In 2018, my daughter and I are on a mission to spread kindness throughout our community and world as part of our 12 Months of Kindness Project. Each month, we select a charity or activity that makes where we live a better place. Our acts of kindness may be small, but many small actions combined is what we believe changes the world. Join us by starting your own 12 Months of Kindness Project and keep it going year-round.

Earlier this month, I parked my car at a local spin studio just before 6 a.m. for a 60-minute sweat session. As I was about to walk inside, I noticed a man on the side of the building huddled against the concrete wall. It was about 48 degrees outside (colder than normal here in Florida), and he was without a blanket. In that moment, I wished I had something meaningful to give him. Not money that could potentially be used in an unproductive way; but real support and hope. I wanted to give him something that let him know there are people who care about him in the world and that empower him to seek assistance to improve his situation.

Every morning when my alarm goes off at o’dark thirty to work out, I don’t wonder if there will be a roof over my head or a blanket covering my body. I don’t wonder if there will be food to eat or water to drink when I get back. I don’t wonder if I’ll have heat to stay warm in the winter or air conditioning to keep my family and me cool in the summer. On any given night in the city and county where I live, more than 1,500 people are facing the same situation as the man near my spin studio, including 20 percent who are under the age of 18 without a home (source). These seemingly simple blessings that are easy to take for granted are missing for too many men, women and children in my community and across the country.

As part of our 12 Months of Kindness Project, Baby rUnladylike and I went to our local grocery store and purchased $100 of non-perishable food and daily care items.

We divided the items up, evenly filling six two-gallon Ziploc bags with supplies. My daughter helped me drop the items into each bag as we sorted and filled them.

We put three in my car and three in my husband’s car so the next time we see someone in need, we can give that person something useful to make their day a little brighter and assist with practical daily needs.

How Can You Help?

Consider making care bags to keep in your car to provide to individuals who are currently homeless in your area. Download the below shopping list for thought-starters of what you can include in your bag. This is by no means prescriptive, but it is what we chose to include in our bags this month. Or, consider making a donation to a local charity that supports your homeless population to help people get back on their feet.

In case you missed it, see what we did in January.