Random Acts of Kindness

Bag of Hope by Cindy Leacox

I’m not sure the origin of this but what a great idea!  

It’s possible in our day to day lives we may find ourselves thinking of others, or perhaps feeling like things are not going as planned.  It might be time to plan random acts of Kindness like a small bag of items – bag of hope.  A bag of hope contains thoughtful and useful items. 

Keeping a small bag of items (blessing bag or bag of hope or human kindness bag) with you that can be easily shared with people who are struggling gives us the opportunity to lighten hearts. It does not need to be expense nor grand. Get family members and friends involved so they share in the joy of expressing tangible compassion.  

Set a limit on what you want to spend on each blessing bag before shopping, so you remember the idea is about taking action and being kind.

Here are some suggestions of items to include in your bag that are inexpensive and available at discount places like the dollar stores.  Consider unscented or gender neutral or have different bags for male and female and maybe for children.

-       Seasonal items like warm socks, gloves, hats, rain poncho

-       Toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, wipes

-       Sanitary pads

-       Nail clippers and file

-       Brush or comb

-       Bandaids and maybe some other first aid items

-       Healthy snacks

-       Handwritten encouraging note (unsigned)

-       Possibly a small amount of cash, something like $5 

Brighten someone’s day and share joy and hope!

“In Brown Type: What our gazes say about how we view homeless people” by Jaya Padmanabhan in a Dec 11, 2019 article in the San Francisco Examiner.

I am sure you can add to the list; add comments to this post to continue the conversation.