Good on ya, Steve. A few years ago in Winnipeg, I gave an elderly lady a push (her car, that is), up an icy incline to her parking spot. She offered me money, which I refused.
Rural areas still tend to be pretty good in the "good old days" regard. Where I live now (same place I grew up), if you drive your car into the ditch, you usually walk till you find a farmer with a tractor rather than calling for a tow truck. People with flat tires at the roadside are offered help, and the local bearded, dirty, crazy (or maybe he's a legit prophet) guy who has no car has absolutely no trouble hitchhiking wherever he needs to go.