WIN an iPad Mini thanks to Electric Ireland's Powering Kindness Week!

Electric Ireland: David

Hi everyone,

We're delighted to tell you that Electric Ireland's Powering Kindness week is back - from Nov 2nd to Nov 8th! This year we're once again asking for your help raising €100,000 for 3 fantastic charities - Breakthrough Cancer Research, Special Olympics Ireland and ISPCC Childline.




To help get that milk of human kindness flowing, we're giving boards users a chance to win an iPad Mini before Powering Kindness officially kicks off, and during the week itself! So that's TWO 16GB gorgeous iPad Mini's up for grabs, one for each competition!



All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is leave a comment below (as brief or as long as you like), telling us about a kind deed once done for you. It can be as simple as an understanding and uplifting smile on a difficult day, a surprise cup of tea, or something utterly unexpected that in one fell swoop restored your faith in humanity...

This competition runs until Friday 1st Nov (with the next one to start on Saturday 2nd), and the winners will be chosen on Friday afternoon. T&C's are here.

Best of luck!

stooge

I went in to B&Q a few months ago to buy gas for a BBQ, however, I didnt realise that I needed an old gas cyclinder to fill so the desk were going to charge me 35E for a new one plus the money to for the gas.

Luckily, another customer at the till beside me said he had a spare one in his back garden and I was welcome to have it. He asked me to follow him to his house nearby where he gave me the cyclinder. I offered him some cash in return but he refused, saying that he was glad to help out and that I should give the money to charity. Such a nice man and a nice deed.

n1ck

Once when I was younger, about 10 or so, I was getting the bus for the first time to play tennis because I couldn't get a lift. I ended up missing my stop and started crying on the bus because I was completely lost. I had gone past the stop in Rathmines and was the whole way into town.

A lady who got on the bus with me got off the bus with me and walked me the whole way back to the tennis club and then proceeded to walk back to town. Kindest thing ever done for me!

deisediva

When my kids were younger had to go into town one day with all 3 my son was less than 2 weeks old and others were 2 and 5 . It was lashing rain and bills had to be paid and baby had an appointment with Doctor in town so had no choice but to brave it. Had to sit for about 30mins in the pay and display car park waiting for a space and baby was crying for a bottle. Just as I went to pull into a space a not so nice woman came in opposite direction having just arrived to car park and took the space I was just about to go into. 

3 small kids crying fed up at this stage I felt like crying too. A nice man saw what happened was sitting waiting for his wife in his car got out told me to come over to his space he would pull out and give me his space. Not only did he do that but he went and got me a ticket paying for my parking and chatted to the older 2 while I sorted baby in the buggy. He got soaked and ended up having to wait for another space but was so grateful to him that day he totally restored my faith in mankind. Would never have expected anyone let alone a man to do this

zenbuffy

This is a bit of a long one, but it won't make sense without the explanations, so bear with me.

Last year, shortly after my dad died, I bought a house. I spent countless hours doing it up, wishing he had been there to help, hoping he'd be proud of my decisions, and all that. I put my savings into the work I couldn't do myself, and painted, papered, and built furniture to take it from a house badly in need of repair to something that looked like a home. Then, on 29th of May this year, I put my dishwasher on, and left the house. An hour later, I received a call to come home - my dishwasher had caused a fire, and my home (and most of what was in it) was destroyed. I lost all my clothes, many of my possessions (although thankfully, managed to retain most of my books due to two closed doors between them and the smoke). (http://www.zenbuffy.com/2013/06/small-mercies/)

I am now getting back on my feet, and what the specialist cleaners couldn't clean or fix has largely been replaced. There were a few things, though, that simply couldn't be cleaned, and had no value beyond sentimental. I just accepted that they were gone, and though it was very upsetting, there was nothing I could do about it. 

One of the things I lost was a set of two large novelty cheques, which had been presented to me when I won some awards while in college. The other thing that I lost was a small charm - a relic sewn by a relative who was a nun (she is now dead), given to my mum, and then passed on to me. It had been on my crib as a baby, and then under my pillow or attached to various beds throughout my whole life. As these things were fabric and paper, there was really nothing the cleaners could do. My fire had produced sticky soot, and they were too badly damaged.

On Monday last week, I had an unexpected visit from my aunt (and godmother) Susan, who said that she had a gift for me. I unwrapped a big roll of paper, bubblewrap, etc. to discover two large novelty cheques, and then promptly burst into tears. My aunt had tracked down the biology society in NUI Maynooth (my old college, and the society that had run the competition that I won twice), and explained about the fire, and asked if there was any way the cheques could be replaced. The current VP of the society, Shane Giggans, got on the case, and got in touch with the bank. They replaced the two cheques, the society made them out just like the ones I had lost, and then Shane drove from Maynooth to my aunt's house to deliver them into her hands. 

This morning, my mum told me she had found another Aunt Raphael relic for me. My grandmother had told my mum she had one for me - she had decided to give me her own one, from her own bed.

I am so touched by the efforts of those who love me, and I don't think I'll ever find a way to repay all their kindness. Though the house fire has been extremely stressful and upsetting, I've been genuinely blessed to have received thoughtful gifts, cards, and words of hope and encouragement from my friends, family, workmates, and even from people who only know me as zenbuffy on twitter/etc. It has all served to remind me that, even in the darkest times, there are people who will lift you up, restore you, or just simply sit and cry with you, and I feel genuinely lucky to have such people in my life.

remeneerb

One of the kindest things ever done for me was when I was flying a kite with my niece a few weeks ago. We were having great fun when it got stuck up in a tree and she was devasted. A man who was doing roadworks nearby ran over, climbed the tree and grabbed the kite back for us. Just seeing my little niece smile made my day, he didn't have to do it but it was just a nice, kind and helpful thing to have done and we really appreciated it. It's the small things that can often make most difference to your day

BrookieD

A  few months back I lost my iPhone and was resigned to never seeing it again. It turns out the person who found it was a very kind geeky person and managed through some IT tricks to get into the phone and seek out my wife as a contact. From here he tracked me down and returned my iPhone. 

i was stunned that someone returned it and it renewed my faith in people as a whole.

Skyhawk1990

During recruit training with the army i was out for the day as i had to complete something away from the rest of the platoon. I was fairly late coming back which meant i missed dinner and hadn't anything to eat all day! There was no food left when I got back and the kitchens were closed. The Corporal that was looking after us that night ordered food in for me out of his own pocket and refused to let me pay him back.

patryciaoz

Electric Ireland: David wrote: »

Hi everyone,

We're delighted to tell you that Electric Ireland's Powering Kindness week is back - from Nov 2nd to Nov 8th! This year we're once again asking for your help raising €100,000 for 3 fantastic charities - Breakthrough Cancer Research, Special Olympics Ireland and ISPCC Childline.




To help get that milk of human kindness flowing, we're giving boards users a chance to win an iPad Mini before Powering Kindness officially kicks off, and during the week itself! So that's TWO 16GB gorgeous iPad Mini's up for grabs, one for each competition!



All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is leave a comment below (as brief or as long as you like), telling us about a kind deed once done for you. It can be as simple as an understanding and uplifting smile on a difficult day, a surprise cup of tea, or something utterly unexpected that in one fell swoop restored your faith in humanity...

This competition runs until Friday 1st Nov (with the next one to start on Saturday 2nd), and the winners will be chosen on Friday afternoon. T&C's are here.

Best of luck!

We always had a tradition in our house to leave a spare set a plates during Christmas dinner incase someone wanted to join us.

Christmas five years ago someone rang the bell. It was a homeless man asking for food, he visited us many times before for the same reason. My parents insisted that he would eat with us and not spend Christmas alone.

it's then that I understood what Christmas is really about.

username123

When I made the transition from renting to buying my own place, there was no money left after deposit, solicitors fees, new locks, an alarm etc so I resigned myself to having no tv, sleeping on a mattress and sitting on deck chairs in the sitting room for the first while. 

My landlady, who is the loveliest woman, discovered my plight and kindly gave me whatever furniture I wanted to take with me from the rental. Bed, tv, couch, she provided all the home comforts for my new place. I still see her about and remember her kindness. 

LostinKildare

A few years ago at Christmas our car broke down and we couldn't get anyone to fix it -- it was terrible timing because although we were hosting Christmas dinner, we had promised to collect various relatives.  Our next door neighbour is a mechanic, and he fixed our car on Christmas Eve, working into the night, and then he wouldn't take any money for it either! 

Dublinstiofán

I'm more of a giver than a receiver of good deeds (not to toot my own horn)

I once organised a raffle for GOAL and got some fantastic prizes. Raised over €1000 and contacted the 
winners. But the winner of the big prize, a €500 day in a recording studio, didn't claim their prize. 
So i put it up on Adverts.ie and gave it away to a band free of charge. 

All credit to them they mailed me the recording that they did that day and i still have it! 

lotsofthegreen

i found myself short 1 euro at a car park machine with a trolley full of groceries and no access to any more cash; god bless the kind soul at the next machine popped a euro in for me. More power to him!

dulpit

Was having a pretty crappy day at work recently and a colleague gave me a maom sweet. It's the little things that get you through the day...

bungaro79

i got a very early morning shuttle bus to the airport in santiago in chile. it wasn't till i got to the airport that i realised i had left my passport in the hostel. in my broken spanish i explained to a worker in the airport what had happened so he told a taxi driver what happened and he tore back to the hostel with me and we found the passport under the covers and sped back to the airport just in time for me to check in to my flight. the same guy was there to let me skip the queue and i just made it through security where i made final boarding call. would've definitely missed my flight if it wasn't for him. 

Appleguy

Few Saturdays ago i was having a bad day. Friend of mine came over for 8 hours, missed the leinster 
match with her dad and hung out with me for the whole day to cheer me up. Legend!  

If i won the iPad i'd give it to her for being such a legend. 

Lawrence1895

In July, my Dad in Germany had a serious operation, the Shelbourne FC assistant manager dedicated a win to him :-)

shuffles88

The kindest thing that anyone has ever done for me didn't directly involve me at all. When I was 5 my grandfather, my favourite person in the world, had been experiencing bad health and was due to go to Dublin for a check up in one of the hospitals there. As he lived quite a distance from Dublin he decided to take the bus rather than drive. Being a very chatty kind of person my granddad struck up a conversation with the lady sitting beside him and they continued chatting until my grandfather began to look ill and the woman asked him if he was alright. As it turned out that he was having a massive heart attack but fortunately for my Grandfather the woman he had been speaking to happened to be a nurse and she managed to keep him alive until he got to the hospital. My grandfather was rushed into theatre and underwent life saving surgery. Because of this lady (who's name we never knew, nor did we ever get to thank her) my grandfather lived, and lived well, for another 13 years. He saw his family grow to include 10 more grandchildren and 1 great grandchild that otherwise would not have got to know my wonderful grandfather. This lady saving my Grandfathers life was the greatest act of kindness I've ever experienced.

Gaspode

Found out today that a colleague has nominated me for a Staff Excellence award in work. I may not win it but it's really nice that someone notices the effort you're putting in, and went to the bother of proposing me. Made my day.

nautilus

Just came back from working a three weeks offshore, to find my boyfriend waiting on the dockside to bring me home. 

Minivan

I lost my bag once and somebody found it and brought it to the Garda Station for me. 

Got it back with everything but my wallet in it (which i assume was taken before that nice person found it!) 

AnCatDubh

One evening and a couple of miles from home - I manage to get my car onto the grass verge (well I pulled in out of necessity - two wheels off the road onto the grass verge).  When I set out again, wheels spun, and continued to spin...... bah,............ not good, and was going nowhere quickly.

As if from nowhere, a guy stopped his car took out a tow rope, and offered to help. Back on the road within minutes.  I hadn't even gotten to the stage of trying to flag down someone to help.

Fair play to him.

shivie

A work colleagued offered (much needed at he time) lifts to work; even went out of her way for me  god bless her

BIGGIEsmall

Got on the bus one time and realised I couldn't find my wallet.
It was a 45 minute bus ride and panicked as to how I would get home. Someone popped in the change for me and I invited him over for a cup of tea. We've been great mates since(7 years)

overexcitedaj

Times are tough at the moment with no job so I have had to set my priorities financially over the coming months. One of the things I love to do is go to concerts but that is obviously something that has been put on the back burner. Anyway, a band that I really like was due to play a few weeks back but of course I was not going to go. On the moning of the gig however, I woke up to a letter from my roomate with a note saying that he knew times were tough and that he had bought me a ticket to go see the concert with him. It was a fantastic gig and his small gesture will definatly be a highlight of mine for 2013

clancger

In 1991, I went to Munich to work for the summer. I was supposed to be staying with cousins who were nursing over there and when I arrived one Friday evening, I found out they'd gone away for a long weekend, wouldn't be back till Tuesday, and had forgotten to leave me a key.
I was trying to figure out what to do, as I didn't have the cash for a hotel or hostel. I was determined not to go to the campsite, as an Irish girl had been murdered there about a week before, so it was all over the news at home. 

While I was sitting in the lobby looking all despondent with my bags 2 Kiwi nurses came in and asked what had happened, and immediately offered to let me have one of their rooms for the weekend. This included bringing me out on the town with their friends over the weekend so by the time my cousins returned, I knew nearly more people working in the hospital than they did.

I got a job in Nuremberg soon after, so wasn't long in Munich, but I'll always be grateful to those 2 girls who kept me from being homeless.

efb

A lady once found my wallet i lost on the bus and handed it into Pearse St Garda Station. Garda called me and I was reunited. Sent the very kind lady flowers she called me told me she was so delighted with them.

sidcon

On the day of signing the deeds to my house went to the solicitors to find that the cheque was not in my back pocket.
Panicking checked the car, and everywhere to no avail.
Was on my way to bank to cancel the cheque, when I got a phone call to say that it was found by a customer and they brought it back in to the bank.
Never knew who she was until two years later, turned out to be my future wife's sister. I still get the sure you owe me one every time where in the pub.

Chewabacca

My one is one that I'm sure many people here can relate to. I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has had to walk home at all hours of the morning after a night out due to not having money for a taxi.

When I was in college I agreed with a friend that he could stay at my house on the condition that he paid for my taxi. Seemed fair at the time. We were walking towards the taxi rank at around 3am. It was that horribly freezing winter, not sure of the year but it was the one that everyone remembers at "the cold winter". The winter all the lakes froze over. My friend was complaining about being freezing so I decided I'd let him wear my jacket seeing as he was paying for my taxi. On the way I saw 2 guys helping a girl that couldn't even stand down the street. I told my friend that we had to help them. I went over and asked if they needed help. They said they'd called an ambulance but needed to get her to the road. I noticed my friend had disappeared so I decided if have to help them get the girl to the ambulance and then worry about finding my friend. Ambulance arrived so I went looking for my friend. Surely enough he had disappeared. 

As with many cheap students I had no phone credit and no money on me. I realized I'd have to walk it home. This was when I realized I was wearing a thin number and everything was frozen over. I had to pull my arms inside my jumper and slowly get through the 5 mile walk home. Every time a car passed i thumbed for a lift but only taxis stopped. I had reached a stage of frozen deleria and decided I'd keep an eye out for newspaper or anything else I could use to stuff inside my jumper to insulate me. I know it sounds ridiculous but keep in mind that I was still drunk.

Around an hour into the walk I was thumbing for a lift and a taxi driver pulled in. As with the other 20 taxis that pulled over I went over, opened the door and said 'don't worry about it, I have no money'. To my complete surprise he told me to get in, saying it was too cold to let me walk home. Not only this, but he said that he had driven by me about 15 minutes before and decided to turn around because he couldn't have me walking home like that. 

To this day it's the nicest thing that a stranger has ever done to me. I told my friends about it and most of them didn't even believe me.

Trev De rev

• I work in a office of 17 people most of them mean as hell. Sitting at home watching the budget:eek: thinking how much my wife and i are going to be down. It started me thinking that ther alot more people worse off then me. im able to sit around in a tshirt with heating on in middle of winter. There was people out there with no heating at home that night. kids freezing and going hungry. So i decided i was going to start a collection of dry goods and other bits for the St Vincent de Paul. So i printed up posters and set up a empty box under our christmas tree for people to drop stuff. I started the ball rolling myself and went out for 50euro of shopping and anything we had to spear in the presses at home. Some people joked at first why would you get selection boxs for poor people. why would you get them this or even that. I just said it could be any of us this time next year and they are entitled to have nice things at christmas just like us. Slowly over the next few weeks the box was filled and emptied a few times.  A few days before christmas i dropped the boxes to our local SVP wher they were added in with other donations and made into hampers for the needy. This will be our third year of doing it and i've even been asked already by one of the meanest am i doing it again this year.
  

[*]

,

macpower

Many moons ago i bought my now teenage daughter a set of swings for her birthday, having saved for ages to get the set, the delivery charge was more than i could afford so i decided to bring the rather large box home myself in the car. Well every turn i took this box was lurching forward/sideways/backwards and causing me no end of trouble...having really hurt my shoulder trying to steady it, I eventually pulled in at the side of a road crying (i still had a fair amount of a journey left) when a local painter and decorater stopped in his van and asked if i was ok, when i told him the story he took the swing set off me, put them into his van and delivered them home for me. I didnt know this guy at all, but his kindness stayed with me...i will always do my best to help people out, even in a small way. Kindness is remembered.