Groups Invited to Take Part in Day of Kindness Nov. 13
Alva Girl Scouts had a food drive at two local businesses last year for a Day of Kindness project to give what they collected to the Alva Food Pantry and the Northwest Family Services Meal-in-a-bag Project.ALVA, Okla. — Residents, schools, businesses, churches, civic organizations and other groups are encouraged to participate in the annual Day of Kindness in Northwest Oklahoma on Nov. 13, which coincides this year with World Kindness Day.
Groups planning a kindness project to give back to others and their communities are encouraged to register their activities soon so they can be included in the area’s list of projects. The Day of Kindness web page also includes a link to the local “Day of Kindness in NW OK area” Facebook group.
Northwestern Oklahoma State University personnel are leading the event locally for the sixth year, bringing together campus communities in Alva, Enid and Woodward and organizations and groups throughout northwest Oklahoma. The local effort is part of the larger Day of Kindness organized by United Way of Enid & Northwest Oklahoma.
“Questions and a few registrations are starting to come in, so we hope to hear from others planning to complete projects soon,” said Valarie Case, Northwestern assistant director of university relations and local Day of Kindness organizer. “Remember, it doesn’t cost anything to be kind.”
Project Ideas:
Projects can be as simple as picking up trash, raking leaves, washing windows, volunteering with a local organization, writing notes of encouragement or collecting nonperishable food and toiletries for the Alva Food Bank or Campus Cabinet food pantry and the Blessings Boxes.
Early childhood education major Harlie Williams, a junior from May, reads to a group of young people during a President’s Leadership Class project last year for Day of Kindness in Northwest Oklahoma. This year’s event is Nov. 13.Groups or individuals can also participate by helping with an existing community project. In Alva, the Alva Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 13 to help put up Christmas lights in downtown Alva.
Those willing to spend a little money can also participate through simple random acts of kindness, such as paying for someone else’s meal or purchasing an order at a drive-through for the person behind them.
“It’s just a good feeling to do something for someone else, randomly,” Case said.
Members of the Northwestern Student Government Association assembled and delivered goodie bags to members of the university maintenance and custodial staff as a Day of Kindness project last year.Past local projects have included writing notes of encouragement, offering cookies, hot chocolate or popcorn to others, placing inspirational messages on sticky notes around the Northwestern campus, delivering flowers or other treats to nursing home residents and local first responders, writing words of encouragement from college students to first graders, reading to children, volunteering at schools and community organizations, painting and displaying kindness rocks, businesses offering discounts on merchandise or meals for the day, and individuals or groups prepaying for drinks at local businesses.
Monetary Sponsors Needed:
Monetary sponsors are also needed to help cover the rising costs of food and supplies being purchased for various non-profit organizations. Sponsors may request that their funds be used to support projects in their local communities. Those interested in sponsoring the local effort can contact Case at vcase@nwosu.edu. Those interested in donating directly to United Way of Enid & Northwest Oklahoma to help purchase needed items for communities throughout the region can contact Dan Schiedel, CEO and executive director, at dan@unitedwayenid.org.
Photographs of Projects Needed
Participants are encouraged to photograph their projects from beginning to end and share their photos and stories on social media using #BeKindNWOK, as well as providing the images to Case to have visual representations of their projects. Organizers also welcome posts about random acts of kindness that participants witness or experience throughout the day.