RAOK Week - Day 6 & 7

Welcome to Day 7 of Random Acts of Kindness Week! Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 & 5.

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.  ~Lao Tzu

Well, we made it to the last day of RAOK Week! I hope you've been able to get out and share some kindness not only with your loved ones but with strangers too. Instead of going out today we're going to stay in while still working towards our favorite causes.

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Are you familiar with Free Rice? It's completely free and fun. Simply click on the correct answer and for each one you get right 10 grains of rice is donated to United Nations World Food Program. The more you get right the more rice that's donated. Oh yeah, as a bonus your vocabulary improves. :-D

There are many "free click" sites out there that make a donation when you make one click each day. Nice Things To Do created a one stop shop listing these sites for hunger, children, fighting cancer, education, women, and the environment. All you have to do is go to the website, click on the button, and they make a donation. Free and easy! Instead of wasting time on Facebook or reading depressing news - yeah, I do it to!  - you can click for a cause.

I also want to share another cause that is near and dear to me, Kiva. I'm sure you've heard of them but you may not realize how easy it is to make a loan and change a life. What I love about Kiva is that you can see who your loan is going to (you pick the individual/group) and that when that loan is repaid you can then loan those funds to another individual. That $25 keeps on giving.

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There are so many ways you make a difference:

- Don't throw away, recycle.
- Give the gift of life, become an organ donor
- Collect canned goods to donate to your local food bank
- Donate blood
- Bring a bag of dog or cat food to your local animal shelter
- Open you home and heart by adopting a rescue pet
- Open the door for a stranger
- Pay the tab for the next customer
- Say, "Good Morning." to a stranger
- Leave a generous tip when dining out
- Let the next person go ahead of you in line
- When you're heading into Target and you see someone finished unloading their cart, take the cart off their hands
- Leave a positive comment on your favorite blogs
- Read a book for children at storytime at your local library
- Clean out your closets and donate the used clothing
- Leave change in vending machines for the next customer

I've really enjoyed doing the RAOK this week and was so inspired by the kindness birthday mission that Becki of Whippy Cake carried out a few years ago that I've made a list of my own. I'll be 36 in May so that's 36 acts of kindness to complete. Yes, in one day!

Love to all,

RAOK Week - Day 4 & 5

Welcome to Day 5 of Random Acts of Kindness Week! Day 1, Day 2, & Day 3.

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.  ~Aesop

I'm a day late on posting. I'm reading a really good book that I can't seem to put down. :-D

My Day 4 RAOK was leaving a jug of laundry detergent and a couple dollars in quarters at a laundromat for someone to find. It would have been fun to hang out there to see the look on their face.

Today's RAOK is starting a piggy bank for a cause. Ok, it's really a cup not a piggy. A casino token cup from Vegas but I digress.

So I recently realized that when you use the Coinstar machines that you find at the grocery store and at Walmart, you can donate the change to a cause. It's called Coins that Count and they've partnered with American Red Cross, Change Making Change, Children's Miracle Network, Feeding America, Jumpstart, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, UNICEF, and World Wildlife Fund. What an easy way to donate!

Go here to find the nearest Coinstar location.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hugs,

  

RAOK Week - Day 3

Welcome to Day 3 of Random Acts of Kindness Week! Day 1 and Day 2.

Today I want to tell you about an organization that is near and dear to my heart. I briefly mentioned the Mother Miracle School in a previous post; Yoga, India, and Unfolding Creatively. In November of 2010, I embarked on a trip of a lifetime to India, a place I had dreamed of visiting for as long as I could remember. While in Rishikesh, a sacred town located about five hours north of Delhi, I was able to visit Mother Miracle and meet with the precious students that attend the school.

A few months before my trip I had started sponsoring, or being "friends" as the school likes to say, a gorgeous little girl around my son's age at Mother Miracle. I was introduced to the school after the group lead for the trip (it was a yoga retreat) had shared with us the wonderful work Mother Miracle does for their community and informed us that we would have an opportunity to visit and meet our sponsored child while in Rishikesh. Manju is the beautiful and bright girl that I sponsor and was able to meet and spend some time with.

One of the things that our group lead mentioned before the trip, something that never would have occurred to me, was to bring a Polaroid camera if you can get your hands on one. He shared that most of the children have never held a picture of themselves before. What? I looked around my home at all the pictures I have up of family and friends, including myself, but these kids don't have the same "luxury?" Before I departed I was able to purchase a camera and film from Amazon and that was the best decision I ever made!

I was like a celebrity to the excited kids as they lined up to have their picture taken and then get to walk away with the picture that magically develops moments later. A picture of themselves. I enjoyed that time so much and was saddened when the extra film eventually came to an end. Later, the group lead asked me with a knowing smirk, "So tell me, who do you think enjoyed that more, you or the kids?" As much as the kids were thrilled, my heart runneth over with more happiness than I knew what to do with. That time ranks in the top three happiest moments of my life.

If you would like to learn more about Mother Miracle and their work with underprivileged children, community development programs, or to sponsor a child please visit their website.

Shanti (peace),

Wishcasting Wednesday: What do you wish for the world?

Thanks for joining me for this week's Wishcasting Wednesday. If you'd like to join this magical circle of dreamers and doers, please visit Jamie Ridler Studios.

This week's prompt:
What do you wish for the world?
 

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I wish for kindness and understanding among the people of the world. I wish for peace and love to be expressed and shared. I wish for people to feel safe, warm, and have full bellies. I wish for no person in the world to go without their basic needs being met.

This is Random Acts of Kindness Week. Check out my posts for Day 1 and Day 2 for ideas on how to make a difference in your community and beyond.  

XOXO,

Amanda

RAOK Week - Day 2

Welcome to Day 2 of Random Acts of Kindness Week! Day 1 here.

A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.  ~Winnie the Pooh

Since it is Valentine's Day, it's the perfect day to show some love to those near and dear to you that you may overlook. Namely your coworkers, your pets, and yourself.

Today I showed kindness to my coworkers by sharing a special baked Valentine's treat. I showed kindness to my pups by providing them with a spa day...okay, a trip to the groomers and getting them new bones. And myself...who says we can't buy ourselves flowers? :-D

I also learned about She Loves Bubanza Valentine's Project and purchased an identification card for a woman in Bubanza, Burundi (Eastern Africa).

“As far as the world was concerned, they did not exist. With no official record of their existence they could claim no rights, no representation, no residence or real home. For all intents and purposes they were invisible … exiles in their own land living in the shadows of Burundian society.”

Just $12 can buy an id card, something basic and essential. Visit the link above for more info.

Lots of Love,

RAOK Week - Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of Random Acts of Kindness Week! I have to say that it was a tough day. I believe I'm a kind person but when I really watch what I say, do, and think; I realize that not all of my thoughts are honorable. It is Monday...

Today my RAOK was delivering blessing bags to the local homeless shelter. If you're on Pinterest you may have seen this image pinned and repinned:

image courtesy of Joy's Hope

I was intrigued and clicked on it to learn more. It takes you to the website KWAV (Kids with a Vision) which details various items that can be placed in the bags and handed out to the homeless. Genius! I thought this would be the perfect project to begin Random Acts of Kindness Week.

I picked up the supplies over the weekend hitting up the Dollar General to get more bang for the buck. I bagged each one and added a note with a scripture (printed from Sweet Blessings). Instead of handing them out on the street I went to our homeless shelter, Panama City Rescue Mission, and gave the box to the coordinator who then handed them out. I was still there so I was able to see how excited everyone was to get a bag. It felt so good. I wasn't able to make as many bags as I would like so I will definitely make a part two to this.

In case you were wondering what went into the bags:
toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, soap, chapstick, bandaids, deodorant, granola bars, raisins, applesauce, pack of gum, and a bottle of water in a gallon size ziplock

I also wanted to share this Kindness 101 video with you in hopes that it makes you giggle with happiness like I did watching it. :-D

Have a beautiful day!

Random Acts of Kindness Week

Random Acts of Kindness Week begins tomorrow, Monday the 13th and continues until Sunday the 19th. I’ll be posting a RAOK post each day sharing what I did that day to spread a little love and offer some ideas for you to perform your own RAOK.

If you have a moment, visit the Random Acts of Kindness website or their Facebook page. I went through their “Kindness Ideas” tab and brainstormed some of my own to come up with a list of RAOK for the next seven days.

Every little selfless act you put out into the world creates a ripple effect. Never doubt that one small action can make a difference.

And if you don't believe me, check out this video on a "magical" chain reaction of kindness in Philly diner. Beautiful!

With kindness,