of hope and solidarity, a simple act that shows we’re all in this together. Here are 6 crazy, colorful facts about rainbows.
Community signs
Not every act of kindness has to be associated with a person. Near AdventHealth hospital in Orlando, Florida, handmade signs are displayed outside with messages like, “My superheroes wear masks” and “Thanks for sticking it to coronavirus” with an image of a syringe. Here’s how to take over 20 of the best Disney World rides virtually.
A helping hand
Outside of a Stop & Shop in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 5, the Rev. Miniard Culpepper of Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church hands out a ten-dollar bill to a shopper. In total, he gave out $250 at both Stop & Shop and Save-A-Lot, while next to him a deacon gives out a palm.
Lighting a candle
Sometimes, lighting a candle is what’s needed during these times. On April 5, millions of Indians turned off their lights for nine minutes and lit candles at 9 p.m. in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s request to “challenge the darkness.” In Kolkata, India, residents light candles to show unity against the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Donating dinners
With many people having been furloughed or laid off from their jobs, people have been forced to change their spending habits and their way of life. On April 18, in Heidelberg Township, Pennsylvania, volunteers Josh Forry and Kevin Snyder wore masks and gloves and prepared chicken meals to give to people waiting in their cars during the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s the difference between furlough and layoff.
Pet food
People need to be fed, and the same goes for pets. On April 22, Inga Fricke, the director of Community Initiatives at Humane Pennsylvania, wears a pet-themed mask while delivering pet food to the car. Make sure you know these 19 things your dog actually wants from you.
