By Stephen DeAngelis
Consider the damage we are doing to our children as they watch the so-called culture war play out in the media. What lessons are they learning about how a society functions or how relationships should be built? National Random Acts of Kindness Day offers us a way to show them a different way to treat others, regardless of their religious or political views. The staff at Save the Children observes, “In a world that can always use more compassion, Random Acts of Kindness Day is a meaningful reminder of how small actions can make a big difference. … Random Acts of Kindness Day began in 1995 in Denver, Colorado, founded by the nonprofit Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. What started as a local initiative quickly gained momentum. By the early 2000s, the observance had expanded beyond the United States, inspiring people around the world to participate in acts of kindness within their own communities. Today, Random Acts of Kindness Day is recognized globally as a celebration of compassion, connection, and positive action.”[1]
According to the staff at Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, the full story about how the movement got started has a few twists. They write, “We finally sat down and pulled together what we believe is the most accurate version about the history of Random Acts of Kindness Day, which occurs annually on February 17th. We have been a bit elusive in our answer because, frankly, we didn’t know the whole story. There have been various anecdotes written, but nothing comprehensive.”[2] Below is the summary version of how the movement began:
“The Random Acts of Kindness movement started more than 40 years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1982 Berkeley writer and activist Anne Herbert published the first known account of ‘Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Acts of Senseless Beauty’ in a CoEvolution Quarterly. After her article appeared, the kindness movement began to spread in surrounding communities. Fast forward to 1991 when a local woman noticed the phrase scrawled across a warehouse wall in her neighborhood. She shared the phrase with her husband, a then 7th grade teacher, who decided to share it with his students. One of the kids happened to be the daughter of a San Francisco Chronicle columnist, who then wrote about Anne Herbert and the phrase. The article was picked up nationally by Reader’s Digest and later reprinted by the editors of Conari Press, a small press in Berkeley, California. Inspired by the phrase and the people involved in the movement, the editors at Conari Press published a book highlighting stories of kindness. The book, aptly titled Random Acts of Kindness, was published in February 1993 and was immediately embraced by hundreds of thousands who helped continue the movement. Readers of the book and admirers of the phrase began creating local ‘Random Acts of Kindness Days’ in mid-1993. In February of 1995, the first national Random Acts of Kindness Day took place with participants coast to coast. As a gift to many grassroots organizations, Conari Press funded and facilitated the kickoff year. Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (RAK) was created in 1995 in the Bay Area to facilitate future celebrations, always taking place in February during Valentine’s Day week. RAK was purchased soon after by a private foundation and moved to Denver, Colorado where it is located today.”
The best thing about helping celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day is that everyone — regardless of where they live, what they do, or how well off they are — can participate and feel better for having done so. The Save the Children staff suggests a few ways to perform random acts of kindness you might want to consider. They include complimenting a stranger; donating blood; visiting a senior home and delivering a surprise; donating anonymously to a charity (they would certainly welcome the gift); sending an encouraging email to a colleague; taking someone to your favorite place; praising a local business or service provider online; organizing a community cleanup; writing positive messages on sticky notes and leaving them for others to find; and volunteering at a local charity, homeless shelter, animal shelter, or other non-profit organization.
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation hopes that the emotional lift you get from performing a simple act of kindness for another person will inspire you to make acting kindly a normal part of your day throughout the year. That’s why the foundation’s motto is “make kindness the norm.” Writer Cassidy Rush reminds us, “We all know the feeling of a bad day turning around because of a small gesture. Maybe a stranger held the door for you, or a coworker brought you a coffee when you were stressed. These moments remind us that we are connected. Random Acts of Kindness Day is a special time dedicated to celebrating these moments. It encourages us to step out of our daily routine and do something good for others without expecting anything in return.”[3]
There are few things in this world that cost you nothing but a little effort yet bring you immense returns on your investment. Acting kindly is one of those things. Rush concludes, “Kindness is like a muscle. The more we use it, the stronger it gets. By making small, intentional choices to be generous and patient today, you help create the kind of world we all want to live in. So, look around you. Who needs a smile, a hand, or a kind word? You might be surprised at how much power you have to brighten someone’s day.” We all know the idiom “actions speak louder than words.” If you want your children to grow up to become kind and compassionate individuals, show them how it is done.
Footnotes
[1] Staff, “Celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day 2026,” Save the Children.
[2] Staff, “The History of Random Acts of Kindness Day - February 17th,” Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.
[3] Cassidy Rush, “Random Acts of Kindness Day 2026: Simple Ways to Make a Difference,” Remitly, 12 January 2026.
