RAK someone

you know, random acts of kindness are the In thing nowadays….have you noticed that? it seems that everywhere you look there is something about RAK. I kinda like this new trend…I even have some stamps that say that you have been RAKed.

This is really the perfect time of year to remember to RAK someone…what with it being Christmas and all. I am going to steal an idea from Pillowgirl at Stone Accent Studio (www.stoneaccentstudio.com) (here’s the actual thread (http://www.stoneaccentsstudio.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8478#post8478)) and give a list of possible RAKs…of course there are THOUSANDS of other things that we can do, this is just to help get everyone started.

here is a website that Pillowgirl cites in her thread http://actsofkindness.org/

it has MANY things that we could do….here is a sampling…

individuals:

1. Deliver fresh-baked cookies to city workers.
2. Collect goods for a food bank.
3. Bring flowers to work and share them with coworkers.
4. Garden clubs can make floral arrangements for senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals, police stations, or shut-ins.
5. Adopt a student who needs a friend, checking in periodically to see how things are going.
6. Volunteer to be a tutor in a school.
7. Extend a hand to someone in need. Give your full attention and simply listen.
8. Merchants can donate a percentage of receipts for the week to a special cause.
9. Bring coworkers a special treat.
10. Students can clean classrooms for the custodian.
11. Buy a stranger a free pizza.
12. Distribute lollipops to kids.
13. Sing at a nursing home.
14. Offer a couple of hours of baby-sitting to parents. 15. Slip paper hearts that say “It’s Random Acts of Kindness Week! Have a great day!” under the windshield wipers of parked cars.
16. Have a charity day at work, with employees bringing nonperishable food items to donate.
17. Serve refreshments to customers.
18. Draw names at school or work, and have people bring a small gift or food treat for their secret pal.
19. Remember the bereaved with phone calls, cards, plants, and food.
20. Treat someone to fresh fruit.

COMMUNITIES

• Work with schools and service clubs to raise “Pennies for a Kindness Park” (or other community beautification project). Pennies don’t seem to have much value, but when combined, they do make a difference. In the same way, one kind act may seem insignificant, but many kind acts practiced daily have great impact.
• Collect goods for a food bank or shelter.
• Develop interactive programs between retirement homes/senior centers and schools. Older children can read to the elderly and younger children can simply visit. Seniors can also tutor children in their schoolwork.
• Plant a Kindness Tree or Garden with the help of youth groups, service clubs, or other volunteers. Plant a tree or flowers in a public area like a park or walking trail, and ask the mayor to make a brief presentation at the dedication.
• Set up free coffee or hot chocolate for morning commuters. Offer lemonade or water during warm months.
• Organize a blood drive dedicated to Random Acts of Kindness.
• Ask a fast food restaurant to hold a “Customer Appreciation Day.” They can decorate the dining area and post signs. Schoolchildren enjoy “hosting” at these events after school, carrying trays for people, getting beverage refills, or just greeting them at the door with a smile and suggestions for acts of kindness.
• Ask groups, such as a garden club, to create floral arrangements for a senior center, nursing home, police station, hospital, or the homebound.
• Prepare a special meal or dessert for seniors or nursing home residents.
• Hold a kindness concert with a band and give out ideas for kind acts.

COOKS

• Make meals to reheat for a recovering surgery patient.
• Deliver soup and crackers to a sick friend.
• Gather friends together and prepare sandwiches, chips, cookies, and drinks. Fill lunch bags and distribute them to the homeless.
• Share a recipe.
• Begin a Comfort Food Group at your faith organization. Members rotate preparing and delivering food to those in distress.
• Make and decorate Christmas cookies and deliver them to a children’s home or family shelter.
• Invite a teenager over for a cooking lesson or collaboration on a cooking project.
• Host a gathering of friends and ask each to bring a recipe to exchange. Make one or two of the recipes in quantity and distribute to neighbors or to an ailing friend.
• Collaborate with friends to bake cakes and pies, and arrange with a soup kitchen to deliver the desserts for Christmas dinner.
• Bake cookies and make hot chocolate (in the winter) or lemonade (in the summer) to give away to commuters or wherever people are standing in line.
• Prepare treats for neighbors, emergency workers, mail carriers, coworkers, or other community members, along with a note of appreciation. Before mailing packages or letters to military service personnel, contact your American Red Cross chapter for current procedures and regulations.
• Bake an extra loaf of banana or zucchini bread and bring it to a neighbor.

that is just the tip of the iceberg….I think we should ALL take the time to make someone else feel good, that in turn will make US feel good. Let us share the kindness and see where it takes us.