They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit, so we’re challenging you to 21 days of kindness. Take a photo, share it online and use #INCGiving. We’ll be featuring some of your posts for inspiration on a future blog and on social media.
Below is a list of 21 different acts of kindness you can take part in. They’re easy. They’re simple. But, most of all, we hope they remind you of how powerful doing good can be.
- Say thank you, smile and hand an incmedia.org card to your server, your neighbor, the carpool, anyone really!
- Buy someone a cup of coffee or pay for a stranger’s meal.
- Write and leave positive sticky notes for your friend, kids, parents, etc.
- Show kindness on your commute. Give away your parking spot, give up a seat on the train for someone, and be polite on the road.
- Help someone carry his or her shopping bags to the parking lot.
- Practice gratitude – compliment a stranger, say thank you to mail carriers, send a “thank you” card/email to a teacher that inspires/inspired you.
- Send a card to people who dedicate their lives to helping us – soldiers, police officers, firefighters and teachers to name a few.
- Leave quarters at a laundromat or tape some change to a vending machine for someone to use along with an incmedia.org card.
- Contact an organization you’ve always wanted to volunteer at to find out how and schedule a time to volunteer.
- Be a welcoming neighbor — rake someone’s leaves, offer to clear someone’s driveway during the winter, bring in your neighbor’s trashcans.
- Help new (or even not so new) parents – offer to unload their car, cook a meal, pick up groceries, etc.
- Leave a nice server the biggest tip you can afford.
- Deliver a bouquet of flowers to a nearby nursing home.
- Donate a piece of clothing for every new item you bought recently.
- Bring doughnuts (or a healthy treat, like cut-up fruit) to share at work or school.
- Tweet or Facebook message a genuine compliment to three people right now.
- Leave free bus fare for someone or fill up a metro/subway/train card for someone to use.
- Offer a homeless person your bag from the restaurant.
- Help clear someone’s driveway.
- Donate new/used books.
- Volunteer – go to a soup kitchen, a shelter, a food bank, etc. and spend a couple of hours volunteering.