DONE: No.42 - 50 Good Deeds

50 Good Deeds - Random Acts of Kindness, Good Manners, call it what you will, I've tried to be a nice person this last year!  In actual fact I kind of stopped counting each tiny, little thing I've done, which could be classed as 'being nice,' a long time ago and could have actually called time on this challenge in August.  But I was never going to do that was I!  It has been too much fun to be nice for a change.

Over the last year I have tried my best to be nice and helpful and kind and generous and I did try to keep a log of positive things I've done.  This is a difficult one to 'evidence' though.  But I know what I've done.

The good deeds have been very disparate but I've tried to categorise the sorts of things I've done in this 50 Good Deeds Task

1) Feeding Cats   2) Helping Lost Folk 3) Being sponsored, and sponsoring other folk 4) Donating
 5) Being more friendly to homeless folk 6) Helpfulness and kindness 7) Volunteering

Main things which I have enjoyed, remembered, been a little proud of:

•  There are a lot of homeless folk in my current home town of Cardiff - far too many in actual fact and the majority of them are young.  I'm as guilty as the next person for walking around and not 'seeing' them, not 'acknowledging' their existence.  This past year though I've tried to be better and more aware.   I've been a lot more open this year to giving a few bob here and there when I can, I've given bottles of water and a whole lot of fruit.  Don't tell Stewart about the fruit though cos he thinks I'm eating it each day.  I also bought a Tescos 'meal deal' one lunchtime for a young lady down on her luck.   My parents were always huge supporters of the Big Issue and I've tried to remember to buy a few.  During one of our recent exceedingly cold spells I gave a pair of thermal gloves to a bloke I passed on the street.  And in general I've tried my best not ignore these people who are absolutely no different to you or I.   I know it's a not a lot, but it's something.

•  Feeding Cats-  this is basically being neighbourly and in return for looking after a couple of cats my own guinea pigs get cared for when I'm away.  Below, a picture of Narla and Simba, the fur babies I often look after.

•  One way I was regularly able to be helpful was by helping lost folk - of which there seems to be loads in Cardiff, generally of three different types.  Lost international students in January or September.  Obviously this is where I'm in my element, I love being able help and I love being able to give a good impression of 'friendly' folk in Cardiff.   We also get a lot of tourists and I love being able to help by pointing out how to get to the Castle or give directions down the Bay.  Finally, during international rugby matches there are always lost supporters who are glad of being given a direction or two.

• I have done a few different sponsored activities this year and have also tried to sponsor other folk doing amazing things.  I can't begin to say how much I have appreciated each single donation I received in the form of sponsorship myself.   I've been more likely this last year than ever before to chuck change in a bucket for charity collections.  The charities I have been able to raise money for include:

 And then there are loads of different small things I've done, I've volunteered at a few sporting events which were actually great fun, I've baked a few times throughout the year and shared the spoils with my work, Stewarts work and even the ladies at the Guide Dog Cymru training school though whether sharing my cupcakes, chocolate truffles and gingerbread cookies counts as a good deed or cruelty well who knows.  I also gave away my handmade bars of soap too.

Finally, you all know by now the trauma we have faced recently when we lost both parents in under two months.   Being back in Cardiff I was able to reflect on the good we were able to do after my Mum and Dad passed away.  From donating money collected at the funerals to the British Heart Foundation, to taking scores of bags and boxes of things to a huge range of charity shops, to even requesting a van (!) from the BHF to come and collect a huge amount of clothes and finally we were able to donate their furniture, bedding, crockery and practical household goods to the Whitlawburn Housing Cooperative for them to help future folk in need who they will rehouse.   One of the nicest and sweetest things I was able to do recently was this.  My Mum was an avid knitter, and a good knitter as well.  One of her favourite things to do was to knit baby cardigans.  When we were clearing the flat I came across around 20 beautifully handknitted baby cardigans she had completed but hadn't given away. Well, back in south Wales I have found a charity called the Cwtch Baby Bank which distributes clothes and equipment to young families in dire need and I took along the remaining gorgeous cardigans for them to pass on to any young Mums who may not have much for their newborns.  I got a lovely acknowledgement email from them yesterday.  I don't think anything I could have done over the last year means more than passing on something from my Mum.

 

So, I'm calling time on Task No.42 - 50 Good Deeds, though I have plenty of ideas of other ways to help and spread love and good karma.