Random Acts of Kindness

My husband volunteers with our church's Youth Group, and last week, they had a Random Acts of Kindness evening. Before they began, the youth pastor gave the kids some books of Tim Horton's gift certificates. Then, my husband drove a group of kids around town while they did RAKs for people. I almost cried when my husband told me what some of the kids came up with to do for strangers. They went to Tim Horton's, stood at the till, and paid for people's coffee or donuts. They brought donuts to a needy family from our church. They did so much more, and my husband said they thought of all the things; he just drove them there. In this age when a lot of adults have such a negative opinion of teenagers, I thought it was so great that they were doing a positive thing. DH said that people were so thrilled and moved to have the teenagers help them.

So on that note, here is a list of RAKs that you can do for people (our youth pastor, Dade, gave us this list). I'm challenging myself to do some of them in the coming weeks. I challenge you to do the same! (By the way, our church is not sponsored by Tim Horton's, as you may think from this list! LOL! A lot of people at our church just like the coffee there!)

1. Collect non-perishable foods from your house and drop them off at the food bank bin at Safeway (or other grocery store).
2. Sing a Christmas carol at one of the seniors' centres in your area.
3. Give a stranger a Tim Horton's (or coffee) gift certificate.
4. Buy a cup of coffee for someone in line at Tim Horton's.
5. Pay for someone in the drive thru at Tim Horton's (or another restaurant).
6. Shovel a stranger's driveway.
7. Bring coffee and donuts to someone you know.
8. Give someone you know a phone call and give him/her a word of encouragement.
9. Go to someone in the church you know that needs prayer and pray for him/her right there together.
10. Write a thank you card to someone you know telling him/her something you appreciate.
11. Find a homeless person or someone in need and buy him/her a meal - sit down with him/her.
12. Help someone load her groceries into her car at the supermarket.
13. Offer to pump someone's gas.
14. Buy coffee and donuts for the police/fire department.
15. Find an area, parking log, fast food place, gas station, etc. and pick up the garbage on the ground.
    
16. Phone a teacher and thank him/her for doing such a great job with your children.
    
17. Tape a quarter to a pay phone with a note welcoming anyone who needs it to use it.
18. Leave some quarters in the pay shopping carts at Safeway (or other grocery store).
19. Offer to babysit for a busy mom and give her some time to herself.
    
20. Offer to do some housework for a busy mom.

These are just a few ideas. If you think of some more, please post them in the comments!
God bless!