February 17th (1995) is the perfect day to 'practise random acts of kindness and acts of senseless beauty'. This phrase - coined by Berkeley writer and activist Anne Herbert in 1982 [and featured on page 50 The Book of Visions, Institute for Social Inventions, 1992] - has spawned bumper stickers, the best-selling Random Acts of Kindness (Conari Press, 1993), and now National Random Acts of Kindness Day.
So pay the toll of the person behind you, shovel a neighbour's driveway, or offer flowers to a co-worker with whom you normally clash. You and your family can also get involved in some not-so-random events being planned around the country. In New York City, a 'kindness club' will be handing gifts to strangers on the subway. People throughout Dallas will exit their offices and join hands in the street at lunchtime. And children in many communities will be delivering 'baskets of joy' (full of donated goods or handmade items) to nursing homes, hospitals, and rehab centres. Organisers are currently seeking volunteers on all levels: state, regional and community.
Recent news - Random Acts of Kindness Week
The Random Acts of Kindness movement has now progressed to the point where there is a Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Foundation and a RAK week in every year. The movement has grown exponentially since 1995, and is now celebrated in parts of Canada, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Recent years have involved schools, churches, book stores, hospitals, youth organizations, and many assorted members of the public.
In the year 2000, the RAK week will be held in the week November 6-13, in order for it to coincide with World Kindness Week. The foundation continues to organise kindness events, including 'Cycling for Kindness', free breakfasts for pensioners and valentine card deliveries.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation can be contacted at 1801 Broadway, Suite 250, Denver, CO 80202 (tel 001 800 660 2811; fax 001 303 297 2919; e-mail: rakinfo@actsofkindness.org; web: www.acts of kindness.org).
See also the related article Practise random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty
Summarised from an announcement in New Age Journal (USA; Jan '95), monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights, although the Institute has no report of what in the event transpired in America on February 17th '95.
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