Random Acts of Kindness
Saturday, February 17 is recognized as Random Acts of Kindness Day. Kindness can bring about positive change, improve someone else’s day and inspire other random acts of kindness on our campus and out in the community. We’re taking a look back at the Kindness Week we held in November, in partnership with the Columbus Foundation, through the eyes of our volunteers.
According to Senior Information Systems major Trent Schroeder, you don’t have to have money to be kind. It’s more about what you do and how you spend your time. With this attitude in mind, it’s no surprise that Trent accepted an invitation to participate in Kindness Week.
Without expectations or reservations, Trent decided to come along for the ride — literally — with Assistant Vice President for Student Life Tracy Stuck at the wheel and a team of other volunteers he had never met before. It was early that Tuesday morning, and Trent learned his mission on the way to Kroger with his new team. They would be shopping for the highest-need items at a local food pantry, and then delivering those items and spending some time at the volunteer site. “Kindness doesn’t have to be a big gesture or donation. The biggest takeaway is that the smallest gift of your time is still needed and a great resource.”
When Trent and his teammates arrived at the food pantry, he was surprised by how quickly items were flying off the shelves. Items were distributed almost as soon as they could roll their wagon-filled goods into the service site. Trent was able to see the work they had done come to fruition, meeting a community need. He also shared that the immersive, personal interactions he experienced that day made his act of kindness meaningful. Trent spent time thinking about other ways to become involved in community service.
Though Trent may not have had any expectations going into Kindness Week, his fellow senior and Ohio State Dance Team National Champion Madison Creps did have some ideas about how the random acts of kindness might play out. “I expected surprise from people because it was so out of the ordinary, and nothing like it had been done before at the places we chose to go. I went into it expecting to feel a little bit more connected to the community.”
Madi’s Kindness Week experience involved delivering flowers to a nursing home, sharing lunches at the North Market with nearby custodial staff and treating visitors to the Ohio State campus with surprise free parking passes. “I learned that time is a very valuable thing. We weren’t gone for very long, and our actions were short, but you could tell that the people we impacted [would remember it] for a long time.”
From the excitement and happiness shown by a nursing home resident, to a tear shed by an employee who joined in helping Madi’s kindness team, the emotional reactions have stuck with her the most.
“It was very humbling,” Madi said. “It was all-around a positive experience. I immediately felt uplifted and happy. It was kind of like an unstoppable, motivating, nothing-can-bring-you-down kind of thing. The first day, I left straight to give a presentation. Normally, I would have felt anxious or nervous, but having done these random acts of kindness, I felt like I had done something really important and I didn’t feel nervous at all. In a way, it set me up for success.”
Like Madi, Student Life’s friend, advocate and alum Dave Wilson had some thoughts about how the Kindness Week would go. Dave, who runs a marketing firm in New York, also anticipated astonishment. “I thought the ‘random act’ would have more of a surprise effect on people. It did for some, but not for others. Some people hesitated, but once they got past their barriers, they were surprised and thankful.”
Dave participated in sharing gift cards at a grocery store in a high-need area in the community, and he also worked with a table team to prepare bags of food at the Pack Shack service project — a partnership between Student Life, Athletics, the Ohio State Alumni Association and the Columbus Foundation.
Dave reflected on his experience, feeling that having participated in random acts of kindness he is now more likely to engage in them in the future. Dave feels that kindness really matters — and that it can be both very fun and deeply meaningful. Though Dave didn’t previously know the people he volunteered with at the event or during his random acts, he got to know them by the end of their time together and really enjoyed his conversations with Ohio State students.
Libby Riddell, who is involved in Greek Life and also an Interior Design major, was one of the students Dave met during Kindness Week. Libby appreciated the invitation to get involved, and enjoyed meeting other Buckeyes whom she might never have otherwise met. Libby shared that she feels proud to be a member of the Ohio State family, a community that values and initiates causes like kindness.
During her experience, Libby noted that some people questioned her motivations in sharing the gift cards — they almost couldn’t believe the randomness of a kind gift with no strings attached. Even though this was hard at times to experience, Libby shared that she still feels it is incredibly easy to be kind and she hopes to engage in more random acts of kindness.
Upon leaving their site, one of Libby’s teammates remarked that if she were to win the lottery, she would set aside a portion for random acts of kindness every month. This idea resonated with Libby, and it made her wonder, “Why do I have to wait to win the lottery? I can buy someone’s coffee once a month, or bring donuts to class. Those are little things that can make people happy, even on a college budget.”
The theme of making others happy through random acts also rang true for Amy Wittmann, local Ohio State alum and avid volunteer. Amy was involved in planning the entire Kindness Week, and also attended the acts of kindness almost every day. Whether she was helping to plan the large-scale volunteer event with the Pack Shack, delivering meals to emergency responders, visiting Nationwide Children’s Hospital or spending time with kids in a neighborhood after-school program, Amy always had a smile on her face. “I think people feel better when they do something for others,” Amy reflected on her experience. “When we visited the kids at the Gladden House and saw their faces light up, and what it meant to them to have snacks to take home, we really saw the difference we were making.”
Amy enjoyed getting to know the students she met during Kindness Week, and remarked that she has met some of the most incredible, dynamic, giving young people she has ever encountered through her volunteer experiences with Ohio State. According to Amy, “When you engage, it changes your whole mindset. Simple things make such a difference and you see the big picture. We can really make a difference.”
Want more inspiration for your own random acts of kindness? Hear more from these future Buckeyes:
