Random acts of kindness can quickly turn someone else’s day from drab to dazzling. We are huge believers in random acts of kindness here at The Carousel. We love dishing ’em out, and we love it when people give them back to us.

A recent study by Campos Coffee Group has revealed that one in three Aussies believe kindness is key to helping us feel connected once again. Nearly half the respondents (44 percent) said they had witnessed more random acts of kindness in their local communities over the last twelve months, than ever before. We just love the spirit of this and think it’s definitely a silver lining of recent tumultuous times.

Random Acts of Kindness In Cafes

Who hasn’t heard of the ‘pay it forward coffee’? It’s one of those random acts of kindness that we all have carried out, and been the recipient of. It would seem local coffee cafes and shops have been at the centre of these many unifying moments during Covid-times.

According to the Campos’ findings, three in four Australians (78 percent) are happy to shout someone a coffee, just because! More than a quarter (27 percent) have even done so for a total stranger (insert smiley face here).

With this in mind, for this year’s Random Acts of Kindness Day on Wednesday February 17, 2021, the kind folk at Campos Cafes around Australia are randomly giving away surprise free coffees!

You can find out how to get yours below, but first, we thought we’d share some simple random acts of kindness that we can all carry out, to help brighten the day of someone else, as well as ourselves. Let’s try to put them into practice throughout the entire year, and not just one day!

1. Let someone in front of you in traffic.
2. Pay someone a compliment and mean it.
3. Let another car have the awesome parking spot.
4. Put coins in an expired parking metre.
5. Offer your seat to someone else on public transport.
6. Take time to write a shining review online for a cafe or restaurant you love.
7. Donate blood.
8. Mow your neighbour’s front lawn for them.
9. Offer to walk a friend of family member’s dog when you know they’re short on time.
10. Say thank you to your child’s teacher and let them know how much you value them.
11. Be A Buddy. Make a donation as little as $39 via curecancer.com.au/buddy-box to sponsor a Buddy Box; a fun and interactive gift box filled with items to help put a smile on the face of a child undergoing cancer treatment. Once you’ve made your donation, be sure to share it on your social media platforms using the hashtag #BeABuddy.
12. Treat yourself and a friend to a girl’s spa day.
13. Volunteer to walk the dogs or cuddle the cats at your local animal shelter.
14. Join an online chat room that is focusing on a topic you’re knowledgable and passionate about. Share your knowledge with others. Listen to what others have to share.
15. Send some flowers to a retirement home.
16. Hold the door open for someone.
17. Let someone go ahead of you in line at the supermarket, no matter how many things they have in their trolley.
18. Be nice to your waiter (always). Leave him or her a tip, with a note saying how great they are at their job.
19. Write a note for the chef and kitchen staff of the restaurant you’ve eaten at. Let them know you appreciate their team effort in bringing you a beautiful meal.
20. Make an Espresso Martini for your loved one at the end of the day!
21. Spend some time being kind to yourself. Do the thing that you love doing the most and enjoy every second of it.

Other Interesting Findings From The Campos Coffee Group Survey

• More than three quarters (77 percent ) of Aussies say witnessing, displaying or being on the receiving end of random acts of kindness has changed their perception of the world.
• Victorians are likely to say they visited their local coffee café or coffee shop more often than Queenslanders, as it provided them with the opportunity to connect with their local community (49 percent compared to 30 percent) and it was a daily ritual that broke up their day (38 percent compared to 22 percent).
• Victorians (46 percent) are more likely to say they would definitely be happy to shout someone a coffee as a random act of kindness, in comparison to NSW residents (38 percent).
• Women (83 percent) are happier to shout someone a coffee as a random act of kindness than men (72 percent).
• Women (81 percent) are more likely than men (71 percent) to say random acts of kindness have changed their perception of the world – in particular that small acts of kindness can make a big difference (53 percent vs. 37 percent) and that acts of kindness are important in helping vulnerable people (39 percent vs. 27 percent).

*To keep fuelling community connections, and in line with Random Acts of Kindness Day, all Campos Cafes around Australia will be randomly giving away 70,000 cups of coffee for Aussies to use as a kind treat for themselves or someone else.

Find your local Campos cafe here.