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Acts of kindness through the work we do
People who work in the helping professions often go above and beyond their job descriptions to help the people they support. One example is Rosa*, whose job involves helping refugee families to settle in New Zealand. Rosa’s compassion for those who have experienced terrible conditions in their home countries and in crowded refugee camps, prompts […]
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Help not needed
If we see a stranger in trouble, it’s good to stop and help – but sometimes we can get it wrong. The other day as I pulled into my street, I saw a motorcycle on its side and its rider sprawled out on a grassy bank by the side of the road. Immediately I pulled […]
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Kindness to animals
The principle of kindness applies to animals, as well as humans. Recently Lynley* found a cat lying on her front deck. Somehow its front paw had got caught in its collar, so that it couldn’t walk. Although she was a stranger to the cat, Lynley approached it and unbuckled its collar to set its leg […]
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School counsellors do a great job
Gizelle writes: “I would like to make a shoutout to my school counsellors who are so kind and work sooooo hard to help us here at my school. They are the most caring and hard-working people I’ve ever met. I know one of them reads Happy Nation newsletters and tells us all about it.” Thanks […]
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The gift of free surgery
Shout out to the surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and other staff who are voluntarily donating their time and expertise on Saturdays 9 and 23 November to provide free surgeries for up to 70 patients. Braemar Hospital is a private hospital in Hamilton, NZ, but the Braemar Charitable Trust Community Surgery Programme arranges free surgeries for deserving […]
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Caring in carpark
My sister came across a lady who had lost her car in a large shopping centre car park. They both climbed into my sister’s car and drove around until they found it. A simple act of kindness for a stranger that made her day a little less stressful.
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It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day!
For some, kindness is a way of life; for others, it might come and go, depending on mood and circumstances. If someone we know and like is in need, we’re usually spurred to help them out, but with strangers we might be less inclined to notice and more hesitant to get involved. How does a […]
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Coffee with a double shot
Viv writes: “A couple of weeks ago I drove into a service station to grab a coffee. A truck drove in behind me. The trucker hopped out and took his turn after me at the coffee machine. I was queuing to pay when the trucker tapped me on the shoulder and asked if he could […]
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Going the extra miles
A lady in Victoria went into her local council office recently, as she was having trouble understanding the local buses. One of the council employees took the time to walk with her up to the bus stop, but it was clear that she wasn’t going to get home in a hurry. So the thoughtful worker […]
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Carrying the load
A while back, my sister was packing her groceries into her car, when she noticed the people next to her. They had bought a washing machine from a nearby shop, but they couldn’t fit it into their car to take it home. So my sister offered to take it for them. They drove their car […]