24 Acts of Kindness, Plus Stories From PNWT Staff
Sometimes it’s offering to pay for the coffee of the person behind you. Sometimes it’s leaving a nice sticky note on your co-worker’s desk in the morning. Other times it’s just that smile and compliment you give to a stranger. These acts of kindness can brighten other people’s day and yours, too! In fact, according to The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, there are “scientifically proven benefits of being kind.” It can increase the love hormone, energy, serotonin, and even our lifespan, all while decreasing things like pain, stress, and anxiety! So with World Kindness Day coming up on November 13th, why not try a little kindness this giving season? It could be just as good for you as it is for someone else!
Start Small
Whether we reach out to a stranger or someone we’re close with, many times it doesn’t have to cost anything. Maybe it takes a just a few minutes or that little extra effort. Check out the list below for some inspiration that may spark an idea of how you can make the world a kinder place!
- Text a family member or friend or write a handwritten letter
- Do some of your partner’s or roommate’s household chores
- Ask a grandparent or senior about their past
- Leave quarters at the laundromat
- Wheel out your neighbors trash bin
- Scrape the ice off the car windshield next to yours
- Donate used books to a library
- Leave a surprise in a library book
- Be kind to employees and wait staff
- Support local business and leave raving reviews
- Leave your Amazon delivery driver a thank you note or surprise
- Give hot drinks to first responders and laborers working on holidays or outdoors on cold days
Give Big
Looking for bigger ways to create kindness? Do whatever tugs on your heart strings! Maybe it’s monetary, or maybe it’s a larger time commitment. Whatever it is, we know it will be worth it!
- Leave a generous tip or buy someone’s meal
- Donate to local food banks by participating in PNWT’s 2022 Food Drive
- Write letters to an elder, military personnel, or a stranger
- Create a care package to give to deployed military personnel or the homeless
- Ship a holiday gift from Santa to a hopeful child
- Foster a pet up for adoption
- Plant a tree by gifting a tree
- Donate to a charity or non-profit (Check out AmazonSmile)
- Donate blood
- Become an organ donor
- Volunteer your time at a local organization
- Check out online and remote volunteering opportunities
Real Stories From the PNWT Staff
“I always heard of stories of the person in front of them paying for their coffee and one day it happened to me. It really made my day and I also paid it forward and decided to pay for the person behind me. I would like to think it started a domino of kindness for all in line for coffee.” -Jean F.
“When I was a teenage girl, I was travelling a long distance through the middle of nowhere. I was on my own in an already beat-up vehicle when I got a flat tire. I pulled over when I could and started to change it. Unfortunately, the tire was stuck and nearly impossible to get off. An older man saw me struggling and came to the rescue. He didn’t speak English, but he had a box of tools and a hammer. With that, he managed to get it off so that he could put the spare on for me. I’ve never forgotten how lucky I was to have met such a kind stranger who wanted nothing in return.” – Anonymous
“I was in line at McDonalds with my son who was about 5 years old and a man who appeared to be homeless was behind us with several people behind him. Others in line were not wanting to stand close to him and avoided eye contact etc. When he got up to the counter he asked it he could have a cup of coffee but had no money. I asked him what he would like to eat and bought him a meal. He was so sweet and appreciative.” -Shelley H.
“I was visiting family once and stopped at a Costco. When I was returning to my car I noticed a lady that looked lost. I asked her if I could help her find her car. Turns out she was just looking for a worker to help her load her groceries in her car. I told her I’d be happy to help. She was super thankful and I loaded her groceries into the car. I then offered to take her cart back for her as well. I used to work in grocery, so it was naturally the right thing to do. She was very appreciative and it made me feel very good to brighten up someone’s day by doing a simple act of kindness that didn’t take much time out of my day.” – Tiffany W.
“I was at SeaTac waiting for my flight to San Diego and our flight got cancelled so we had to transfer to another gate. There was a gentleman who looked very confused so I approached him and found out he did not speak English. So I was able to determine that he could not understand where he needed to go so I motioned for him to follow me and I took him to the appropriate gate. He was so appreciative he carried my bags for me.” -Anonymous