50 Ideas to Pay It Forward

 In Local

You may not know this but August 25th – August 31st is when the annual celebration of “Be Kind to Human Kind” week takes place. It’s a week when you can do things to try and make the world a better place. In fact, each day of the week has a theme:

  • pay it forwardMonday – Drive Courteously
  • Tuesday – Spread Kindness, One Heart at a Time
  • Wednesday – Offer a Helping Hand
  • Thursday – Treat Others Well
  • Friday – Come Together
  • Saturday – Say Something Nice
  • Sunday – Show Them That You Care

But you don’t really need a special week to make the world a little bit better. The little things you do and say on a daily basis can have a big impact on those around you. If you’re looking for some ideas on how you can pay it forward or share some random acts of kindness, here are 50 ways:

  1. Pay for someone’s coffee.
  2. Put money in a meter that is about to expire. 
  3. Leave a generous tip for a waiter or waitress.
  4. Hold the door open for someone behind you.
  5. Smile at a stranger.
  6. Clean out your closet and dressers and donate your clothes.
  7. Pay someone a compliment.
  8. Leave a copy of a great book at your favorite coffee shop for someone else to read.
  9. Send some bagels to your local fire department.
  10. Write a positive review for someone on Yelp.
  11. Spend some time visiting an elderly family member or neighbor.
  12. Volunteer time at your local animal shelter.
  13. Donate blood.
  14. Introduce yourself to a new neighbor and bring them a small welcome gift.
  15. Let someone in front of you at the grocery store who may only have a few things to check out.
  16. Offer words of encouragement to someone who may need it.
  17. Tell a funny joke to someone.
  18. Spend time with a child teaching them something new.
  19. Volunteer at a homeless shelter or in a local food pantry.
  20. Offer to babysit for a single mom or dad.
  21. Mail a card to someone out of the blue.
  22. Be a courteous driver.
  23. Fill the copy machine at work with paper.
  24. Before you throw something away, decide if you could reuse or recycle the item.
  25. Clean up trash in your local park.
  26. Set up a non-perishable food drive for your local food pantry.
  27. Send a positive text message to three different people today.
  28. Write a recommendation for a co-worker on LinkedIn.
  29. Let a store manager know when you receive great customer service from an employee.
  30. Bring extra pet food to your local animal shelter.
  31. Hide dollar bills in children’s library books.
  32. Put your phone away and provide someone with your undivided attention.
  33. Become a mentor to someone.
  34. Say “yes” to someone who asks for your help.
  35. Send a thank you note to a teacher who had a positive influence on you.
  36. Offer to take a photo for someone.
  37. Bring a plant or flowers to a neighbor.
  38. Put some money in a musician’s or performer’s cup.
  39. Make a charitable donation.
  40. Help someone carrying packages.
  41. Buy a homeless person a warm jacket or sleeping bag.
  42. Start a new pot of coffee at work if you take the last cup.
  43. Pay the toll for the car behind you.
  44. Let someone in front of you when traffic has to merge.
  45. Leave a gift card on the shelf at a local store where someone will find it.
  46. Say hello to someone in the elevator.
  47. Show some extra patience in a difficult situation.
  48. Bring some treats to your local library staff.
  49. Grab a friend, go for a walk, and let them do the talking.
  50. Tell your partner how much you appreciate them.

You don’t have to wait for “Be Kind to Human Kind” week to do something nice for someone. You can do it any time you want! Today is the perfect day to get started!

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