Amongst phrases like ‘unprecedented’, ‘you’re on mute’, and ‘new normal’, ‘be kind’ had to be one of the most commonly used phrases of 2020.
But what does it actually mean to be kind?
'Kindness’ can span from smiling at a passing stranger in the street to donating a kidney, and be shown through infinite combinations of actions; big or small.
This Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17th), why not get involved?
Below are five ways you can ‘be kind’ while social distancing.
1. Have a wardrobe clear out
Fed up of saying the words “I have nothing to wear” but still own a wardrobe full of clothes that are virtually unworn? A great solution is to have a wardrobe clear out!
Get rid of those items cluttering your space (Marie Kondo would approve) while donating them to better homes, where they’d get the love and use they deserve.
If you have any friends or family members that share your style or clothes size, surprise them with a piece from your wardrobe. Or if you want to help your wider community, donate them to charity to be re-sold to raise funds for their vital causes.
With charity shops currently closed under Covid restrictions, clothing banks are a fantastic way to donate while socially distancing.
If you’re not sure where to find a clothing bank, you can find your nearest Salvation Army clothing bank using this finder. All good quality donations will go up for sale in their many nation-wide charity shops.
To help you decide what to give, read our blog on the Dos and Don’ts of clothing donations, and find Salvation Army’s list of items you can donate here.
2. Donate to local food banks
With most supermarkets providing a drop-off area near the checkouts for your donations, it’s never been easier for you to help.
If you have the means, on your next food shop why not budget £5 to see how much you can get for your local food bank? For the price of a coffee and a cake (depending on where you live) you could buy the some of the staple ingredients desperately needed by local families.
And if you’re not sure what to donate, that’s not a problem. Take a look at this list by Trussell Trust that outlines the items that go into its food parcels.
If you’re not keen on visiting a supermarket just yet but have some tins and non-perishables kicking around in your cupboards that you won’t need or use, why not donate them to local food banks?
You can use Trussell Trust’s handy find a foodbank tool to locate your nearest drop-off points.
3. Hit those like, comment, and share buttons
Acts of kindness, especially virtual ones, don’t have to involve money.
Doesn’t a kind comment on your Instagram selfie make your day? Doesn’t a "congratulations” on your LinkedIn post, Facebook update, or tweet fill you with warmth?
Why not spread the love by leaving nice comments on some of your friends’ and families’ posts when they appear on your timeline?
Why not share a small business’ page to help them reach a larger audience? Sometimes a small business’ next customer is not in their own social media feed, but in yours.
Why not share like and share a charity’s post to raise awareness of their cause?
We at Clothing Collective would certainly be grateful if you shared any of our blogs or social media posts! To share a blog, click the social media buttons at the bottom of the page or the three dots in the right-hand corner.
4. Volunteer 30 minutes of your time
Thirty minutes might not seem like much, but there’s no limit to the amount of good you can do in small chunks of time.
And in this digital age, it’s never been easier to get involved. Here are just a few quick and easy ways you can volunteer your time from home:
Download the Be My Eyes app to help ‘lend’ your eyes to blind and low-vision individuals across the UK. Through video chat, you can help them with tasks like checking expiry dates, distinguishing colours, or reading instructions, according to the Be My Eyes website.
Download the Freerice app by the UN World Food Programme (winner of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize) to generate funds for the programme as you play. While using this app, paid advertisements appear on your screen as you play various quizzes. 100% of the money raised from this goes towards the programme and helping families across the world.
If you can regularly spare up to an hour of your time, sign up to join Independent Age’s team of Telephone Volunteers or Omega’s A Letter from Louise penpal service to connect with and befriend those suffering from loneliness and isolation across the UK, putting smiles back on their faces.
If you can think of any other ways you’d love to get involved, a quick Google search is often all you need to find the right people and organisations for you!
5. Donate to a fundraiser that’s close to your heart
Sites like Just Giving and Go Fund Me mean that the power to help is always at your fingertips. You can give to anyone in the world from anywhere in the world, to any cause that’s close to your heart.
If you’re feeling generous, take a look through the fundraisers on these sites and donate as much or as little as you’re comfortable with.
At Clothing Collective, we greatly appreciate donations of all shapes and sizes, “every little counts.” You can find out more about where your funds go and what we do as a charity here, and donate to our cause here.
If you want to donate in a more tangible way, many charities such as children’s hospitals, pet shelters, and homeless charities have Amazon Wish Lists packed with items they desperately need.
Simply select an item from the list, add to your basket, and when checking out make sure you select their address and not your own!
Some Wish lists you could donate to are Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals, Wood Green Animals Charity, Crisis Homeless Charity, and Make-A-Wish, to name a few.
So, if there’s one thing to keep in mind, it’s that:
“There is no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” - Scott Adams
No matter how much or how little time, money, or commitment you can give, every act of kindness is invaluable in its impact.
Why not do something kind today?
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