Good People Doing Good Things — Random Acts of Kindness Day … And More!

Posted on by under Good people doing good things, Social commentary

Do you know what today is?  It’s February 17th!  And do you know what February 17th is?  It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day!  Now, we should all be kind to everyone we encounter every day, but National Random Acts of Kindness Day is intended to make us more aware of the little things we can do to help someone out, or maybe just bring a smile to their face.  In this, the era of the pandemic, many more people are struggling than ever before, financially, emotionally, and in other ways.

National-Random-Acts-of-Kindness-DayIn the U.S., Random Acts of Kindness day is celebrated on this day, but in other countries, such as New Zealand, the date is different, but the meaning is still the same. The goal, according to the National Kindness website, is to help make kindness the norm by spreading it in the simplest ways.  So, what are some simple ways we can do a random act of kindness?  You tell me.  My favourite is usually to help someone I see struggling, perhaps to reach an item on a high grocery shelf, or a person in a wheelchair trying to get their groceries onto the conveyor belt, then out to their vehicle.  Or, paying it ahead at the drive through line is always a good one, one that tends to spread.

kindness-1As I always tell you guys at the end of each week’s Jolly Monday post, share those smiles.  Sometimes, just a kind smile can bring joy to someone who’s a bit down.  Thank someone … the mail carrier or trash man.  Help a neighbor carry their parcels in.  Or, if you’re feeling really energetic, get out that shovel and shovel a neighbor’s driveway and sidewalk!  It’ll help them, and you’ll get some much-needed exercise, too!

Anyway, let’s all try to do one random act of kindness today …

kindness-2

I usually get some flak when I highlight professional athletes or other celebrities who are making a difference, being good people, but when I think it’s deserved, I will shine a light on them. Not all of them are selfish jerks. This week, I have several that I think deserving of kudos.

I’m sure you all remember last May, when a Black man, George Floyd, was brutally murdered by a white police officer – an event that triggered many of the Black Lives Matter protests during the summer.  The most important thing Mr. Floyd left behind was his 7-year-old daughter, Gianna.  The Floyd family, like so many of us, lived payday to payday, and without his income, times were harder than ever.  Enter a bunch of good people …

Kyrie-IrvingNBA professional basketball star Kyrie Irving learned what the family needed most and stepped up to provide it. Kyrie Irving, the point guard for the Brooklyn Nets, bought them a house.  Irving, who felt he was just doing the right thing, tried to downplay his generosity.

“I just want to keep continuing to fulfill our purpose in serving a lot of the underserved communities. Those don’t necessarily get the same attention. So just trying to do my part with service, that’s all.”

Irving is not the only celebrity to reach out to Gianna and her family. Lil Wayne’s manager bought them a Mercedes-Benz. Barbra Streisand gave them stock in Disney.

In addition, Kanye West (whom I cannot stand personally, but I give credit where credit is due) donated $2 million to help Gianna and the families of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old victim of a racially motivated murder in Georgia, and 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was killed during a botched drug raid by police who showed up at the wrong apartment.

And ordinary citizens are reaching out, as well.  A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $2.3 million, providing a fund when she’s ready to attend college—if she doesn’t want to take advantage of a full scholarship already offered by Texas Southern University.

Then there’s Stephen Curry, considered by some to be the greatest shooter in NBA history and treated as basketball royalty.  But there’s another side to this man.  Last summer, as the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the economy leaving many out of work, he and his wife Ayesha launched Eat. Learn. Play., a foundation that helps families struggling to put food on the table, through donations to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Oakland, California school system.

“We know the world is changing before our eyes in terms of dealing with the spread of coronavirus and we just found out that the Oakland Unified School District is closing the doors for the foreseeable future, so we want to intercede on behalf of the kids that rely on the daily services and try to help any way we can.”

stephen-currySince then, the initiative has expanded exponentially. After joining forces with the world-renowned, Chef José Andrés, founder of the nonprofit disaster-relief group World Central Kitchen, Stephen and Ayesha’s foundation has gone from serving 4,000 meals a week to 300,000.

In total, more than 15 million meals—and counting—have found their way to those in need.

But more than just serving up meals, Eat. Learn. Play. is also giving the local economy a much-needed financial shot in the arm—about $20 million that has “led to the rehiring of more than 900 Oakland restaurant workers.”

“It’s all about impact. The things my wife and I try to do, separately and together, are to raise awareness, to find impactful partnerships, to be human and understand the urgency of the moment.”

My thanks to all the good people who are doing what they can to help people, and let’s see if we can do just a little something today to bring a smile to someone’s face, okay?

49 thoughts on “Good People Doing Good Things — Random Acts of Kindness Day … And More!”

  1. Hi Jill. As you know I enjoy these good people posts but also wanted to check in on you personally to see how you’re doing with the winter weather. I lost your email address so couldn’t contact you personally as I like to try to do when wanting to check on friends and please forgive me for not checking in sooner.

    we lost power and water for a day and were able to stay at a friend’s house for the duration. I hope you’re doing okay.
    hugs.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hey Scott! I was thinking about you a day or so ago, wondering why I hadn’t heard from you. I’ll send you an email so you have my email address again, but meanwhile, I’m doing okay. It’s freezing here, with about 8 inches of snow on the ground, but at least we haven’t lost power, so I’m trying not to complain too much. I’m glad you were able to stay with friends when yours went out! Take care, my friend, and I’ll email you later today. Hugs!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Thank you for this reminder, Jill, that every day should be one of kindness. Thank you for pointing out that domino effect with celebrities giving. I’d not considered it. I still don’t quite understand it, but I guess that’s being an introvert, for you?

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  5. I often wonder why there is only one day for National Kindness. Why not a month, or several months? It takes so little effort to do something nice for a person, and even less effort to smile at someone and say a kind word. And they are not the only ones who gain from this. It gives us all a wonderful and warm feeling to have someone smile back, however tentative the smile begins. Smiling is contagious you know. Each one leads to another and soon we are all smiling back. A soft word to someone on an elevator leads to another from the person who was hurting when they entered. If we could just have a year of kindness maybe it would lead to a second year. Who knows when it would end.

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    • There is actually an entire week … this week, as it happens! But yeah, to your point, it should actually be an every day event. Why is it so hard to go a short step out of one’s way to do something simple, yet helpful, for another person? You’re so right about smiles … they ARE contagious! I always feel a bit of a lift when someone smiles, or when I smile first and they smile back. A bit harder these days, with masks being the norm, but you can see it in their eyes. Hugs and smiles to you, dear friend!

      Liked by 1 person

      • I have noticed that also. I try to smile at everyone when we meet here in the building, as well as kids I see in the grocery. Not sure if the kids can see it in my eyes, but some of them smile back, since too many kids around here are not wearing masks.

        Hug smiles and hugs to you also, my friend.

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        • I think kids sense what’s behind the mask. Adults try to overthink things, look at each other with suspicious eyes, but kids, like animals, can sense a good person, can sense that you are smiling behind the mask.

          Big hugs 🤗 and happy smiles 😊 to you, dear friend!

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          • They are also more helpful. A lot of times in the grocery a kid will see me in my power chair and run over to help me reach things. Usually a parent will run after them and help them help me. I always thank the parent for how well their child behaves and what a good job they are doing teaching them to help others.

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            • That’s for sure!!! I wrote not too long ago about a kid who went way out of his way to help a man in a wheelchair do his shopping and finally the mother got into the spirit too, but it’s doubtful she would have without her kid jumping in first. Hugs ‘n love, my friend. ❤

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              • A lot of the time that is the way it works. I’m constantly amazed by how helpful people are when the store employees just look and walk away without even asking if I need help. I often tell managers about that, but it never sinks in to their brains, if indeed they are utilizing their brains. Too many people are working only for the paycheck, not because they want to help people. Many hugs and love.0.💖😇

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                • You are so right when you say too many people are working only for the paycheck. I hear it from friends, from my daughter … people don’t take pride in a job well-done anymore … they’re just there to put in their 8 hours doing the barest minimum, go home, and collect their paycheck. Love you, dear Angie! ❤

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                    • Classical music will relax me and put me to sleep every time … even if I’m not tired! I love Beethoven’s “Pastorale” and Bach’s “Brandenburg Concertos”! Take care, dear Angie … love you! ❤

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                    • Oh, m’ gosh, I love Pastorale too. My favorite though is anything by Chopin! He had so much passion. And I also love the “1812 Overture” by Tchaikovsky. I almost went to sleep once during that but then the drums began! No more sleep that night, but normally any music at all — or any movie I might want to watch puts me out like a light. And the better the movie or the longer I’ve waited to see it, the faster the sleep. Big sigh.

                      You take care also. And I love you too. ❤

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                    • I’ve never listened much to Chopin … perhaps I should give it a listen! And YES, I love the “1812 Overture”!!! I think you are my only friend who also enjoys classical music! I am like that with reading … I go to bed around 3:00-4:00 a.m., pick up my book, and I’m lucky if I get 5 pages read before falling asleep with the lamp on and book lying on my chest! ❤

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                    • I have to use my Kindle for reading now for that reason as well as my vision. I’ve been reading a lot of James Michenor lately, but then I got on a light mystery kick and have read over half of the “Aunt Dimity” books by Nancy Atherton. I dn’t have to think when reading those and also get some chuckles from them I’m going to start in on the Elm Creek Quilters series next. I’ve read them all but at present they look good to me. It’s been long enough that I only half remember them.

                      I think you are the only one who also listens to classical music for me as well. We grew up listening mostly to classical, and my favorites were Tchaikovsky and Chopin. After watching a movie about Chopin’s life I really began to love his music and all the passion for life that went into it. Of course, I also listen to Bach and was raised on Brahms Lullaby as sung by my mom and “Toora Loora Loora” sung by my dad. I think it was the only song he knew, but he loved to listen to “1812 Overture”. This is funny though, our first venture into country was Johnny Cash. Dad got so angry when he would come home from work and my brother had Cash on the record player. But it really hit the fan when he found Peter, Paul and Mary singing “If I Had A Hammer””. He said if he had a hammer at that point he would use it to break that record.

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    • Thank you, Michael! No, courts and such tend not to be shrines of kindness! Poor you, stuck in legal proceedings all day! I, at least, got to go out in the snow to the grocery store! And, I did one or two small acts of kindness … very small, but the best I could do under the circumstances.

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  8. Jill, great post. It does the heart good to see athletes giving back. Speaking of giving back, I saw a neat thing on Mark Twain (seeing his quote above) the other day. We were watching the excellent documentary series on Ulysses Grant on the History Channel. He was quite popular after the Civil War even in the south, for letting Confederate soldiers return home with their weapons and encouragement to go plant crops for your family.

    Grant was in financial trouble just before his death and Mark Twain approached him about writing his biography. He talked Grant into signing a deal with him because he would use his name as well as Grant’s to get his memoirs out. Grant’s wife received over $600,000 in royalties as Grant died days after finishing the memoirs, an unheard of amount.

    Keith

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    • Thanks, Keith! Many criticize athletes, saying they use the publicity for their own purposes, but … the thing is, first they are doing good, helping people, and second, the publicity raises awareness for the situation, the need, and many others then tend to give or help in some way. Compare these guys to others who are celebrities, raking in the dough, and sharing not a single red cent.

      I wasn’t aware of that bit of history about Grant and Mark Twain … fascinating … thank you!

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    • I agree … and I’m happy to see so many doing things to help, especially in this time of the pandemic. Thank you dear Soul Sister … you bring a big smile to my face! Have you gotten a new hot water heater yet? Hugs!!! ❤

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      • lol! 😂 Funny you should ask!!!! No hot water heater, yet!!!!! The plumber and the electrician are putting it in… on Friday. Had to get permits from the city and approval from our HOA. A long process!!!! It’s a Tankless Hot Water Heater. You’d think we were installing a Nuclear … Space Age…. Tesla Designed….State of the Art…
        Hot Water Heater! It’s a space saver. It’s a box ….that gets attached to the wall. The water is heated on demand , instead of being stored in a big tank that takes up a lot of space.
        It will be great to have hot water again! 👍
        Hope you have a great day!!!! HUGS!!!! 💙

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        • A city permit is required to replace the hot water heater??? That’s just nuts! I’ve heard of the tankless water heaters and I hear they are big energy savers, so that’s a plus! I do hope it’s installed this week! I can’t imagine the pain of having to heat water on the stove to bathe and do dishes! Huge HUGS!!! ❤

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  10. Just THANK YOU so much for bringing more attention to these kind and caring people.
    The World Central Kitchen got a lot of much needed praise from Stephen Colbert. Praise to him and his team too for knowing how much influence they have and for sharing it with the world. And a Thank You to all those who do their bit in the smallest and kindest way they can – and just do it!

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    • My pleasure!!! I’m glad you found these people to be heartwarming. Yes, I’ve written about Chef Andrès before, as whenever there is a crisis, he and his crew are there providing food! A good man, indeed. I didn’t know Colbert had done a piece about him … I’ll have to go look for that, as I love Stephen Colbert! Have a good rest of the week, Kiki!

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  11. Jill, it’s heartwarming to see so many relatively young people prepared to be so giving, with the exception of Ms. Streisand of course. Stephen Curry and his wife are awe-inspiring in their generosity. I’d like to hope that Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Bezos are as generous with their billions when disaster hits.
    Cwtch

    Liked by 3 people

    • It is heartwarming, and often when celebrities do things like this, it has a domino effect and others follow suit. Don’t hold your breath for Zuckerberg and Bezos, though … I doubt they’ll ever find their way to Filosofa’s ‘good people’ posts!
      Cwtch

      Liked by 3 people

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