By Emily Raunig
February 17th is Random Acts of Kindness Day. While many people argue that random acts of kindness should be shown daily, today is a perfect day to do more for others. The beauty of Random Acts of Kindness Day is that everyone can participate. Companies, individuals and even children can show their support on this day. It doesn’t take much effort, and simple acts are appreciated just as much as large ones.
According to National Today, Random Acts of Kindness Day was started in 1995 in Denver, Colorado, by a nonprofit organization called The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. By 2004, the observance of the holiday became more widespread. The idea behind this day was to make the world a better place by spreading kindness to others, even in small ways. Many studies have concluded that kindness is ingrained into everyone, and we are naturally good. There are many theories about why humans feel better when they do good for others. Whatever the reason is, Random Acts of Kindness Day is a day to celebrate this inherently good trait we all feel. So how do we go about celebrating the characteristic of kindness?
Showing acts of kindness is easy and doesn’t take too much time or effort. Here are some simple ways, as an individual, to show random acts of kindness.
- Give some change to a homeless person along the street
- Take a friend out to lunch
- Bring coffee to a co-worker
- Compliment a stranger
- Donate groceries to your local food bank
- Surprise someone with some homemade meals
- Call a family member you haven’t spoken to in awhile
- Reconnect with an old friend
As a company, it’s important to show your employees and clients simple acts of kindness. It’s a great way to establish your company as a socially responsible entity in your community and make you and others feel good. Here are some ways to show kindness to your employees, clients and community.
- Send out company emails with a personalized “thank you” to featured employees
- Encourage mental health breaks for your employees
- Offer free virtual classes on skills your customers want to learn
- Announce a yearly Volunteer Day and invite your clients to join
- Spotlight organizations in need on your social media pages
- Offer discounted/free services to single-parent families or outstanding members of your community
- Donate to a charity of your choice
Showing children kindness and ways to pass it along to others is essential. Here are some ideas to encourage your children to be kind to their peers.
- Bring flowers to your teacher
- Hold the door open for someone
- Let someone go ahead of you in the lunch line
- Surprise a friend with their favorite snack
- Congratulate a classmate on their achievement
- Write thank you notes
- Help a classmate with homework
Individuals, companies and children can all show kindness in many different ways; these are just a few examples to get you started. You don’t have to do something huge on Random Acts of Kindness Day. The main goal is simply to uplift others.
In honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day, TrustPoint Insurance & Real Estate wants to thank our hard-working employees and loyal customers! We appreciate everything you do for our company and value you.
