Sukkot 5781 Virtual Chesed Day #1

Even if you are seeing this after October 6, 2020, we encourage you to still consider selecting some of the 30 ideas below and commit to doing them as the world can always use more kindness and it can positively impact you and many others. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every person in the world and as a result many are not able to celebrate Chol HaMoed Sukkot the way they had hoped.  Sukkot is refereed to as Zman Simchatenu, a time of joy, happiness and celebration.  One way to experience joy is to bring joy to others.  Through these acts of kindness, you will impact yourself and many others.

Here is how it works:

• At this time each community has different rules, regulations and restrictions.  You must follow all federal and local mandates and select items that meet your areas guidelines.
• Please bear in mind that the suggestions below are just that, merely suggestions and you can come up with your own ideas as well.
• Select an idea, two or three from the list below.
• The list has ideas that you all able to do now safely while maintaining physical distancing, following all protocols and guidelines and while still meaningfully helping and impacting others.
• Consider creating a Kindness Challenge – similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge- where you video you and your family doing an act of kindness and tag or mention 3 other people or families that you nominate to follow your lead.  If you do this, we suggest completing the Kindness Challenge within 3 days.  Post your video on social media and be sure to tag @Areyvut and use #KindnessChallenge or #CoronaKindness in your posts.
• You can send any pictures or video clips to us at [email protected].
• The day is dedicated in honor of the medical staff and first responders and their herculean efforts -every day over the last six months they have been on the front lines of this pandemic- and in the merit of a speedy and complete recovery for all those currently suffering from COVID-19.
• We encourage you to use these ideas well beyond today.

Sukkot 5781 Virtual Chesed Day #1 Ideas

1. Reach out to an old friend and reminisce about a time you both shared together. Memories can recreate special moments and set the path for new ones.
2. Surprise a friend with a small token of appreciation. It is not the value of the gift, it’s the knowledge that someone is thinking of you.
3. Donate to a local charity that is near and dear to your heart. We only truly have what we give away.
4. Encourage a sibling or family member to keep on keeping on.
5. Quiet the mind. Take some time with yourself.  In the silences we tend to find resolution.
6. Take the time to clean up around your house, your school or dorm room. Kindness is found oftentimes in the simplest of gestures.
7. Make that call. The one you have been putting off. Whether it is work related or personal, take the time to be honest and connect with that someone in your life you’ve been avoiding.
8. Engage in a fun hands-on kindness activity. We have 52 projects you can choose from here, https://bit.ly/KC42020.
9. Step out of your comfort zone and engage in conversation with one person today you would normally overlook.
10. Tell your parents how much you love them. Whether they are alive or have passed – honoring your parents never ends.
11. Practice patience and it is a virtue with unlimited benefits.
12. Speak kindness. Be mindful of the words you share and the tone in which you share them.  Ask yourself, how can my words speak life into the heart of another.
13. Give a genuine compliment to someone today and look them in the eye when you say it.
14. Look around for opportunities to perform small acts of kindness. Chances to be kind are all around us.
15. Learn a great joke and share it with others you meet throughout the day. We can all use a bit more laughter in our lives.
16. Pick up the phone and call someone who is celebrating a birthday today. A Facebook post is great, but the personal touch makes all the difference.
17. Write a thank you letter to someone in your life who has impacted you for good. Do not let the amount of time that has passed discourage you from sending the letter along.
18. Provide advice or guidance to someone who reaches out for help. Time should never be an excuse.
19. Take a minute to appreciate all that is around you. Nothing is promised and appreciating each moment is a great way to ensure you don’t miss a thing life has to offer.
20. Think of one thing in your life that you would like to change and take steps today to make it happen!
21. Surprise a local police officer with a cup of coffee and pastry. Kindness always leads to more kindness.
22. Do the dishes without being asked.
23. Tell a friend, a family member, or even a stranger that you believe in them. Give them the strength they need to keep on going.
24. Go through your closet and donate old books and games to a local hospital.
25. Turn one negative situation into a positive one. Being stuck in traffic gives you an opportunity to work on your patience.  Remember that anything can be positive depending on the way you look at it.
26. Go outside and just look up at the sky and internalize your surroundings without any influence. Just be.
27. Tell someone that you see them and share something that you really like about their personality.
28. Promote someone else’s ideas. Whenever possible, champion others and you yourself will become an automatic champion.
29. Sincerely say thank you to the cashier at a store. Even though it’s their job, this simple gesture can replace a negative interaction they may have had and give them reason to keep smiling.
30. Offer to run an errand for someone; give them a lift, drop off medicine they need or pick up some groceries.