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RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Never has the need for mass participation in random acts of kindness been so critical, as the Earth and all who inhabit it, face the threats to survival posed by global warming. Earth-friendly random acts of kindness should be encouraged beyond Random Acts of Kindness Week and beyond Earth Day.

Chicago, IL February 12, 2007 — Never has the need for mass participation in random acts of kindness been so critical, as the Earth and all who inhabit it, face the threats to survival posed by global warming.

Although random acts of kindness was originally defined as any selfless, compassionate act that people perform to help strangers, the concept has evolved to include random acts people do to reduce pollution, conserve energy, preserve habitats, promote conservation, protect wildlife, reuse resources, and other environmentally positive activities.

Random acts of kindness that focus on preserving and maintaining environmental integrity can literally take just a few minutes to complete. Whether the random acts involve removing a plastic bag from a pond so the wildlife in the area won't become entangled in it, turning off a dripping faucet in a public restroom, reducing your junk mail by calling a catalog's customer service number to have your name removed from their mailing list, or choosing shade-grown coffee rather than sun grown brands, the cumulative effect of random acts of kindness can make a positive difference.

Now is the time to take part in random acts of kindness and to encourage such activities among family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and especially young people.

Do a random act of kindness for the environment every chance you get. You may be surprised at how many opportunities you have to make a difference during the course of a normal day. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

When you see a leaky faucet in a public restroom, turn it off and conserve water. Report a persistent leak to the proper authorities.
When taking a walk, pick up trash. If you find a recyclable item, such as an aluminum can, recycle it.
When taking a hike, bring along a bag and pick up any trash you find along the way. Recycle anything that is recyclable.
Make homemade cards by recycling used greeting cards and using other found materials to decorate them. Encourage your children to do the same.
Close any open case doors you see in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.
When you see people using canvas bags in a grocery store, thank them for caring and let them know you appreciate their efforts.
When purchasing one or two items that are easy to carry, especially items already in a bag such as a bag of fruit or bag of cat food, do not take a plastic or paper bag from the clerk.
Call or send a thank you note or card (recycled of course!) to any individual or company that has done or is doing something to help the environment.
After you have finished reading a newspaper or magazine during your commute or while waiting for a plane or train, offer it to bystanders.
Make small signs with tips on how to save energy and put them in appropriate places, like next to light switches at work or in the restrooms.
Make small notepads from scrap paper and offer them to people. You could suggest they put one by their phone, on their desk at work or at school, keep one on their purse, or put one in the glove compartment.
Periodically check the office, school, or church refrigerator and freezer to make sure they are at the proper temperature and that the seals are tight.
Offer to help an elderly or disabled neighbor who may be physically unable to recycle.
Donate your extra ceramic coffee mugs to your office, church group, or social group. Offer to bring reusable mugs to any small gathering at which refreshments are served. Always bring one for yourself (keep one in your car so you won't forget).
Report polluters to the proper authorities. A company's vehicle may be spewing excessive smoke, for example, so a call to the company's local or state office may be appropriate. If you notice someone dumping illegally, note a license plate number if possible and report it to your city, county, or state environmental office.
Practice Reduce/Reuse/Recycle by giving items away to people who are looking for them. Groups such as Craigslist, Freecycle, Freesharing, and Really Really Free Market offer opportunities for people to list and/or give away items they want or need. Periodically visit listings for your area and see if you have items that others want or need and give them away.

Aesop said, "No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." When it comes to helping preserve the environment, every random act of kindness helps.

Charity Guide is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting flexible volunteerism, by inspiring and facilitating acts of kindness. Charity Guide's website, CharityGuide.org, makes it possible for busy people to make a difference at anytime, from anywhere. Charity Guide's "volunteering on-demand" approach allows even people with unpredictable schedules to volunteer for their favorite cause, including: animal welfare, children's issues, community development, environmental protection, healthcare, and poverty. The volunteer projects at CharityGuide.org can be successfully completed: in 15 minutes, in a few hours (once, or each week), or during volunteer vacations.

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HelpOthers.org: Anonymous Acts of Kindness

Extraordinary, positive changes are happening all around the world and are often overlooked. These are stories of smile cards, that encourage small acts of anonymous kindness around the globe.

The Karma of Giving a Lift and Getting One

About two months ago, I was visiting my hometown and was taking a drive with a friend. We had decided to drive around for no particular reason when suddenly it began to rain. And rain. And rain.

We happened across a young man walking down the road and asked if he wanted a ride. He quickly agreed. He stated that he lived about a mile away and was on his way home from work, which he had to walk to since his car had broken down. When we dropped him off, he thanked us generously and stated that it was great to find good people since he had recently moved here from out of state.

Fast-forward a month. I was back in the town that I live in and was walking to the campus library about a mile away. It was a particularly hot day and I really didn't feel like walking, but driving seemed nonsensical. I had no sooner walked down the alley from my apartment when a red Jeep stopped. The driver inquired if I would like a ride. For some reason, I felt no apprehension and quickly agreed. The guy that picked me up said that he lived down the...
Community Events For Low-income Kids

I live in a small mobile-home community . The people here have very low incomes. The children have nowhere to go and nothing to do.

With the help of others in the community, I put on events for the kids and their families throughout the year. In the summer we have "Kids Safety Day ," where we have food, games and prizes and the local police & fire teams join us to talk to the kids. Everyone has a good day!

At Halloween we do a Haunted Forest. I think the adults organizing it probably have more fun then the kids and families here. At Christmas , we get presents for the kids to give to their parents. We pay for all of this by selling candy, having yard sales and taking donations of items from people to raise the money for these events. And that's not all, we do so many other events too!

The best thing about all of this, is to see the happy faces of the kids and their families. We ask for nothing in return except to have fun.
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Just Doing The Right Thing

I was on a walk with a friend yesterday when I found a BlackBerry cell phone in a puddle of melted snow. I picked it up and it still worked! I started scrolling through the contact list and calling numbers to see if I could figure out whose phone it was. Unfortunately, only one person answered and she didn't recognize the number that I was calling from. She made a comment of "It is just so nice that you are trying to find out whose phone it is."

Since that lady didn't know whose phone it was, my friend suggested that we go back to the street and the house that we found the BlackBerry in front of. I knocked on the door and two college-age people answered. They hadn't lost their phones, but as I told them the story and mentioned some names on the contact list, the young man said that he had those names also and it must be the phone of one of their friends. Then, both of the people commented on how wonderful it was that I took the time to find the owner. I really didn't have anything to say, because in my mind, I was just doing the right thing. ...
The Simple Joy of Blowing Bubbles

Earlier, Aurelia posted a wonderful little piece entitled "Bubbles" and since I myself LOVE, bubbles I had to read it.

She gave the most wonderful suggestion of giving bubbles to children. I loved the idea. I went to the store on my lunch break and bought an eight pack. I gave one to the cashier there to give to any child she chose, as suggested in Aurelia's post, which made her smile. I also have been giving them out to small children who come in the bank. They are thrilled to receive them. It gives me joy to see how happy it makes them to receive such a small gift. One little boy did a dance right there. I asked him if that was his happy dance. He told me it was. I told him I would dance too if someone gave me bubbles. It was a wonderful exchange.

Children have so much to teach us! All we have to do is pay attention to the small lessons and then apply what we have learned into our daily life. Let us all have the joy of little children. Hold on to your sense of wonder. BLOW BUBBLES and be overjoyed in...
An Old Way To Bring About New Smiles

I recently got a new version of an old camera that I used to adore... Polaroid instant film! This one is a Fuji, which takes credit card sized instant photos. I named my camera "J5", (after Johnny #5 the Robot, from the '80's films "Short Circuit", mainly because it looks like him :) In J5's short career (this past month), he has blasted off about 80 photographs, and 60+ have been given away to complete strangers. Each photograph is unique, simple, imperfect and beautiful, as those captured within the photos had a story to tell. So far, one story stands out above them all.

Last Wednesday, I was in the play area of the Harrisburg Mall. I sat next to a woman who was there with her son. She was very classy, seemed to have it all together. I would have assumed that she had a sweet, upper-middle class life. As it turned out, her husband left her after 22 years, her entire family disowned her, even though it wasn't what she wanted. She had lived in New England and was forced to take a job in Pennsylvania, her ex-husband got custody of the kids, etc. Wow. Can you even imagine? She was...
Setting The Tone With My New Boss, My Way

I work with people across the world via e mail. Recently I was getting to know a new editor in Illinois when he retired (not because of me :D)

When I got in touch with the new guy I got a polite but short reply. Okay. Then I sent in some work and he told me briefly he would get to it some time. Later I sent in some more work and got an even shorter reply.

Okay, I wondered, this is verging on rude. Should I just forget about this guy? Was I going to let this set the tone of our working relationship?

No. I e mailed back again. I said I understood the pressures he must be under. He was filling some big shoes and it would take time to establish his own ways of doing things. I mentioned his predecessor had had huge faith in him and I was sure he would be a good man for the job.

Well! The reply I got back was his shortest yet. It was a big, shiny, smiley face!

Now, I'm quite happy to let that set the tone of our relationship!
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A Ripple Effect On The Train Home

Yesterday was a long, but rewarding day. I got to volunteer in the San Francisco Pride Parade. That meant hours on my feet, under the hot sun and with very little water.

By the time I made it on the train to go home, all of the seats were taken and my feet were killing me! I must have been displaying the pain in some way because a very nice gentleman, much older & tired than myself, offered me his seat. I told him I was fine, but he insisted I sit.

While I was feeling guilty for enjoying being off my feet, a young man, who had watched all this, offered the seat he was sitting in to the older gentleman who had offered me his seat. I could not help but smile. One act of kindness led to another. The perfect closure to my day.
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