Random Act of Kindness Day

It all started when Anne Herbert scrawled the words, "practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty," on a place-mat in 1982. Since then, we’ve seen bumper stickers, a book of stories (Random Acts of Kindness) and of course the movie, ‘Pay It Forward’.

Here in Waterloo Region, Deb Ritchie of The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) experienced an epiphany when, out of the blue one day, she was approached by a stranger, who offered her a full day parking pass. She vowed she would pay the ‘random’ act of kindness forward to someone else.  With The KWCF’s focus on creating a more empathetic and connected community, Random Act of Kindness Day® was born. The Kitchener-Waterloo community rallied behind Random Act of Kindness Day®:  Schools, businesses, religious sects, retailers, membership organizations, and individuals have created unique and innovative ways in which to connect with their fellow citizens. 

The KWCF has high hopes that Random Act of Kindness Day® will grow to become an annual, national event. After its first year in Kitchener-Waterloo and area, other communities have started Random Act of Kindness Day® in their hometowns. 

What can you do? It can be as simple as buying a coffee for the next person in line at Timmy’s, or holding open a door. The fun is in the randomness of the act. The look on the receiver’s face is priceless and will warm your heart.

Here’s what Eyelight did: Friday: our whole team ran out into the street and handed out newspapers to commuters as they passed by our office on Bridgeport Road. It felt great to put a smile on a few faces on this cold November morning.

Stumped for something you can do?

• Check out 101 Random Acts of Kindness that won’t cost you a penny.
• Download the 2011 Card
• Download the 2011 Poster

Have you experienced a Random Act of Kindness? We’d love to hear about it!