World Kindness Week Kick-off: Brian Williams's "Making a Difference"
Submitted by Tina on Mon, 11/09/2009 - 09:47.
World Kindness Day is this Friday, November 13. This was the opening day of the first World Kindness Movement conference held in Tokyo in 1998. The purpose of World Kindness Day is to see ourselves as citizens of the world and work to achieve the goal of peaceful coexistence among all human relations and endeavors. Your call on this day is to make peace on a global or local level and promote joining instead of separation. Commit to kindness on this day and help break down the walls that separate races, religions, and cultures. You can help our global brothers and sisters starting here at home. I try to be thoughtful everyday, but this week I'll be making an extra effort in honor of World Kindness Week 2009, November 9-15.
Remember back in March when Brian Williams invited viewers to share stories of random acts of kindness to highlight some happier stories amid the economic chaos? They named the series "Making a Difference" and focused on volunteers, Good Samaritans, and public service. They have so many wonderful stories about everyday citizens making a huge difference. Well a couple weeks ago, the "Making a Difference" story was about a bicycle shop owner in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Taking his idea from the government's auto rebate program, he offered a $50 store credit towards a new bike if you donated your old one. The store then did the maintenance (re-worked the gears, fixed brakes, etc.) necessary to get the bike in working order, and even installed bells. He then donated the refurbished bikes to the Center of Hope's Bikes for Work program. This program designed to give bikes to those in need so they could get to work had been in danger of closing down.
Today, the first day of World Kindness Week, I am donating my bike (which I haven't ridden in at least 2 years) to the Houston Achievement Place. Inspired by this Making a Difference story I watched on the Nightly News, I encourage you to donate any mode of transportation you may have in your garage to assist another citizen in becoming mobile.
