If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction.  — Martin Kornfeld
In the wake of the heartbreaking Newtown, CT Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, many of us are wondering how to deal with and process such a tragedy and asking “What I can do to honor those lost?” This past week Ann Curry of NBC News asked this simple question on Twitter, “imagine what would happen if all of us committed to 20 acts of kindness to honor each child lost in Newtown.” She added, “I’m in. If you are, RT #20Acts.” As this quickly spread through social media, #20Acts turned into #26Acts to honor the teachers as well.
Though it shouldn’t take a horrible tragedy for us to be kind to one another, it is still inspiring, motivating, and encouraging to see so many people in our communities come together and care for one another. So to honor those lost we have set out to do #26Acts of kindness and we hope all of you will join us.
To help you get started, we compiled a list of 26 ideas for acts of kindness (in no particular order). Please share your ideas with us as well.
- Volunteer
- Smile
- Give flowers to a stranger
- Plant a tree
- Visit a nursing home
- Donate clothes to a shelter
- Buy a homeless person a hot meal
- Send a thank you note to a teacher that made an impact on you
- Leave a kind note in a public place
- Hold the door open for a stranger
- Say hello to someone you don’t know
- Donate an hour (or two) of your professional services
- Donate blood
- Take cookies to the fire or police department
- Give the mail carrier or other service person a thank you note
- Pay the bill for the next person in line
- Give a blanket or jacket to a homeless person
- Donate used books to a library
- Let someone go in front of you in line
- Visit an animal shelter
- Leave a quarter in the gumball machine
- Be generous with compliments
- Leave a generous tip
- Bring your co-workers a treat
- Forgive someone
- Clean up your local park or beach
You can also check out the official #26Acts Facebook page for more ideas.
