5 Acts of Kindness That Will Help You Strengthen Your Community

Kindness is an effective way to increase the feeling of belonging and has the power to change a community. When we perform acts of kindness, we promote a sense of gratitude for our own lives and compassion for others.

Tom Tait previous Mayor of Anaheim, California, believes kindness can heal our cities. Mayor Tait, says kindness is an action word, and he called his community to get off the couch and do something kind. Mayor Tait believes kindness "can change a family, a neighborhood, a school, a city, a nation, and ultimately, our world." 

Kindness can positively connect us. According to Psychology Today, "When you feel connected with others, you lessen alienation, and you enhance the sense that we are more similar than dissimilar in our experiences. Feeling connected melds us together rather than divides us."

We invite you to increase your sense of belonging and create a stronger community through kindness. Do these five acts of kindness this week!

1. Leave Kind Notes in Books. Write little messages encouraging young readers — tuck the notes in books at your school's library or a public library. 
   
   
2. Caring is Sharing Candy Bags. Make simple snack bags filled with your favorite candy. Print this template "caring is sharing" and cut out the strips of paper. Place "caring is sharing" paper strips in the bags of candy. Pass out your bag of candy to random people at your school or workplace.
   
   
3. Let Someone Go Before You. Invite the person in line behind you to go in front of you. At school, you can do this for the bus line, the lunch line, recess line, water fountain line, etc. In everyday life, you can let someone go in front of you at the grocery store, getting on an airplane, at a coffee shop, while driving, etc. 
   
   
4. Send a Postcard. Say hello to an old friend, teacher, sibling, grandparent, former neighbor, by mailing them a postcard. 
   
   
5. Help Someone in Need. Everyone can use a little help sometimes. Ask a teacher, coworker, neighbor, friend, or a random person if you can help them. You could offer to wash windows, wipe down classroom desks, help mow the lawn, take garbage cans to the street, etc. 

We'd love to hear how you and your students are doing with your weekly kindness challenges. You can let us know by commenting on this blog post or share on social media using #iChoose2BeKind.​

Until next time...be present, be thoughtful, be kind.