Do you have a Random Acts of Kindness Story?
KidsMatter helps to support and convene the Collaborative Youth Team (CYT), a coalition of over 36 youth-serving organizations working together to promote and advocate the health and well-being of kids and families in DuPage and Will counties.
This year we will be discussing the book, Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World by Vivek H. Murthy, MD, 19th Surgeon General of the United States.
Dr. Murthy shares the power of building community and connection and how it helps us live healthier and happier lives. He outlines how loneliness is a public health concern.
To build community and connection, the CYT is launching a campaign, Kindness Counts. We have a goal to collect 500 stories of a time when someone was the recipient of a random act of kindness and the impact it had on them. Stories will be shared and posted in January and February leading up to Random Acts of Kindness Week February 12-18 where everyone in the community will be encouraged to make a special effort to pay it forward by doing a random act of kindness.
Do you have a story to share? Random Acts of Kindness impact stories can be submitted as an email, picture, poem, video, or picture of a piece of art to KindnessCounts@kidsmatter2us.org.
CYT will also collect and post a calendar of activities celebrating the importance of acts of kindness in our community.
In his book, Dr. Vivek Murthy highlights four strategies that can help build community and connection that can be useful as we enter the holiday season. Take 15 minutes to connect with someone you love. Give someone the gift of your full attention. Be kind to yourself and do something that brings you joy. Be of service to others, “Checking on a neighbor, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger…, all can make us stronger.”
Wishing you and your family a Joyful Holiday Season!
