Over 34,000 acts of kindness reported for RAK Day
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation is reporting that the 2011 Random Act of Kindness Day (held on November 4) was a great success.
FILE PHOTO - Glenn Stresman hands a free newspaper to a commuter at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel as part of Random Act of Kindness Day on November 4, 2011. Photo by Sanja Frkovic.
Growing on the success of last year’s RAK Day, WECF stated that there was an increase in the number of individuals and groups that participated and stories are still being shared.
“It was just a very good day all around,” said Glenn Stresman, executive director, WindsorEssex Community Foundation. “Participation was high.”
WECF had over 34,000 confirmed reports of kindness initiated by Windsor and Essex County residents. Some of these stories are shared on WECF website as well as on their Facebook page. Seventy-five thousand RAK cards were distributed to celebrate the day and Stresman expects that the card’s message of “pay it forward” will keep the kind acts going for some time.
Of the stories collected so far, residents are saying thank you for individuals, groups, and students who cleaned yards, picked up garbage, donated blood, bought coffee, and shared a positive message with the rest of Windsor and Essex County.
“It adds to the social capitol in the community,” said Stresman. He loves to share the big stories as well as the little ones as they all have impact. From the University of Windsor mascot handing out 1,000 carnations, to students making poppies for a veterans’ breakfast where Mayor Francis shared his thanks and paid the bill, to a kindergarten class making bird feeders, to a child giving a senior a flower, each act makes a difference.
Stresman was particularly pleased to hear of inter-generational stories where seniors were very appreciative of acts of kindness performed by children and teens, “To bridge across the age groups was a very powerful thing.”
In a recent speech in Vancouver, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, commented, “Helping a friend move; mowing a neighbour’s lawn; checking in on an elderly relative; or even paying for a stranger’s coffee at the drive through – all these deeds show us to be a caring nation. Imagine all of the good deeds that go unseen and unsung.”
This is the kind of thing that we need to keep pushing forward.
