It Started as an Idea…
Driving home from work is usually mundane and part of a mindless routine, but this time was different. Amber Young, a kindness club sponsor and Random Acts supporter, was driving with her young nephew, who noticed a few unhoused community members standing around a stoplight. He mentioned wanting to do something nice for them, so together they made some simple sandwiches to hand out the next day. After this small act of kindness, Amber knew she wanted to do more, but wasn’t sure where to start. She connected with a Random Acts staff member, Giorgia, and they brainstormed ideas to create more of an impact for the community. It took some time and research to find how to help, but they settled on putting together blessing bags full of hygiene items, useful materials, self-care tools, small clothing articles, and much more!
The Act Began…
Amber worked together with the students in her kindness club to put together the blessing bags. About this she stated, “As they were stuffing the blessing bags, the kindness club students learned compassion for others.” She noted that this group of students could sometimes be hard to motivate, but they jumped right into this project and their excitement was palpable. As it went on, other students who weren’t part of the club had heard about the kindness act they were putting together and decided to join. The spark didn’t end with the students either — staff were jumping in to help out and support the club with their kindness activities.
Amber and her students placed the bags in donation cabinets outside of mission centers dedicated to the unhoused and indigent population. Even though they weren’t able to interact directly with those who needed the blessing bags, the mission was extremely thankful for their donation and kindness. They were able to place 100 blessing bags outside of different mission centers in total, and the community was extremely supportive of their efforts.
In the End…
When Amber looks back on her act, she reflects on how even though it felt overwhelming at first, it soon became easier and she would even look forward to working on it every Friday with her students. Teachers are busy people with so much on their plates, so having to balance coordination of a kindness act as large as Amber’s in conjunction with student learning got a bit overwhelming at the beginning. Amber states that though it was hard at first, soon the excitement and motivation from not only herself but also the students and staff kept her going. Soon, she was excited to go into work on Fridays and was counting down the days until they were going to be able to deliver the blessing bags.
When the act was over, Amber was itching to do more! She plans to do something bigger in the future and wants to continue helping her community along with her students. Random Acts is committed to providing resources to teachers and schools, so anyone can create a similar experience for their students. There are a variety of resources available that make spreading kindness in school communities easy, such as our act ideas, options for funding, printable materials, and Student Group Coordinators who are ready to help you facilitate your own act. Please click here for more details!
