Note: In the October 2008 issue of Outlook magazine, Mid-America Union President Roscoe J. Howard III shared a dozen ideas for strategic acts of kindness. Here are further suggestions courtesy of Angie Joseph, Iowa-Missouri Conference:

Make floral arrangements for senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals, police stations, or shut-ins.

Adopt a student who needs a friend, checking in periodically to see how things are going.

Volunteer to be a tutor in a school.

Give your full attention and simply listen.

Merchants can donate a percentage of receipts for the week to a special cause.

Bring coworkers a special treat.

Students can clean classrooms for the custodian.

Buy a stranger a free pizza.

Sing at a nursing home.

Have a charity day at work, with employees bringing food items to donate.

Serve refreshments to customers.

Draw names at school or work, and have people bring a small gift or food treat for their secret pal.

Treat someone to fresh fruit.

Pay a compliment at least once a day.

Call or visit a homebound person.

Give free water bottles to motorists at stop signs.

Bring your neighbor a baked treat or stop by to say "Hello."

Say something nice to everyone you meet today.

Send a treat to a school or day-care center.

Wipe rainwater off shopping carts or hold umbrellas for shoppers on the way to their cars.

Give the gift of your smile.

If you are a teacher, send home a note telling parents something their child did well.

Adopt a homeless pet from the humane society.

Organize a service club to help people with packages at the mall or grocery.

Host special programs or speakers at libraries or bookstores.

Offer to answer the phone for the school secretary for 10 minutes.

Volunteer to read to students in the classroom.

Write notes of appreciation and bring flowers or goodies to teachers or other important people, such as the principal, nurse, custodian, and secretary.

Incorporate kindness into the curriculum at area schools, day care centers, or children's classes in faith organizations.

Give a hug to a friend.

Tell your children why you love them.

Write a note to your mother/father and tell them why they are special.

Write a thank-you note to a mentor or someone who has influenced your life in a positive way.

Give a treat to people on their way to work in the morning.

Give blood.

Visit hospitals with smiles, treats, and friendly conversation for patients.

Give another driver your parking spot.

Leave a treat or handmade note of thanks for a delivery person or mail carrier.

Give free car washes.

Clean graffiti from neighborhood walls and buildings.

Tell your boss that you think he/she does a good job.

Tell your employees how much you appreciate their work.

Let your staff leave work an hour early.

Have a clean-up party in the park.

Tell a bus or taxi driver how much you appreciate their driving.

Give a pair of tickets to a baseball game or concert to a stranger.

Leave an extra big tip for the waitperson.

Open the door for another person.

Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through.

Write a note to the boss of someone who has helped you, praising the employee.

Leave a bouquet of flowers on the desk of a colleague at work with whom you don't normally get along.

Call an estranged family member.

Volunteer to fix up an elderly couple's home.

Give flowers to be delivered with meal delivery programs.

Give toys to the children at the shelter or safe house.

Give friends and family kindness coupons they can redeem for kind favors.

Be a friend to a new student or coworker.

Renew an old friendship by sending a letter or small gift to someone you haven't talked with in a long time.

For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.

Offer to return a shopping cart to the store for someone loading a car.

Invite someone new over for dinner.

Buy a roll of brightly colored stickers and give them to children you meet during the day.

Write a card of thanks and leave it with your tip. Be sure to be specific in your thanks.

Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line.

When drivers try to merge into your lane, let them in with a wave and a smile.

Buy cold drinks for the people next to you at a ball game.

Distribute kindness bookmarks that you have made.

Create a craft project or build a birdhouse with a child.

Give a bag of groceries to a homeless person.

Laugh often and share your smile generously.

Plant a tree in your neighborhood.

Make a list of things to do to bring more kindness into the world, and have a friend make a list. Exchange lists and do one item per day for a month.

Use a one-use camera to take people's photographs at a party or community event, and give the camera to them.

As you go about your day, pick up trash.

Send a letter to some former teachers, letting them know the difference they made in your life.

Send a gift anonymously to a friend.

Organize a clothing drive for a shelter.

Buy books for a day care or school.

Take an acquaintance to dinner.

Offer to take a friend's child to ball practice.

Special projects for homebound persons (shut-ins).

Send cards or letters of appreciation to people you read about in the news who have done good deeds. Send kind thoughts to people you hear about in your community who have suffered a setback.

Provide homework help to younger relatives or neighbors.

Create art or crafts, such as quilts, afghans, or baby blankets, and donate them to be auctioned or given away by a nonprofit organization or group.

Sew comfort items for the police trauma unit or a children's hospital. Traumatized children and pediatric cancer patients appreciate small quilts or stuffed animals for cuddling. Chemotherapy patients often need head coverings.

Write a kind note to relatives and friends, letting them know why they are special.

Create photo albums for your family and friends to remind them of special times.

Help a neighbor or friend who has lost a job write a resume or cover letter.

Gather a collection of kindness stories from friends and relatives. Copy these stories and give the collection as a gift.

Communicate by e-mail with a friend, sharing kindness stories and your current kindness projects.


Angie Joseph is involved with lay evangelism training for the Iowa Missouri Conference.

This article was reprinted with permission from the Mid-America Union.