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Tales of humanity: How random acts of kindness can lift us all

Children, kindly neighbours and a baker who delivers his own product are just some of the random acts of kindness by some Aussies keen to help out in trying times.

Mar 23, 2020, updated Mar 24, 2020
Sue Mantle's neighbour Taylor Clarke dropped a note in her letterbox offering to help. (Supplied)

Sue Mantle's neighbour Taylor Clarke dropped a note in her letterbox offering to help. (Supplied)

Italy and Spain have balcony parties and rooftop fitness classes and now Australians are creating their own public acts of kindness in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

Gold Coast retiree Sue Mantle publicly thanked her neighbour Taylor Clarke with a shout-out on ABC Brisbane radio after he left a note with his details offering to help with whatever she needed.

“I had tears in my eyes, it was just so lovely, and my husband Roger felt the same,” Mrs Mantle said.

“We were so thrilled someone cared.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen and that’s our big concern — my husband has medical problems and we don’t know if we’ll be isolated.

“It is very comforting to know they are just over the road.”

Clarke said his note sparked a friendship with his older neighbours, whom he had not previously spoken to much before he decided to reach out.

“We live in that era where some people don’t even talk to their neighbours, so to reconnect and get to know them has been a plus,” he said.

“I would definitely recommend other people do it. If we stick by each other, we’ll be right.”

Shashwat Kafle is gifting a drawing of his favourite superhero, Iron Man. (ABC News: Jessica van Vonderen)

Even toddlers are getting onboard, with kids at a daycare centre in Brisbane’s north-west crafting paintings and care packs for elderly residents after their monthly visits were cancelled.

Perfect Beginnings Child Care Centre director Danni Clarke said the activity has helped young children confused and worried about the virus cope and will make sure isolated residents at their local aged care home didn’t feel forgotten.

“We obviously can’t go up there at the moment, but we still want to do something,” she said.

“They’re a huge part of our community, so we want to make sure we’re keeping that connection and making sure they know we’re thinking of them and we can all do this together.”

A baker who delivers

In Boonah, in southeast Queensland, a local bakery has offered free home delivery as bread shelves empty in major supermarkets.

Arthur Clive’s Bakery Café owner Jared Pennell said it has sparked other businesses to do the same.

Arthur Clive Bakery Cafe owner Jared Pennell says it’s important to stay positive. (ABC News: Anna Hartley)

“We want to try and drive some positivity and calmness into this big negative situation, and it’s been really well received by the community, the response has been huge,” he said.

“We’ve seen a lot of people with elderly parents in the area that have felt a sense of relief to know their mum or dad or their grandparents will be OK.

“It’s important to stay positive. We’ve suffered some big things in this country and we’ll get through it — we just have to keep calm and be kind to people.”

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Setting the proper tone

University of Queensland social psychologist Dr Fiona Barlow commended Prime Minister Scott Morrison for this week calling on Australians to stop negative behaviour like hoarding.

“How we respond within this next little while is going to set the tone for how we, as a nation, respond,” she said.

“What we’re doing also is setting a norm. We’re showing who we are and how we want others to behave as well.

“We look to see how other people are behaving and, without even realising it, copy their behaviour.”

Dr Barlow said it was important to see public acts of kindness during a crisis.

“Altruism and pro-social behaviour is absolutely expected at this time and the acts of kindness we’re seeing are incredible,” she said.

“It’s really interesting because it’s a phenomenon that effectively replicates itself.

“When someone does something kind for us, we feel obligated to do something kind back to them because we feel grateful.

“Studies show when we feel really grateful, we’re more likely to do more kind things for strangers.

“A small act of kindness for one person may have a huge knock-on effect, creating a cascading effect of kindness.

“With every positive behaviour, we have the potential, I think, to make a difference in isolated people’s lives as well as to encourage those around us to act in the same way.”

– ABC / Anna Hartley and Jessica van Vonderen

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