I really believe that small acts of kindness can make the world a better place. No, they won’t stop wars or atrocities, but they might put a smile on the face of someone who is having a bad day, help someone out of a tight spot or just sprinkle a little happiness on someone else’s day; that’s not a bad thing is it?
I have wanted to get involved in a random acts of kindness project for some time, then I heard about a wonderful initiative ‘Blog It Forward’ that Wayfair have created. For every blog post people write about random acts of kindness in December, they will donate £50 to Habitat For Humanity. A double win, do nice things for strangers and Wayfair will do the same.
RAOK can be anything you wish. Just think of something that will make even the smallest difference to someone’s life. After wracking my brains I decided that the following would be our 10 random acts of kindness.
1. Donate food/toiletries to local charity for people living in hostels.
Collection bins for local foodbanks are available in most supermarkets (usually near the doors). So it is really easy to pop some extras in and drop them off before you leave. Sometimes they note on them what items are in most demand, so you can shop accordingly and drop them off on the way out.
2. Tape a note and a £1 on a kid’s mechanical ride.
I don’t know about you, but I never have change for the rides outside shops, poor Baby! So I thought I would leave a £1 coin and a note for someone just like me to find.
3. Leave a book with note on a train.
I left a book on a train with a note for a commuter to find and hopefully enjoy!
4. Bake a cake for a neighbour
If you don’t bake, you can cheat and buy one, it will be just as kind a gesture.
5. Share 10 posts from 10 bloggers
I am still in the middle of this, but I picked ten bloggers who I know but are not in my close circle and I have retweeted 10 of their posts.
6. Buy a lottery ticket and leave it taped somewhere
I thought a scratch card was a safer option as I didn’t know when it would be spotted. I taped it to the wall somewhere it would be found, but only by someone sitting where I was in the cafe.
7. Take toys and treats to the dogs home.
I have lots of dog toys and leads that I bought when I considered setting up an online boutique years ago. They are still in the garage. This week I and going to take a selection to the local Dogs Home where they will be much appreciated.
8. Leave a colouring book and crayons in a waiting room
A cheap little colouring book and pencils left with a note in a waiting room somewhere could just be just the thing to help out a stressed parent. I have mine ready in my bag with a note on it, to drop off somewhere this week.
9. Take tasty treats to the Nursery staff
We bought some packs of little cakes and treats for the wonderful staff at Baby’s nursery.
10. Donate a bag to helping handbags.
This is such a wonderful initiative to help ladies living on the street. The idea is to donate a handbag filled with sanitary products, snacks, underwear etc. Being homeless is awful and experiencing your monthly cycle can make life harder. These products really help to make a difference in people’s lives.
Here are ten simple things you can do to help make a difference in people’s lives, whether you pay for someone’s coffee in Starbucks or send someone a lovely thoughtful letter, don’t underestimate the difference you can make to someone’s day.
Part of this challenge is that I have to challenge two bloggers to Blog It Forward and do their own act of kindness, big or small. So I challenge Amy from Mr & Mrs T Plus Three and Katy from What Katy Said, I would love to see your acts of kindness ladies!