Kindness Ideas
We were in a restaurant and I noticed an elderly couple with a helium balloon tied to their table. When I asked them what the occasion was they told me it was their 50th wedding anniversary. I was glad and sad for them. Glad, because they still cherished each other. Sad, because they were all on their own. No family, no friends. As I went back to our table I thought that I should pay their bill. I tried to do it anonymously, but the restaurant manager was curious: what is this, who are they to you, who are you, why are you doing this? Finally, I told them I was a church pastor and felt prompted to do it. The elderly couple were stunned speechless at the counter when told a total stranger had paid their bill. They were nearly in tears. We were all nearly in tears: the couple, the manager, the waitresses, and me. Two months later I got a call. “Have you got the latest Woman’s Weekly?” “No, I only read the Man’s!” I said. Deb, who was with us in the restaurant, rang to tell me that my simple act of kindness was reported to the magazine (from memory, it was either the restaurant manager or the elderly couple). I wasn’t expecting anything in return, but that $44 or so random act of kindness touched the hearts of thousands. Imagine what would and could happen if we all practice random acts of kindness on family, friends, neighbors and strangers even for the next 30 days? Firstly, it will do something beautiful on the inside of you. And you never know what it will do to others. Go on, do something special, be creative and make someone’s day! I’d love to hear your story. Be blessed as you bless others in kindness.
Have your youth group go to a gas station and pump gas for everyone.
Take your youth group and visit the salvation army or your local mission and serve food to the homeless.
My friend and I were shopping at the mall when we decided to head to the food court to grab a bite to eat. I was so hungry because I had not eaten all day! I ordered some Chinese food with extra orange chicken (how I like it) and my friend grabbed a subway sandwich. We sat down to eat and as soon as I opened my food container and picked up my fork, a homeless man approached me, out of all the people in the entire food court). It was very odd because I have NEVER seen a homeless man in our mall. He says "Excuse me Miss, do you have any money or food or anything that you could give me?" As soon as he said food, I knew he was sincere...so I closed the box and handed over my food to him. Still, to this day, thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Although I was extremely hungry, I am sure this man was a lot more hungry than I was. He sat down immediately and started eating. At that moment I felt happy. After all, Mother Theresa said, "if you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one"
We were in a restaurant and I noticed an elderly couple with a helium balloon tied to their table. When I asked them what the occasion was they told me it was their 50th wedding anniversary. I was glad and sad for them. Glad, because they still cherished each other. Sad, because they were all on their own. No family, no friends. As I went back to our table I thought that I should pay their bill. I tried to do it anonymously, but the restaurant manager was curious: what is this, who are they to you, who are you, why are you doing this? Finally, I told them I was a church pastor and felt prompted to do it. The elderly couple were stunned speechless at the counter when told a total stranger had paid their bill. They were nearly in tears. We were all nearly in tears: the couple, the manager, the waitresses, and me. Two months later I got a call. “Have you got the latest Woman’s Weekly?” “No, I only read the Man’s!” I said. Deb, who was with us in the restaurant, rang to tell me that my simple act of kindness was reported to the magazine (from memory, it was either the restaurant manager or the elderly couple). I wasn’t expecting anything in return, but that $44 or so random act of kindness touched the hearts of thousands. Imagine what would and could happen if we all practice random acts of kindness on family, friends, neighbors and strangers even for the next 30 days? Firstly, it will do something beautiful on the inside of you. And you never know what it will do to others. Go on, do something special, be creative and make someone’s day! I’d love to hear your story. Be blessed as you bless others in kindness.
We are looking at doing our first ever community clean up event next month. Our property is in an old town that has become run down. I am looking for ideas and stories of others that have tried this and find out what worked and what didn't. I am hoping to clean up our community and the surrounding area. I am looking for local businesses to help sponsor food and prizes as we meet and rest up at our cabana. Any thoughts, ideas, etc would be great Thank you!
A couple of weeks ago I left my country with a team of athletes headed for the USA to compete in a Worlds event. It was the first time any of us had been to America. We were amazed at how huge everything was and our anticipation and excitement was high but we were to encounter something that would have a profound affect on us all ... especially on me. We arrived in America 6 days before the event giving the team time to acclimatise and do a bit more training, on the eve of the competition we met a person who literally banged into us. He was a local and was looking for a person who he thought we might know. In our discussions we found that actually we didn't know the person he was looking for but were invited to this persons place for a barbecue and a swim, all 9 of us. At first we were a bit cautious and even suspicious but he insisted on us coming to his house giving his cellphone for us to call him up when we were ready to come. Anyhow we threw caution to the wind and decided to take him up on his offer, which to me had sounded sincere from the word go. I'm pretty good at reading people and when we were talking to this person he seemed genuine in his interest in the event, in us and his invitation. Well we set off to his place following his instructions finding out that he lived about 5 minutes from the venue we would be competing at and in a beautiful home. He greeted us first and his two companions (of the 4 legged variety) came out to greet us in their own doogy way as well. At that point I knew that he had opened his home and heart to us. He treated us as though we had been friends forever. We talked, ate and drank with him. We swam and talked, drank and ate some more. At that stage because he had told us not to bring anything to put towards dinner we decided to give him a T-shirt from our country and a small gift. And wouldn't you know it if he gave us all gifts as well. His kindness was absolute and sincere. The next couple of days he came to the venue where we were competing and watched our events, cheered us on and had good fun. He, his friends and his uncle came to watch as we won gold and silver. On our final day in America he once again invited us back to his home and also invited another two more of our teams . When we arrived his friends were their to greet us, his mum had done a whole heap of baking for us, he had prepared food and his younger brother had come over to bring a football so the boys could have a bit of a run. We all went to the pool where we swam, played ball games and football and enjoyed one another company. Not once did he expect anything from us. When we said our goodbyes their were a few tears and it felt like we were leaving family. He in turn felt the same way. He has said that he wants to take up the sport we compete in and maybe see us all at the next World Event in our sport in another two years in New Caledonia. We encouraged him to work on it and left another gift and t-shirts. Not to be out done he had gifts for our team and with that we left but not before he bowed as we waved goodbye. That whole meeting and exchange has left me feeling uplifted with joy in my heart for humanity. This man's out pouring of kindness, hospitality and unconditional love was so overwhelming. To some in the group it left them feeling as though he was too good to be true and even on the weird side. For me he was an inspiration and a ray of sunshine and I am so thankful for having met such a person who has shared his family his friends, his home and his heart with total strangers. His parting words were we love you all and I'm sure we will meet again soon. I thought I'd share my story with everyone because kindness feels good when your on the recieving end of it and I'm sure when you're giving it out.
During my freshman year of college, I went 500 miles away from home in an effort to experience something new. Naturally, through the course of the year, I had my ups and downs, problems with friends, stress from school, and homesickness. There was one particularly bad week when everything seemed to be building and I had never been so stressed or upset. All I wanted to do was go home. I missed even having the privacy to cry in my room without having a roommate there. One night, after a really rough day during that week, I escaped to a rarely used stairwell. All of my friends had deserted me, it seemed, and I had a number of papers due at the end of the week. I was sobbing on the phone to my mom when two people came down the stairs together. The guy walked right past me, averting his eyes in mixed embarrassment and respect, I can only assume. But the girl he was with gave me a hug and a comforting and understanding smile. It was amazing to me that when none of my friends cared about me, a complete stranger did.
Hold a fried green tomatoes group with people in their 30,40,50 ect.. use conversation starters and each group can discuss the difference from then till now . keep in mind all nursing homes assisted living areas have one thing in common . people who are a lot of times forgotten and Just need time to talk . most of them in the immediate family is gone . due to age or family location . new connections
I was escpecially emotional coming back to Baltimore from visiting my family in Texas this past fall. I do not like to fly at all, and the last day there was filled some awkward tension of not visiting often enough...There was a girl in her mid-twenties like myself sitting beside me, crying gently. For a while I acted like everyone else around me, though I was giving her privacy, the others were ignoring her. Finally, I gave in and waved down the attendant for tissues and asked her if she wanted to talk about it. We talked she was leaving one of her only family members behind to go back to New York...it was a complicated situtation she spoke about it and calmed down a bit. When landed in baltimore, I was thinking about how quickly I can get into my boyfriends car from the cold and just how freezing she would be back in NY(the airline lost her Bag with her jacket)....so I gave her my fuzzy, warm (and FAVORITE) sweater. At first she wouldn't take it...I insisted, she accepted. I helped her from being so glum, she got me through the landing...Over? No... we said goodbye, she thanked me...we parted ways. Then I roamed around trying to find my boyfriend(I get motion sickness during and after flights), it was very late and the airport was empty...while I waited for him to come back around to find me in his car, I tried to light my bad habit, with no fire...then a purple sweater comes into view and the only other person around is my new friend I thought I'd never see again...she gave me a light and then my boyfriend pulled up and her and I gave each other the biggest hug and said goodbye...My chest swelled thinking about how much we had both just done for each other in the past hour with no expectations of ever seeing each other again...and now a year later, that purple sweater is still my favorite (I wonder if the yellow embroidery floss is holding the front pocket on) but it is hanging in a strangers closet. <3
My mother is a doctor and when I was younger she told me that one of her patients had been robbed. Her patient was a little girl who didn't have parents and lived with her grandmother. She had hardly anything, she even shared her grandmothers bed! When I heard her story I had to do something, so I decided to have a fundraiser at my school where everyone would donate an item. a teddy, a blanket, money, just something to help her. I was amazed at how much was donated.
