Be Kind During The 13th Annual Random Acts Of Kindness Week

February 11, 2013

February is popularly a month devoted to love, candy, and hearts, but there’s a full week in February that allows you to be extra kind to everyone around you, and not only to your Valentine. The week of February 11^th-17^th isn’t just a normal week in February with Valentine’s Day mixed in, but it’s actually an entire week dedicated to expressing random acts of kindness for everyone all over the world! It’s an event that everyone can participate in.

To help raise awareness about the importance of being kind, February 11^th-17^th marks the 13^th Annual Random Acts of Kindness Week, started by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in 1995. The Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and is committed to spreading the message about the importance of kindness.

While it is encouraged that a person should practice random acts of kindness 365 days a year, the week of February 11^th-17^th is the perfect way to kick off a new routine, perhaps even starting with a car donation to Wheels For Wishes.

Kindness Is Key

Random acts of kindness are the types of things that can turn someone’s day from bad to good, and since it catches the receiver at the spur of the moment, they are normally not left with an opportunity to give something back in return. However, this helps the receiver keep the chain moving and they will then decide to be kind to someone else, and the cycle continues. This is an excellent way to spread the message about the importance of being kind, and it also makes so many people feel good in the process. There are no downsides to being kind, so there is no reason why you shouldn’t participate!

It is important to be kind each and every day of the year, but with the craziness of everyday life, sometimes we forget to be kind and to go out of our way to make someone’s day. We forget to hold open doors or to let someone else get ahead of us in line. We are so busy and always moving at a fast pace, so we don’t even realize that we are missing out on so many opportunities to improve the world we live in. Kindness helps being hope back in to the world, and with hope, we are able to make changes!

Decide How You Will Act

Choosing to participate in Random Acts of Kindness Week is your first step to making the world a better place. Your next step is deciding how you will keep this message going and how you will choose to be kind. There are many different random acts of kindness you can choose from, but most are not random at all. You plan them out and choose a random person to be kind to.

When you donate a car to Wheels For Wishes, you are donating your car to charity, and your target person to be kind to is a child with a critical illness in your community. Your donation helps bring hope, strength, and joy back into the life of a local child, so choosing to donate a car during Random Acts of Kindness Week is an excellent way to give back to your community and keep the cycle of kindness moving and going strong.

If you don’t have a vehicle to donate at this time, you can still participate in Random Acts of Kindness Week. There are so many ways to be kind to others in your community, and you can choose to be kind to other adults, kids, teachers, workers, family members, animals, co-workers, or volunteers. Whoever you choose to be kind to, you will be making a difference in their life, and they will choose to make a difference in another person’s life. All it takes is one person to step up and do something for someone else, and the cycle will continue.

Random Acts Of Kindness

You may choose at random who you are going to do something kind for, but what you do can certainly be planned out! With so many options to choose from, we hope you can choose to do something that you will feel great about!

Bring a grandparent or elderly neighbor a batch of homemade cookies, but don’t rush off. Sit and visit with them for a while.
Call a relative that you haven’t spoken to in a while, especially if you know they could use the company.
If standing in line at the check-out, purchase an item for someone else in line.
In line at a coffee shop, pay for another person in line. Maybe they will take that opportunity to pay for the next person in line.
Buy a package of cupcakes, ring a random person’s doorbell, and then leave before they can see you.
Buy a pre-paid gas card, and give it to someone you think deserves it.
Hold open the door for someone. It’s simple, yet makes them feel good.
If you see a homeless person outside in the cold, bring them warm mittens or a new hat.
Take a trip to an animal shelter and play with the animals and help care for them.
Decide to not waste anything for a day, week, or however long you wish. Use only reusable materials (such as water bottles, eatery, bags, etc.).
If you live in warmer weather, have a lemonade stand (or another idea you decide on), but don’t charge for it. Or, charge and collect money for charity.
Thank everyone you see that is doing some kind of service to make your life easier, whether it’s a mail man, driver, maintenance worker, etc.
Help someone shovel their driveway.
Tell each important person in your life that you are thankful to have them in your life.
Be friendly on the road. Let someone go ahead of you and forget the road rage for a few days.
Take someone out to dinner who hasn’t been out in a while, whether it’s a parent, grandparent, elderly neighbor, or a friend.
Similar to a May Day basket, make a basket filled with Valentine’s Candy and top it off with a gift card to a local grocery store.
Visit a nursing home and spend time with the residents. Or, do the same at a hospital.
Volunteer your time to an organization of your choice. Alternately, make a donation to any organization or donate material items.
Help out with chores around the house. Offer to cook dinner, clean up, or do both!
Remember to smile and say “hi” to people.
Use social network to write inspirational quotes, messages about kindness, or share cute photos that will brighten people’s days.
Go out to lunch by yourself, and when you see another person sitting alone, offer to sit with them.
On a similar note, go out to lunch by yourself, but tell the waiter you are going to pick up the tab for another person who is sitting alone. They may never even know who covered their meal, but they will feel great.
Help carry groceries and load or unload their car.
In line at a drive through, pay for the car’s order behind you.
Have a sale and donate the proceeds to charity.
Tip big when you go out.
Deliver Valentine’s cards to random people all week long.
Bake heart-shaped cookies and bring them into work.
If it looks like a person needs help, help them cross the street or help them get to where they need to go.
Write your own list of Random Acts of Kindness and check them off the list as you go!

A Little Kindness Goes A Long Way

How will you give the gift of kindness during Random Acts of Kindness Week? We would love to hear your ideas on our Facebook and Twitter pages! Remember, spreading the word is one of the most important steps in making our world a better place.

Kindness isn’t made only to be used one week in February. When you have an old car to get rid of, consider making a generous car donation to Wheels For Wishes. Remember that it is important to be kind every day of the year, but it is also important that we have these annual events to remind us how important kindness is.

For more ideas on different acts of kindness that you will feel great about, please visit http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas to see what the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation suggests for Random Acts of Kindness Week. You will love knowing that you are making someone’s day, while also doing something that makes you feel great at the same time.

Remember to be kind!