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National Random Acts Of Kindness Week is celebrated this year from February 12-18.
Started by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, Random Acts of Kindness week is a celebration of the kindness of our world – something that, nowadays, seems harder and harder to find.
So to help you get in the holiday spirit, we’ve put together 5 random acts of kindness from around the web and around the world that are sure to warm your heart! Check them out below.
- #BeccaToldMeTo
This campaign, started by teenager Rebecca Schofield, is a truly breathtaking example of the triumph of the human spirit. Rebecca, from New Brunswick, Canada, was diagnosed with terminal cancer over two years ago, and her struggle with the disease is coming to an end – she isn’t expected to live for much longer.
But this didn’t stop this brave teen from opening herself up to the world. She started the hashtag #BeccaToldMeTo, and asked those in the world who used it to share their random acts of kindness.
And the world has responded – over 2 million people have participated, taking actions from buying coffee for strangers, to donating to charities, and thousands of other random acts of kindness.
- A Cafe In Greece Opens Its Doors – For Freezing Dogs
A photo on Facebook was circulating recently – apparently, a cafe in Greece has been throwing its doors open at night to give local stray dogs respite from the freezing conditions outside. The photo shows quite a few dogs curled up adorably (and warmly) on a cafe bench seat, and post has found a massive viral audience, having been shared over 350,000 times.
The cafe is located in Mytilene, Greece, and allows dogs inside after it closes at 3am, giving them a place to sleep in the very darkest, coldest depths of winter. According to a waiter at the cafe, they began the practice in July – the town has many strays, and the staff felt as if they owed it to them to give them a comfortable place to sleep.
This just goes to show that there are still those out there who care for our four-legged friends – and take care of them, even when they’re left alone on the street.
- London Passersbys Lift Bus Off Of Trapped Unicyclist
Full video of the incident can be found on YouTube. In this story of the strength of humanity, a London unicyclist was hit by a bus, and became stuck underneath the vehicle – seemingly totally unable to be removed.
Passersbys began rushing towards the bus from the street, cafes, and restaurants, and over 100 people eventually began attempting to lift the bus, eventually managing to move it enough to extract the unicyclist, who was transported to a hospital and found to be in a serious – but stable – condition.
Truly astounding, this video shows what humanity is capable of when we all work together.
- Widow In The UK Is Sent Thousands Of Cards And Gifts For Her 100th Birthday
Winnie Blagden, a 99-year old widow with no children from Sheffield, lived alone in a small apartment, with little contact to the outside world. That is, until BBC Sheffield found out about her story, and posted a viral call to action to send her cards, gifts, and messages to make her 100th birthday special.
The message quickly spread, receiving over 42,000 shares on Facebook – Winnie herself ended up receiving over 16,000 cards, and her special day was quite special indeed. Mrs. Blagden passed peacefully around 5 months later, but her heart was certainly gladdened in her final days by the care, attention, and love shown to her from around the world.
- Nurse Turns Her Home Into A Sick-Cat Sanctuary
Some nurses just can’t care enough. Maria Torero, a nurse in Peru, tends to hospital patients all day at work – then comes home to nearly 175 cats, all suffering from some kind of illness. This nurse has been running this housecat hospital for nearly 5 years, and funds the treatment of the cats in her eight-room home partially from her work as a nurse, and partly from donations from the community.
Caring for all of these cats along with her three children is a tall order, but Maria is up to the task, and it’s truly incredible to meet a nurse as dedicated to caring for all lives as her. Props to you, Mrs. Torero.
Warm A Heart With A Random Act Of Kindness
These are some very extravagant acts of kindness – but you don’t have to lift a bus or take care of hundreds of cats to brighten someone’s day.
This random acts of kindness week, buy your supervisor a coffee. Bring some cookies in for the nurse’s station or break room. Even the simplest of actions can help someone who’s having a bad day, so be kind – even when you don’t need to be. Creating a culture of kindness is a great way to create a more happy, healthy work environment.
And hey, it’s only a week! If you don’t like it, you won’t have to keep doing it for long!
