To say 2020 has been a year of hardships is an understatement. Most people have had their fair share of emotional ups and downs, some even bringing on symptoms of mental illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of anxiety and depression have increased from 30% to 36% since April 2020.
With national tragedies, the global pandemic, economic uncertainty and general fear, the world is desperately searching for something to take it all away. To make it right.
While most people can’t agree one solution will be the answer to everything, most can agree that helping each other out is the best most anyone can do.
For those who need a reminder or inspiration of what helping out can look like, BYUtv’s series “Random Acts” is a treasure trove of examples of kindness. The unscripted reality series so far comprises five seasons of 25-minute episodes featuring stories that highlight giving, unity, positivity, compassion and hope. Just like fear, kindness is also contagious. So maybe “Random Acts” is a simple way to make our world a little better by planting good and watching it grow.
“Random Acts” starts with short four-minute segments where hosts often lay kindness traps for the unwitting passersby and then reward them for stopping to do something nice.
In one episode, hosts pretend their car is broken down and they need help pushing it to a nearby gas station. When good Samaritans driving by stop to help push, staffers from the show spring from a waiting van to wash their cars.
Another episode shows hapless hosts trying to find a supposedly lost engagement ring in the sand on a beach. When people stop walking by to join the search party, they are rewarded with little boxes of hidden treasure the hosts previously planted in the sand.
The primary focus of each episode, however, is a well-planned surprise for deserving people who have been nominated by those who know them well. Some honorees have gracefully weathered tough challenges. Others have spent years helping others selflessly, and friends or family want to see them honored for that service.
In season five’s “Thrift Gift,” 70-year-old Mary Daniels is treated to a special day. Her daughters tell “Random Acts” how much their mother has given to others for as long as they can remember. Among other things she does to be of service, Mary owns a thrift store in Salt Lake City, where her only goal is to provide for and serve the nearby homeless population. Any money she makes goes into keeping the store open. Everyone leaves with what they need, whether they can pay or not.
So one day, host Will Rubio takes Daniels scuba diving, which Mary has always wanted to do, while host Emilie Starr helps run the store in her absence. Emilie invites a few hundred people to come and try to buy out the store. The store also gets a new door and a new sign. Viewers get to learn more about this remarkable woman and cheer her on as she enjoys a day for herself and then is thrilled by the help she receives—all just so she can give more.
In the episode, “A Lotta Pinata,” the show gives back to and through Aleisha McDaniel, whom friends say is constantly doing random acts of kindness in her life, all while being a wife, mother and teacher and operating multiple nonprofits to help those in need.
Aleisha’s “signature” — which she has done almost 300 times — is gifting pinatas to those who need pick-me-ups. So Rubio and host Jenna Kim Jones help create a pinata to present to someone Aleisha chooses. The surprise for her is seeing how big it is: the parts of the pinata fill an entire truck. She’s delighted with the result: A gymnasium full of students at a school for kids with autism have a great time grabbing the treats and school supplies the pinata holds.
In these often-distressing times, a show like “Random Acts” — sharing the examples of normal community members — can make all the difference. As hosts share acts of kindness, they lift hearts, and they encourage the recipients of generosity to pay it forward to others. When viewers watch, they feel inspired by the wonderful people featured on the show and maybe want to do some random acts of kindness, too. The giving is simply contagious, and that’s the kind of thing that needs to spread.
Watch the season 6 premiere of “Random Acts” November 4th on BYUtv.org, on their free BYUtv app or on the BYUtv TV channel.