So often we associate kindness with individual acts. No matter how small or big it is, we think of what we can personally do to help bring a smile to another person’s day. However, as times become more chaotic, we begin searching for ways to band together. By following the lead of Random Acts Regional Representative Holly Olsen, we can shake it up by pursuing community acts, making kindness into a bonding experience with our loved ones.
Critterfying Kindness
January and February’s #GetKindtheme of animal welfare was on Holly’s mind as she completed level one of Kindness Heroes, an interactive program with virtual prizes. Similar to a computer game, you level up by completing certain numbers and types of acts. Holly’s chosen act of kindness centered on the Animal Humane Society, which is known for being a leading animal welfare organization.
Holly has a very special connection to the Animal Human Society because it is where she met two of her five cats, as well as a grounds for a critter playground for any GISHy animal adoption events. Inspiration struck when Holly contributed to the Animal Humane Society’s food drive and realized she could do even more for the organization. She gathered up her friends to get their craft on by making animal enrichment toys, like snuffle mats and decorated ping pong balls. In the same spirit, she hosted a pet drive at her school and ended up with a box overflowing with treats. Holly noted that others were thrilled to join in on the pet-drive fun: “Staff at my school were happy at the chance to participate in a kindness act, and it got briefly written up in the ‘shout outs!’ section of the weekly staff bulletin.”
Unique Reading Partners
To complete her first level of Kindness Heroes, Holly also participated in the Animal Humane Society’s Rescue Readers program. She initially viewed it as a way to help improve her children’s reading skills, not realizing how much it helps the animals too. In the first few minutes of her daughter reading, the energetic dogs calmed down. Many of the dogs went from leaping in the air to lying on the ground, looking at her in wonder. Holly commented that “the effect on the animals had to be seen to be believed.”
Are you currently participating in Kindness Heroes? We hope that reading about Holly’s exciting venture into the program may inspire you to come together with others to turn individual acts into a larger kindness celebration.
