I am beyond thrilled today to announce the 2nd annual wit & whimsy Kindness Campaign designed to Spread Kindness & Joy for the month of December (aka #SpreadKindnessSpreadJoy.) Last year’s introduction of the campaign was a true highlight of the year for me and I cannot wait to see what we all do this year together!
Last year this idea was born out of the realization that during this time of year so much of the world (and especially the world of blogging) is focused on commercialism and buying. So I wanted something that would have a different focus and would give back.
2019 wit & whimsy Kindness Campaign:
Between now and the end of the month I’m hoping you will once again join me in spreading kindness and joy through small actions. Below I’ve compiled a bunch of thought-starters to get you thinking. But it can really be any act of kindness and joy. Small! Large! Whatever it is it counts! It can involve monetary donations or acts or things that cost only time. My hope is that this goes far and wide and creates a ripple effect in every community where you – a wit & whimsy reader – resides. And that all of our acts together go far and wide in spreading positivity this holiday season.
I know this is such a busy time of year but I’m hoping we can all carve out a moment or two for an act! Last year I was so filled with joy seeing the comments come in and the tags on social as people did their acts. My heart grew ten sizes in the month of December last year I am quite sure.
How it Works:
- Complete your good deed! Need inspiration? See below!
- Come back to this post and share it in the Comments section below. (I will pin this post to the slider on the home page just under the wit & whimsy logo so you can easily find it!) Why share your act? 1. I want to celebrate you and the good you’re spreading! but 2. because I will be once again making charitable donations of $500 to causes important to several randomly selected participants. (This year I’ll be doing 5 at $100 each vs. one $500 like last year). More acts = more entries!
- Optional: Share your act on Instagram to spread the word and inspire others! And tag me @meghandono + use the hashtag #SpreadKindnessSpreadJoy so I can see what you guys are out there in the world doing. So why tag me? I’ll be sharing some of mine + some of yours on my Stories and there’s some prizes in store (read on below)! (*Just be sure to also note your act in the Comments section of this blog post so I can include it as an entry if you’re interested in potentially having your favorite charity get a donation!)
This year in addition to the charitable donations, I have also teamed up with several of my favorite brands to send participation gifts to some of those sharing their good acts and tagging me on Instagram / Instagram Stories @meghandono. The items this year are SO good! Goodies from Everlane! Ann Taylor! Ilia! Bastide! Nest Fragrances! Talbots! Clarisonic! Follain! Otherland! And more! Moreover, I’ll be sharing the items on Instagram Stories and announcing the winners there (and via email), too.
Last Year’s Winner:
Last year, Ann F. was selected at random following the campaign and I donated $500 to her charity of choice: Good+Foundation. I asked Ann if she wouldn’t mind sending along a testimonial as to why she chose her foundation and I was so touched by her note as I hope you all are:
“When Meghan told me that I won the Spread Kindness, Spread Joy campaign I was beside myself. How would I choose just one charitable organization to spread $500 worth of kindness and joy? Throughout the holidays we were making donations on behalf of our family and friend’s children to such amazing organizations that I wanted to be able to continue to contribute to all the wonderful causes. When it came down to it, the Good+ Foundation is an organization my family and I donate to on a monthly basis. Good+ “works to dismantle multi-generational poverty by pairing tangible goods with innovative services for low-income fathers, mothers and caregivers, creating an upward trajectory for the whole family.” What I really appreciate about this foundation is that it takes the whole family into consideration.
After having our son, Patrick, in 2016 all the clichés became so true. I want to give him everything and more, but at the same time, I want him to be able to ask for help and to seek out help when needed. By supporting the parents and caregivers, we are giving children the best opportunities to make an impact on this world. It is true, children are our future, and I feel that Good+ is creating a foundation by serving parents in order to let children, and families, flourish.
$500 can provide a family with 15 packs of diapers and wipes, board books, a crib, a car seat, a stroller, a front carrier and a safety gate. I can’t imagine not being able to provide the basics for Patrick. It brings light to the fact that there are many people who cannot provide these necessities. A friend recently told me that as long as my child is fed, loved, and safe, I’m doing my job. It helps me when I feel like I’m failing as a parent (which I feel like I am almost everyday), but is that really true? Maybe once the basic needs are met, but these parents are struggling with far greater issues, and as a family, we want to support these families and lift them up.
If you want to contribute, you can give money, goods, and/or time. You can also set up a fundraiser which is what we did for Patrick’s second birthday. We raised $500 for his birthday, and I put a note in his keepsake box letting him know what good he started to do at such a young age, and I can only hope that he continues to grow and spread kindness and joy for years to come. Meghan has used her platform to give all of us a platform to do good, and I cannot imagine a better gift.”
This community gives so much to me every day and I hope to be able to make an impact on each of your communities by this little movement throughout this month. And, if you’re up for it, email this post to your friends + family so we can keep the kindness and joy spreading.
#SpreadKindnessSpreadJoy Thought Starters:
- Run an errand for a friend or loved one.
- Visit a nursing home.
- Babysit a friend or loved one’s children for a few hours so that they can accomplish something on their to do list.
- Give a stranger a compliment.
- Send some snail mail to loved ones.
- Bring baked goods to your office for a morning or afternoon sweet treat.
- Buy several Starbucks cards with $10-$15 on them each. Hand them out during the month as you see someone who may benefit from a little pick me up.
- Frame and gift a photo for a friend or loved one.
- Buy extra cans of food on your next grocery run and donate them to a food bank.
- Clean out your closets and donate the items you’re parting with.
- Sign up for a volunteer opportunity.
- Visit GoFundMe and donate to a cause or two that touches your heart.
- Pick up the tab on a stranger’s coffee order.
- Research a new charity to donate to.
- Help teachers out with donations via Donor’sChoose.
- Surprise your mailman/FedEx delivery person/doorman/garbageman/etc with a baked good or Amazon gift card.
- Send a care package to an unsuspecting someone in your life.
- Leave a more than 20% tip for great service.
- Shop small and support small businesses.
- Buy a small gift for a friend just because. Include a card that notes their best attributes.
- Give a homeless child a gift via Covenant House.
- Leave sticky notes with kind words on your co-workers desk.
- Give a gift card to someone in need.
- Host your friends for a night of togetherness and ask everyone to donate $20 to a favorite charity instead of doing a white elephant gift exchange.
- Surprise a friend by donating to a charity they like in their name.
- Send supplies and gifts to St. Jude’s to distribute to those in their community in need.
- Donate books to your local library.
- Buy and donate toys.
- Shop Amazon while donating via Amazon Smile.
- Sponsor a family in need via Family to Family.
I also wanted to spotlight a few causes that wit & whimsy readers shared are of importance to them should you care to support any of these this month. (Thank you to those of you who took time to share causes close to your heart!)
- National Headache Foundation
- Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS
- Everytown for Gun Safety
- Planned Parenthood
- Rescue4All
- Preemptive Love
- Sundara
- Accessible YOUniverse
- Alex’s Lemonade Stand
- The Letter Project
- Minds Matter
- American Cancer Society
So what do you guys say…will you join me in spreading kindness and joy this month?
I can’t wait to see what we all do together!
Love this! At work I am coordinating a toy drive for an organization that assist homeless children in the Boston area. Since this is a time of giving and spending it’s an important reminder to spread kindness too! I have a lot of books that I have been meaning to donate so this is a good push to get those donated as well 🙂
Amazing! These are great, Rebecca! I, too, will be donating books this season that I’ve had piling up!
I’ve put a basket of drinks and snacks on my porch with a note for the delivery people to help themselves and I donated to several charities – Heifer International. Save the Children, World Vision, Doctors without Borders, and SPCA. I also donated canned food and socks along with my church to supplement our local food pantry.
What a lovely idea, Kathy! Thank you so much for sharing your good deeds! You’re spreading so much love in your community.
This is such a great idea! I love things that encourage giving back especially during the holiday season this is so awesome!! I’m a social work intern at a school and we have a program that gives Christmas presents to low income families and it is so fun to make the magic of Christmas happen for these students!
Xo, Kelsey
http://www.petiteinherheels.blogspot.com
Aw, Kelsey – thank you so much for sharing!
I was told that older children often do not get their wish fulfilled because people are more prone to giving to younger children . This year I fulfilled a girl’s gift for new sneakers . Her story is that she’s been bullied at school and is just trying the best she can. Through fulfilling her wish list, I hope she realizes that there are people out there who cares for others and that the world is not such a horrible place.
This is something I wasn’t aware of but certainly makes sense – I LOVE that you gave this girl the gift of a new pair of shoes which will no doubt boost her confidence. Thank you for sharing, Trinity!
At the start of this season and just yesterday, I donated to BCEFA! It has to be one of my favorite orgs to donate to because they bring healthcare, support, and necessities to those who need it living with an incurable infectious disease. They also help their families! As I was donating, I received kindness back as BCEFA partners with broadway casts to record “Carols for a Cure,” a holiday album! I love that they spread kindness back each holiday season!
xx Libby
I’m so glad you brought this cause to my attention, Libby! Thanks for sharing your good deed!
Today I went into Panera and noticed a homeless woman sitting outside. In line I thought of this campaign and ordered an extra meal. I dropped it off to her on the way out with a candy cane 🙂
Amazing, Katie!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Love this campaign! This year I participated in a toy drive at work to fulfill the wish lists for the foster children in our state. One of my coworkers mentioned to keep in mind that foster kids usually put their belongings in bags to move to new houses, which was a powerful reminder during this season. I’m glad to be part of bringing a little bit of joy to the child we got gifts for.
Love this! Thank you for doing this good!
Love this idea! I set out a basket with healthy drinks and snacks for the delivery men and postal workers. It was great watching them come and grab a snack. They were so appreciative!!
Absolutely love this idea! Someone else commented they did something similar. So simple + so appreciated no doubt! Thank you so much, Rory!!
Volunteered at the senior center today! Helped check folks in for their weekly community meal and chatted with them about holiday plans.
Amazing! So wonderful, Emily! Thank you for sharing!
I just purchased a gift off the Amazon wishlist set up by nonprofit, New Alternatives for Children. I sent Jayden a Magic set (what he asked for) because every child should be able to open a gift this holiday!
Yay! I love this! Thank you for making Jayden’s Christmas!
I donated a big fuzzy blanket to my grad school’s blanket drive to make sure that the homeless in San Francisco can stay warm this winter season. Thanks for starting this campaign its so inspirational to see what everyone else is doing this holiday season 🙂
Yay! I know that population is so in need. Thank you for participating!
This past November marked the second anniversary of the death of my absolute best friend since childhood. He passed away very quickly and unexpectedly, and it’s created a huge void in my heart. We met at our church’s summer camp years ago, also helping out in the resale shop and food pantry (that is in dire need right now). Inspired by this incredible campaign and my friend’s giving heart, I went to the grocery store and filled up a cart to donate in his name. I hope these simple items, that we can sometimes take for granted, can provide families with joy and full tummies this holiday season.
Oh Martha, what a beautiful gift you’ve given in your friend’s name. He is no doubt looking down smiling. Thank you so much for sharing this tribute <3
Love this campaign! Tonight I have invited a friend over for dinner while her husband is out of town and will also be putting together a care package for a friend at a crossroads in life as soon as baby’s down for the night. Sending big hugs out to you Dono!
xx, Kelsey
The loveliest gesture! Thank you so much for participating, Kelsey!
Incredibly inspiring – this is so wonderful!
Through my small business, I donate 30% of my proceeds to local animal shelters, and this afternoon donated a bag of personal hygiene items to a homeless shelter through my local Sprouts market. I also shared my Sprouts donation on my Instagram to hopefully draw attention to the Kindness campaign and spread the word!
wow! Jessica, that is incredibly generous of you!! thank you so much for sharing!!
The other day, I made a few batches of cookies, and dropped them off with a thank you note to the fire station right next to my apartment complex! The boys were very appreciative of the treats, and it was fun to meet some of the local guys who keep us safe 🙂
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season, Meghan!!
xx Libby
Absolutely the loveliest gesture! Thank you for sharing, Libby!!
This has given me some really good ideas this season! Bought Christmas gifts for little boys to donate through our church, families that can’t afford presents then come shop for their kiddos and give the gifts themselves! Have been leaving out treats for delivery drivers, and got a special gift for my favorite UPS driver! Made goodies to hand out at work and to our neighbors, as well as my usual coworker gifts. Made extra year-end donations to my usual charities. Sent money for Christmas gifts for the two little girls I sponsor in Africa and India through World Vision and Compassion! Handed out some homeless bags we make with our church (water and snacks) to some people living on the streets near our home. Took a meal to some friends who just adopted a baby! So exciting. There has been so much good done because of this campaign, Meghan! You should be proud 🙂