Acts of Kindness Ideas that are FREE

Some are new ideas, some are old, all will spread kindness and give you the opportunity to have a positive impact on your life and others.

1. Give compliments freely – try to give one a day, even to strangers.
2. Introduce yourself to a new neighbor and give them a list of area services/stores you recommend. Bonus, include a list of neighbors emails and phone numbers.
3. When someone is talking to you, truly listen. Listen to learn, don’t listen to respond.
4. Lookup a teacher who had an impact on your life and tell them how grateful you are.
5. Tell a manager/boss when their employee does something good.
6. Leave inspirational messages in random places, in a book/magazine, with a tip, in a dressing room, anywhere.
7. Smile at everyone, it’s contagious.
8. Forgive someone.  It releases the anger that you’ve got bottled up.
9. Let someone important in your life know why they are so important to you.
10. When you’re walking your dog, use a doggie bag to pick up any litter you see.
11. Give positive feedback to someone at work
12. When you see a homeless person, look them in the eyes, smile at them, and if you want, start a conversation with them.
13. Surprise your spouse/partner, write them a note telling them 10 things you appreciate about them.
14. Give someone you know a hug when they look like they are feeling down.
15. Send a thank you to someone in recognition of all the kind things they do and list a few examples.
16. Give 5 inspirational message cards to the toll booth person and ask her to pass them to the next 5 cars.
17. Visit a nursing home. Ask who does not get visitors and go talk to them. Ask them questions about when they were young.
18. Volunteer to walk dogs at your local humane society.
19. Volunteer to read books to kids at the local homeless shelter.
20. Don’t take offense. Treat all comments as well-intended instead of assuming the worst.
21. Send an inspirational rock to someone – find a river rock, write on it with a permanent marker.
22. Notice the housekeeper, building services person, garbage collector, restroom cleaner, etc – and thank them for their work “I want you to know I appreciate the work you do. Thank you.”
23. Help your elderly neighbor take out the trash, shovel snow, mow their lawn, etc.
24. Go plogging – pick up trash when you’re jogging.
25. Put inspirational sticky notes on mirrors where ever you go.
26. Give up your seat on a crowded bus or train.
27. Donate old towels and blankets to the local animal shelter.
28. Offer to babysit if a person is in need.
29. Help someone struggling with something heavy – bags, suitcases, boxes, etc.
30. Do the dishes, laundry or mow the lawn, when it’s not your turn.
31. Treat yourself to something that makes you happy. Self-kindness is important too.
32. Return someone else’s grocery cart.
33. Hand out inspirational message cards to people walking by.
34. Hold the door open for someone.
35. Walk a neighbor’s dog.
36. Offer a glass of water or juice to a service technician at your house or that you see working outside, especially on a hot day.
37. Have a best friend appreciation day. Tell them how important they are to you.
38. Tell your parents you love them.
39. Call your grandparents, just to talk.
40. When someone you know is sick, offer to do their grocery shopping.
41. Offer to give someone a ride home.
42. Remember friends who have lost a loved one. Check-in with them, ask them to tell you about the person who died. What favorite memory do they have? Share a memory if you knew their loved one.
43. Check-in with someone who lives alone, see if you can pick up something for them from the store when you go.
44. Sign up for Amazon Smile – it costs you nothing but earns money for the charity of your choice.
45. Offer to dog/cat sit for a friend.
46. Put a note in your child’s lunchbox. Can be a funny story, a note of encouragement or just, I love you.
47. Focus on the positive, really. If you find yourself starting to say something negative, stop. Find something good to say right then. It can change your mindset.
48. After a wedding (or party), donate the flowers to a local nursing home.
49. If someone asks what you want for your birthday, ask them to donate to an organization that you want to support.
50. Become a penpal to someone in need.
51. Send snail mail to someone. Most people only get bills and junk mail nowadays. Surprise someone, send a funny postcard.
52. Share with someone a joke or story that makes you laugh.
53. Join the Bone Marrow Registry.
54. Write a positive review when you’ve enjoyed a product/meal/stay. Share the positive.
55. Stop Gossip! When someone starts gossiping with you stop them and ask them three questions: First, do you know if what you’re saying is true or is it just something you heard secondhand and are passing on? Second, are you sharing something good about the person? Third, is it useful to me to know this?  If they can’t answer yes, it’s just gossip.
56. Donate some of your things – that you’re saving just in case – to people who need it
57. When you donate clothes put inspirational messages in the pockets.
58. If someone’s struggling with crying kids, see if you can be a distraction, make funny faces trying to get the kid to stop crying. If not, offer understanding to the parents.
59. If someone compliments you on a meal, copy the recipe and give it to them.
60. Conversely, if you love someone’s meal, let them know and ask for a copy of their recipe.
61. Stop your car to let a pedestrian cross the street.
62. Take the coupons you can’t use and leave them next to the items in the store for someone else to use
63. Become an organ donor.
64. So many boxes from online orders end up in landfills.  But your’s don’t have to.  Fill your box with clothes and household goods you want to donate, go to Give Back Box to get a mailing label and drop it at the post office.  When it’s received you’ll get a tax donation receipt.
65. Allow someone to help you. It makes them feel good to do this too!
66. If your partner/kids are going on a trip without you, plant notes in the clothes in their suitcase for them to find while they’re away.
67. Print out a picture of someone and snail mail it to them with a funny caption.
68. If you’re going out of town, leave notes for your spouse/kids to find while you’re away (on the pillow, in the shower, in the refrigerator, etc)
69. When you travel, collect the hotel toiletries (if you’re not using them) every day and make a “goodie bag” to give to a homeless person or donate them to your local homeless shelter.
70. Donate household goods, and hide inspirational messages in them.
71. Offer to take a photo for someone doing a selfie or a couple/group so no one is left out of the photo.
72. Offer to share your table with someone at a busy food court.
73. Befriend a lonely/shy person.
74. Play a game and free rice gets donated to needy people.  Win-Win!
75. Offer to help someone who is lost.
76. Keep an extra umbrella in the car, if you see someone walking in the rain, offer it to them.
77. Cook a little extra when you make dinner and share it with someone going through a rough time.
78. Compliment someone.  This is a duplicate because it’s free and so easy to do.
79. Make an extra sandwich and give it to a homeless person.
80. Donate used books and games to sick kids in hospitals.
81. Help an elderly neighbor with computer issues.
82. Bring in to the office leftover food to share.

Almost FREE – Acts of Kindness

83. See an expired parking meter?  Put a quarter in it.
84. At Christmas time, look for a giving tree (a tree with the name of a child and a wish for a Christmas gift) pick a tag and donate a gift.
85. Mail an anonymous gift to cheer someone up with an inspirational note.
86. Buy $5 or $10 gift cards to hand out to say you appreciate that person.
87. Leave a larger than normal tip.
88. Buy a chocolate bar/treat and then give it to the cashier.
89. Makeup “goodie bags” of travel-size toiletries to offer a homeless person.
90. Pay the toll for the person behind you.
91. Send a gift to someone, just because you were thinking of them.
92. Plant flowers in unexpected places.

Non-Profits that are Making a Difference. Consider donating to any that touch your heart.

94. Choose a needy child whose wish you want to make come true at One Simple Wish.
95. Medical aid where it’s needed most, Doctors Without Borders.
96. Chose a teacher or school to support thru Donors Choose.
97. Lend as little as $25 to create opportunity for people around the world at Kiva.  After a set amount of time, the debt will be repaid.
98. Support Conservation around the world.
99. Check out Room To Read who believes that world change starts with educated children.
100. Check out 4Ocean who’s mission is to stop the 8 million tons of plastic that enter the ocean each year.
     
     
     Here’s a smart way to donate:  At the beginning of each year, pick 12organizations that speak to your heart, then donate once a month to one on your list until you have donated to all of them. Start again in the new year, staying with the same charities or picking new ones. Decide how much you want to donate each year, divide it by 12, and send that amount.

 

Thank you for contributing kindness to the world.

 

* Matts Kindness Ripples On * 1B Canvassback Ct, Berlin, MD 21811 * MattsKindnessRipplesOn@gmail.com

MKRO, Inc is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

 

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