Amidst the panic buying, toilet paper brawls and general confusion, these trying times have triggered an outpouring of generosity and kindness among some Australians.

Di Kilsby is one of those trying to provide a little dose of goodness during the coronavirus pandemic. That goodness may come in the form of a text message, a toilet paper roll or even a jar of homemade pickled carrots.

"Everyone is just doing whatever they can think of and getting creative and reaching out," she said.

"I just figure that fermented food is something that will keep for a long time, it's really super nutritious and I will be able to share that with people who need it."

Ms Kilsby started a group chat for her neighbours — the inhabitants of an 11-storey apartment block in Melbourne's St Kilda. Many of them are elderly, vulnerable or live with a disability.

The pickled vegetables on offer. ( ABC News: Lucy Kent )

"I told them I'm cooking ... I've filled up my freezer, there are meals ready to go for everyone," she said.

The goal of their new social network is to look after each other, keep up some form of company and make each other laugh in the tough times ahead.

"I said, 'Let's check in with each other, see what we've got, see if anyone gets sick, if they need anything,'" she said.

"There are so many people who are ready to jump in and help …

"It's all we have I guess.

"You can be rich in jewels and gold and money and have nothing if you don't have people you can reach out to."

The advice may be to bunker down and stay away from others, but experts are also encouraging the public to follow Ms Kilsby's lead and stay virtually connected, and to look out for more isolated members of the community.



'What can I do?'

Neighbourhood Facebook groups are popping up all over the country, and people are sharing messages of support and local information with those who live nearby.

Many of these groups have circulated a note, to print out and drop into letterboxes on the street, offering help in whatever form that may take.

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"It is heartening to see the community come together … but I think we can do better in this space," said Dr Cobi Calyx, from the Centre for Social Impact at the University of New South Wales.

"[It's about] making sure that vulnerable people in our communities are still able to access what they need while everybody else is trying to adapt to a new normal," she said.

Jacky Barker, who runs a community organisation in Sydney's Lane Cove, said the outpouring of generosity from residents had been "overwhelming".

"We've seen an amazing response, where people are saying, 'What can I do? How can I get groceries, get prescriptions, help people walk their dog?'" she said.

"Everyday we are getting about 15 to 20 people saying, 'What can I do?" That's not even counting the people on Facebook … I can't even count the people on that.

"People just want to know, 'How can I help?'"

What not to do

While it's important to reach out to neighbours, friends and extended family, ignoring social distancing advice can put them and others at risk.

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"There are ways people can help the more vulnerable members of the community without compromising their wellbeing," Dr Calyx said.

"Things like popping letters in their mailbox or sending a text message to check if people are going OK, these are things we can do without risking getting too close."

Ms Barker said it was important not to take on too much as an individual and recognise when others need more help.

"I think it is important to have a structure around the volunteers, because you are dealing with a certain [vulnerable] sector of the public," Ms Barker said.

She said her organisation was liaising with community service organisations, police and doctors to make sure proper support was being provided.

Share your extra toilet paper

And what if your panic buying has left you a little flush with loo rolls?

"It's not too late to be a good person in this situation … reach out to your neighbours, send a message and say 'I have quite a few extra toilet rolls' or 'I have some spare hand sanitiser'," Dr Calyx said.

Sourcing toilet paper is still one of the main topics of discussion in Di Kilsby's residents' group

"Yesterday there were lots of messages saying, 'I've seen toilet paper at Woolies,' or, 'There's tissues at the shop down the road,'" she said.

"Someone said they had spare toilet paper, which is like gold.

All over the country, residents are starting to share around the precious commodity.

A convenience store in Sydney was spotted donating rolls, while a street library in Melbourne has some stocked up to give away to locals.

Former AFL player Jude Bolton shared a video of himself playing rock, paper, scissors with another customer for the final packet of toilet paper in his supermarket.

He won — but shared it anyway.

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