The early returns are in for OCDE’s newly launched One Billion Acts of Kindness campaign.
In just a few weeks, 14,176 good deeds have been reported on the www.kindness1billion.org website or shared on social media using the campaign’s hashtag, #kindness1billion.
Of course, there’s still a long way to go to reach a billion — 999,985,824 by our count. But a handful of community organizations and school districts recently announced they’re on board with the initiative, including the Fullerton School District and the Brea Olinda, Garden Grove and Newport-Mesa unified school districts.
Some of the acts have been simple, like sending a kind text message to an old friend or helping a parent clean up the house, while others have marshalled the resources of an entire school. In fact, Orange County’s running total received a sizeable bump from one elementary campus in Anaheim.
Participating in a similar program called “The Great Kindness Challenge,” Walt Disney Elementary School in the Magnolia School District asked every one of its students and staff members to commit at least 50 acts of kindness over a five-day period earlier this year. They exceeded 7,000, earning certification as a school of kindness.
“There is so much kindness anyway because we’re a big PBIS school,” Disney Principal Teali Fielder told the Newsroom, “but I saw students helping each other that much more. They were escorting others to the nurse’s office when they needed help, providing extra support to the kitchen staff and demonstrating great sportsmanship.”
In addition, Fielder said her school raised money for children in Kenya and donated funds to improve water quality in Sudan.
Large and small, the kind acts keep pouring in. Here’s a sample of what’s been shared with us so far:
“Every Sunday, I visit a 90-year-old and bring her lunch. She is homebound. We just share conversation for a couple of hours.”
“I donated $100 to a family who lost their teenage son in a skateboard accident. The family did not have the money to pay for their son’s funeral.”
“Our students couldn’t afford to go to prom. So the staff and their friends donated to send them, 23 in all.”
“Staff, students and families at Corona Del Mar High School showed up to the final baseball game of the season to cheer on a special education senior and dedicated member of the baseball team. The other team helped by fumbling the ball so he could make his first home run.”
“During Circle Time in my classroom, one of my students became very upset and started crying. A sixth grade boy went and got her a box of tissues.”
“A high school student, and teen mother of three, donated her children’s outgrown clothing to other teen mothers at Anaheim Teen Parenting.”
“I tried to make my mom feel happy today, so I gave her a hug.”
“I offered to take a picture of a random group that was struggling to take a selfie along the sidewalk.”
“Our neighbor’s dog escaped his backyard and was walking around our street when his family was not home. My husband used a treat to lure the dog safely back into his backyard and he locked the gate.”
“I saw one of our students, a very popular boy, take time to play basketball with one of our more challenging special ed students.”
Don’t forget to contribute your acts of kindness! Simply visit the website www.kindness1billion.org and click on the designated button — there’s an option for schools and community organizations to submit multiple acts at once — or share them on social media using the hashtag #kindness1billion.