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BRINGING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER – FOURTH YEAR FOR CELEBRATING RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS DAY

Kitchener – We live in a truly amazing community where so much kindness happens every day. A young person helps a senior by taking her grocery cart back to the corral, a homeless person holds open the coffee shop door for a busy mom and her kids, a retired factory worker snow blows out his neighbour’s driveway. All are little things that demonstrate our connection to one another and make a difference.

Since 2008, Random Act of Kindness Day has brought our community closer together by engaging citizens in small acts of kindness and generosity. This year Random Act of Kindness Day falls on November 4th.

The message of the day is simple; do something nice for someone and ask nothing in return except that they do something nice for someone else.

“It’s the small things that count,” shares Rosemary Smith, CEO of The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation, the birthplace of Random Act of Kindness Day. “Taking the time to appreciate when someone does something nice for us like holding the elevator and returning the favour by doing something nice in return is key to building a compassionate, connected community.”

As in years past, cards and posters will be circulated throughout the community. The cards encourage the cardholder to perform a simple act of kindness for someone – a neighbour, a friend, a co-worker, or someone they don’t even know – and hand the card over to that person – encouraging him/her to do the same.

For the past few years numerous businesses, organizations, schools, individuals, and members of the media have taken up the call to do something nice for their fellow citizen on Random Act of Kindness Day. “It is thrilling to see the impact that this one special day has made in our community,” adds Debb Ritchie, Chair of the Friends of the Foundation Committee – a group of volunteers who have been spearheading this initiative along with The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation.

Random acts of kindness “are incredible opportunities to reach out and touch the life of another,” adds Smith. “They make our community and our world a better place. Please mark your calendars and join us in making kindness a priority on November 4th!”

Random Act of Kindness Day cards and posters are available by contacting The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation office at (519) 725-1806 or bllewellyn@kwcf.ca.