Random Acts of Canadian celebrates acts of kindness in challenging times.

New RBC program encourages Canadians to discover and create moments of empathy

From the front lines to our front lawns, Canadians have been known to carry out selfless acts for family, neighbours and even strangers. These neighbourly acts of compassion know no age limit, colour, gender or social barriers and they’ve brought communities closer together with smiles, tears, and an overwhelming appreciation for what it means to be Canadian.

To help spread some good news in these challenging times, RBC has launched Random Acts of Canadian. This is a new national call to showcase the incredible ways in which Canadians are positively impacting and supporting each other, their communities and their country as they cope with the ongoing stress of living through – and emerging from -- a global pandemic.

Canadians can share their stories by submitting them to www.randomactsofcanadian.com. Each week, RBC will share stories to spread the joy, and celebrate the amazing acts of kindness that are happening all across Canada.

“COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of Canadians in so many ways, but what continues to stand out is the ingenuity with which they are helping one another,” said Neil McLaughlin, Group Head, Personal & Commercial Banking, RBC. “These stories demonstrate the resilience and spirit of generosity that defines Canadians – something that should be recognized and celebrated. We hope these stories inspire others to follow suit and do something that keeps this kindness movement going as Canada emerges from the pandemic.”

RBC encourages all Canadians to discover and participate in Random Acts of Canadian, by bringing the ideas that are spotlighted into their own community, or creating their own moments and sharing their successes through this communal online space.

Here are a few examples of Canadians standing up in their communities:

· With face masks and hand sanitizers in short supply, many saw this as an opportunity to lend a hand. Jordan raised more than $31,000 and has delivered more than 7,000 bottles of free hand sanitizer throughout his community. Meanwhile, 87-year-old Olga made 160 face masks and left them on her porch for anyone who needed them.

· With camps cancelled this summer, Canadian jazz pianist Thompson wants to get arts supplies to kids in underserved communities. He is aiming to raise $30,000 to donate 1,000 sidewalk chalk boxes by summer’s end.

· Rachael, age 5, loves horses and records videos of herself reading stories on YouTube. She aims to raise $50,000 to help cover feed and healthcare costs for horses for six local barns.

· Kyla rallied a community of women in the Yukon to use their intricate style of First Nation beading to create broaches of the fireweed flower, the official flower of the territory. The broaches are made to lift the morale of Kyla’s fellow frontline health care workers.

· Family-owned Niagara Trailers donated 41 RV units to help front-line health workers isolate from their families while staying close to home.

· Steve knows what it’s like to be hungry. So, when community groups in Toronto began closing due to COVID-19, he created Kitchen 24 and has provided over 30,000 meals to those in need so far.

To learn more about these and other inspiring acts of kindness, visit www.randomactsofcanadian.com.