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Random Acts of Kindness

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Origins of Random Acts of Kindness

Though people like the Good Samaritan have been performing random acts of kindness for thousands of years, American writer Anne Herbert receives credit for founding the modern phenomenon. In 1982, Ms. Herbert wrote, "Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty" on a San Fransisco Bay area restaurant place mat.* Within the next decade, the phrase morphed into "random acts of kindness" and gained popularity.
Dr. Chuck Wall, a UCLA professor, then gained notoriety a decade later when he charged students in his class to commit a "random act of senseless kindness." Dr. Walls later went on to found Kindness USA which sponsors Kindness Awareness Week (week of February 12th), write kindness and motivation books and become a motivational speaker.

In the mid 90's several organizations formed around the world in response to the international World Kindness Movement. One such organization, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, formed in Denver, Colorado, with the mission to "inspire people to practice kindness and to pass it on to others." The Foundation shares ideas on how to commit random acts of kindness, highlights individuals and groups around the world who are making a difference and shares ideas and lesson plans with schools and communities. Due to their influence, Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17th) morphed into Random Acts of Kindness Week in order to inspire more people to commit random acts of kindness in their daily lives.

*Ms. Herbert is often misquoted as to saying, "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty."
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Contents at a Glance

Why Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness We...
100+ Free Random Acts Of Kindness
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Our deeds determine us, as much as we determine our deeds.
~George Eliot

How often do you commit a random act of kindness?

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Why Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week?

With all the negativity in news, high rates of unemployment, massive home forclosures and politicians fighting, we sometimes forget there are good things in the world. Things will get better. By doing even a small random act of kindness you may not change the world, but you will change a small corner of it. If enough of people change a small corner of the world we will soon change the world together. Will you help?

100+ Free Random Acts Of Kindness

1
Offer a free night of babysitting.
2
Write someone a thank you note for something they did for you or another loved one.
3
Offer to run a neighbor's errands while you're running yours.
4
Walk a sick friend's dog.
5
Let someone in line ahead of you at the grocery store.
6
Wash a neighbor's car.
7
Bring someone a bouquet of flowers from your garden.
8
Share extra produce from your vegetable garden with those in need.
9
Pick up litter on your evening walk.
10
Write someone a note to tell them how you feel and leave it in their lunchbox or under their car's windshield wipers.
11
Donate gently used items to charity.
12
Clean the house for someone.
13
Donate blood at your local Red Cross. Every donation can save 3 lives.
14
Register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. According to the United State's Department of Heath and Human Services' website OrganDonor.gov, one organ donor can save up to eight lives.
15
Change a flat tire.
16
Help someone fix their car.
17
Fill out a comment card the next time you get good service.
18
Pick up a fallen bike.
19
Give your seat to someone who needs it more on the bus or subway.
20
Thanks for being awesome! Make small thank you cards from empty food boxes and give them to random people throughout the day.
21
Make someone laugh.
22
Write a former teacher a note telling them how they changed your life.
23
Slip a love note in your child's lunch box.
24
Dedicate a song on the radio.
25
Help bring your neighbor's items in out of the weather if they're not home and it starts to rain or snow.
26
Pooper scoop the park or hiking trail. I love taking my dogs for walks around the local nature trails, but not everyone picks up after their pooches... which makes it annoying (and smelly) for everyone else. If you see someone forgot their doggy bag, use one of your's and deposit it in the nearest trash can. Everyone else enjoying the park will thank you.
27
Drop off unused coupons to local food banks, libraries or health departments.
28
Shovel an elderly neighbor's driveway and sidewalk after it snows.
29
Visit a shut in.
30
Ask an elderly friend to tell you stories from their childhood.
31
Speak up the next time you see an injustice. A few months ago, I witnessed a middle manager verbally abusing an employee. I made sure the employee was ok before I left but felt upset over the incident the rest of the day. That evening I went back to speak to another manager about the incident. I was told they've never had a customer come back to speak up for an employee before. Isn't that sad? It took only an hour of my time, but it ended up causing a better work environment for the other employees. I still get a big smile and greeted personally whenever I walk in the doors.
32
Find a book you love? Write a note on a sticky note and leave it inside the book for the next reader to find
33
Say "Thank You!" Last summer a thoughtful patron left this note on a white board for us to find. We never did find out who left it, but it made our day.
34
Hold the door open for strangers when their arms are full.
35
Look people in the eyes and smile.
36
Accidentally felt a wool sweater? Turn it into warm mittens and give them to children who forgot their gloves. Learn how....
37
Free Hugs!
38
Talk to strangers who look lonely. Let them know someone cares... even if it's just for a few minutes.
39
Let strangers pet your dog. I often hear people say they don't like strangers touching their dogs, but mine love the attention and it makes people smile. (I do ask that the children get their parent's permission first.) My dogs have also visited nursing homes, the local VA hospital, schools, and the library. Children often tell me about their pet dog who passed away or lives somewhere else now. People in the hospital and nursing homes will often tell a story about their favorite pet.
40
Cut hearts out of red paper and write special quotes on them. Leave the hearts pinned to bulletin boards in libraries, schools, colleges, government buildings, downtown, etc.
41
Help a child with their homework.
42
Help an adult learn to read.
43
Take the time to give lost tourists good directions. Write them down if needed.
44
Arrive to work 15 minutes early and start the coffee.
45
Find a lost item? Make an effort to find the owner.
46
Send a "Thinking of You" card to someone you haven't seen in a long time.
47
Collect the mail and newspapers for neighbors while they're in the hospital or if they forgot to have it stopped while they're out of town.
48
Bring your significant other breakfast in bed.
49
Heavy traffic? Let someone pull out in front of you.
50
Write messages in chalk on public sidewalks.
51
Hold the elevator door.
52
Set up a lemonade stand in your front yard. Charge 1 smile.
53
Send a family member a photo of you two together. Share a special memory on the back.
54
Hand out Valentine cards to strangers.
55
Tape coupons to coordinating items in the grocery store.
56
Forgive someone.
57
Forgive a debt.
58
Pick up discarded children's toys in public play areas.
59
Return unwanted items to the store shelves.
60
Offer to take a home bound neighbor to the doctor's office or grocery store.
61
Get down on eye level when speaking to a young child.
62
Volunteer to walk dogs or socialize puppies at the local animal shelter.
63
Do you know someone who makes their living online? Or just started a new business? Help build their online presence by creating a few quality backlinks.
64
Create a living will.
65
Drive people to polling places on election day. Or volunteer to take care of the children while parents go vote.
66
See someone buying something for which you have a coupon? Share. I recently received a 30% off coupon to one of my favorite clothing stores. After I used the coupon, the cashier handed it back to me in case I decided to buy anything else. I saw someone I know in the store who I know to be on a tight budget, so I handed the coupon to him. I later found out that after he used it, he gave it to the next person in line. I wonder how many times that coupon got used that day....
67
Already cutting your own wood? Cut a little more for someone who can't afford their electricity bill. Deliver it while they're at work and top with a red bow.
68
Read to a child.
69
Volunteer to make photocopies for your child's teacher. Or get supplies ready for an class art project. Or create a fun bulletin board.
70
Donate movies your children have outgrown to children's hospitals or community centers.
71
Pick up trash at your favorite park.
72
Buy too many seedlings for your garden? Give them to a child and show them how to take care of their new plants.
73
Go to local sporting events. Cheer enthusiastically for both teams.
74
Teach a child how to ride a bike.
75
Make bookmarks and write an inspirational quote on the back. Stick them in your favorite books at the library.
76
Return a stranger's shopping cart to the cart corral.
77
Call your grandma. Tell her how much you appreciate her always being there.
78
Clean the snow off a coworker's car.
79
Help a neighbor catch an escaped dog.
80
Stand up for someone getting bullied.
81
Recycle.
82
Many people scoff those grieving during the illness or death of a beloved pet, however it can be as traumatizing as the sickness or loss of a human family member. Be supportive. Offer a shoulder to cry upon, accompany them to the emergency room at two in the morning or hold their hand during the final moments.
83
Start a canned food drive.
84
Give a friend a free head or neck massage.
85
Tie a child's shoe... or an older person's who cannot bend down.
86
Refrain from saying anything negative for 24 hours.
87
Use reusable shopping bags when grocery shopping.
88
Donate old computer equipment to community action centers to give to families in need.
89
Hug your dog.
90
Unable to make it to a ball game but you already have tickets? Give them to your local Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
91
Help someone pick up something they dropped.
92
Pass on an inspirational story about someone else.
93
Become a mentor.
94
Push the crosswalk button for an approaching stranger.
95
Take photos of special moments and email copies to people in the photo.
96
Instead of birthday presents this year, ask friends and family to donate the money they would have spent to your favorite charities. After all, how many Justin Bieber singing toothbrushes do you really need?
Psst... my friends and family.... Please donate to Columbia Second Chance, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library or The Center Project.
97
Look people in the eyes and say please and thank you more often. Mean it.
98
Put on your hiking shoes and take you dogs for a hike. Invite a friend who needs a little cheering up or support on their exercising goal to come along.
99
Learn a few words in another language. Use them to welcome a new immigrant or refugee who does not speak English.
100
Shout, "I love you!"
101
Click daily to help feed and care for rescued pets. With each daily click, sponsors will donate the value of .6 bowls of food to help feed and care for rescued pets. If you clicked every day for a year, you could feed a homeless dog or cat for 110 days. Sign up at The Animal Rescue Site, and they will even send you a daily email reminder. Just from taking less than 5 seconds out of their day, animal lovers were able to fund 40.8 million bowls of food from January to June in 2011. That's a lot of kibble! Will you help, too?