Waterloo – Last November, The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF) embarked on a simple, yet extremely meaningful new initiative called Random Act of Kindness Day.

The day was an invitation for individuals, schools, community groups, service clubs, businesses, schools, healthcare institutions, and churches to join hearts and hands to celebrate the kind and friendly community in which we live.

“Last year’s Random Act of Kindness Day was a great success with folks from all different walks of life performing small, simple, kind deeds,” says Rosemary Smith, CEO of The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation. “We just had to do it again!”

Random Act of Kindness Day – a day to reflect and act upon spontaneous acts of generosity – is building momentum. Many businesses, organizations, schools and individuals have once again taken up the “call for kindness” with close to 100,000 Random Act of Kindness Day cards circulating around the community. The cards encourage the cardholder to perform a simple act of kindness for someone – a neighbour, a friend, a co-worker, or even a stranger – and hand the card over to that person – encouraging him/her to do the same.

And, Random Act of Kindness Day will also be celebrated today in Cambridge, Orillia, and London – lead by community foundations in those cities.

“The day is about celebrating kindness and generosity – a ‘funraiser’ of sorts. We hope that people will keep with the spirit of the day and do something nice for someone, asking nothing in return except to pay the kindness forward,” says Debb Ritchie, Chair of the Friends of the Foundation Committee – a group of volunteers who have been assisting The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation with spearheading this initiative.

There are so many different types of action that people can use as their kind act – buy someone a coffee, congratulate someone on a job well done, pay someone’s parking meter, even something as simple as holding open a door for someone with their hands full – each act provides us with an opportunity to connect with someone in our community.

To help kick-start the day, many volunteers got up bright and early this morning to provide random gifts of generosity around the community. From delivering flowers to nursing homes, to dropping off pet food at animal shelters, to buying coffee for homeless people – these volunteers have been inspired to do something nice, all because it feels good to do so.

“We truly are blessed to live in such an amazing community where so much kindheartedness happens every day. We hope that people will slow down just a little today and recognize when someone does something nice for them – and then pay that thoughtfulness back,” adds Smith. “We can’t wait to see what kindness flows out of our community this year!”