World Kindness Day: What it is, and how to celebrate

1 hour ago

Han Cechini,

DELMARVA – November 13th marks World Kindness Day. With that, comes a new recognition for the City of Salisbury from the State of Maryland. Governor Wes Moore (D-Md.) has issued a state citation for the city in honor of the occasion, and its efforts to incorporate kindness into every day life.

Roots of Kindness

The day has been recognized since 1998, after citizens in Tokyo, Japan began the movement. Grace Foxwell-Murdock is a Kindness Commissioner for the City of Salisbury, and looks forward to it every year.

“I researched for a TED Talk that Salisbury had in 2016, and I found out all about the World Kindness Movement. That’s how Salisbury eventually became involved, by having our own kindness initiative … In 2019, we were granted the first World Kindness City USA designation,” Foxwell-Murdock said.

An Every-Day Effort

Foxwell-Murdock says World Kindness Day should be celebrated all year round. And, it doesn’t require any grand gestures.

“We certainly don’t want it to be just November 13th. It’s actually a week from the Monday to the Sunday. We want kindness practiced every day. One of the things that can be done is coworkers can simply put a bowl of candy in the break room,” Foxwell-Murdock said.

Another way to spread kindness, Foxwell-Murdock said, is to look around your community for neighborhood needs.

“Because we are in the midst of food shortages, I found something on the internet about gallon bag meals. They’re a full, hearty soup meal with directions. This is something a book club could do, a Scrabble club, an office. Anyone could make these gallon meals and donate tehm to the food bank,” Foxwell-Murdock said.

Another idea is to call area schools and asking what kind of donations they may need. Foxwell-Murdock also suggested handing out small gifts, like stress balls or cards.

“Any time you do an act of kindness, people are seen, and they know they matter,” Foxwell-Murdock said.