Creating a caring, more connected community — that was our plan for Nov. 4.

And from the sounds of things, it worked.

Since 2008, Random Act of Kindness Day has helped bring our community closer together by engaging citizens in small acts of kindness and generosity.

The message of the day is simple: do something nice for someone and ask nothing in return except that they perform an act of kindness for someone else.

Random Act of Kindness Day is about the small things, like taking the time to appreciate when someone does something thoughtful for us such as holding a door or returning a grocery cart. And it’s also about “paying it forward’’by doing something kind in return.

These actions are key to building a compassionate, caring and more connected community.

There are some in our community who may not know Random Act of Kindness Day was started right here by the Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation (KWCF). Or that the KWCF has helped to kick start it in other communities.

This year, Random Act of Kindness Day was also celebrated in over 25 other Canadian communities including Cambridge, Ayr, Guelph, Windsor, Essex, Brantford, Oakville, Listowel, Collingwood, Brockville, Niagara, St. Catherines, Grimsby, Milton, Kenora, Woodstock, the Yonge-Lawrence Village in Toronto, and Banff, Alberta — led by community foundations and organizations in those cities.

Stories are beginning to trickle in about the kind acts people did to celebrate Random Act of Kindness Day.  Things like bringing in treats for co-workers and donating hair to charity.

We’ve even heard about a young woman whose Halloween decorations were vandalized and how her neighbours gave her money to replace them — money normally collected each year in honour of Random Act of Kindness Day to purchase coffee for strangers.

To me, this day is better than Christmas — a time of the year when people traditionally reflect on the needs of others.

It’s better because together we are actively creating an empathetic community that cares about neighbours and strangers alike.

What did you do to celebrate Random Act of Kindness Day?  We want to hear your stories — visit www.kwcf.ca and click on Random Act of Kindness Day.

• • •

Rosemary Smith is the CEO of
The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation.
To learn more about The KWCF,
or Random Act of Kindness Day,
please visit www.kwcf.ca
or call 519-725-1806.