During the COVID-19 pandemic, education, work, and other parts of our lives merged with the digital world. Suddenly, many people depended on technical resources. Tom, a veteran college student in Boston, is one of these people and required a new computer. Random Acts supporter Kate Swartz noticed this and decided to provide Tom with a much-needed new laptop.
A New Computer
Tom is a military veteran junior student who attends Kate Swartz’s program at college. Like many veterans and students alike, Tom’s past year has been filled with online classes and concerns about coursework, housing, health, and more.
Kate noticed that Tom’s computer was old and guessed that probably all of his resources went toward rent, groceries, and other life-supporting functions. Kate knew she had to help Tom and turned to Random Acts. Her goal was to provide Tom with a new laptop to ensure he would have the tools needed to succeed in his classes.
A Digital Endeavor
Kate identified a laptop that would support Tom’s needs with help from her dad who works in IT. When the laptop arrived at an office supplies store near Kate’s workplace, she picked it up first thing in the morning. Afterward, she went to work with her surprise neatly wrapped.
Later that day, the time had come for Kate to finally present Tom with the laptop.Tom was surprised and very happy about the new computer. Kate’s coworkers, who had known about Kate’s plan, watched from a distance and were just as delighted as Kate.
Looking for Kindness
Performing her Act of Kindness gave Kate a feeling of hope. Life can be complicated, especially during internationally challenging times. Kate thought that doing something that Tom himself said would be valuable and worthwhile was the best kind of “good” that she could do.
“In attempting this act, I looked for kindness. I found it – and feel it – in everyone who helped me to help Tom”, says Kate.
