Kindness comes in countless forms, all equally as beautiful. The team from Vera Bradley delivered cheery, colorful totes and blankets, while the principal from Maple Creek Middle School arranged for the students to make 200 handmade Valentine’s Day cards. Both acts have us inspired to pay it forward. We asked each of the organizations what moved them to make such thoughtful donations.
Anna Rudicel
Social Media Manager, Vera Bradley
What inspired you to make this donation?
The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer and our social media team wanted to come together this year to spread kindness in honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day. We know that our colorful Totes and Throw Blankets are gifts that hospital patients can get a lot of use out of, and we chose to donate to cancer patients since that is a cause close to our hearts. We will be donating 600 products total to cancer patients in hospitals around Fort Wayne.
Why do you think kindness is so important?
Kindness is one of our core values at Vera Bradley. We strive to treat our co-workers, partners and customers with care. Kindness is an action that one can recognize right away and makes a lasting impression!
What are your hopes for this donation?
We want people to know and feel that we care about them and create a bright spot in their day, so much so that they pay the kindness forward in some way. This is an act of kindness with nothing expected in return, although we know we will get so much joy out of seeing the smiles that we get when we deliver these gifts.
What are some simple ways to display kindness?
- Smile and encourage someone who may be having a hard day.
- Buy someone's coffee in line behind you.
- Give a compliment.
- Take a task off of a busy co-worker's plate.
- Babysit someone's kid(s) who may need a night out or time away.
- Donate your time or money to a cause close to your heart.
Bill Toler
Principal, Maple Creek Middle School, Northwest Allen County Schools
What inspired you to make this donation?
As our school district celebrates Random Acts of Kindness (RAK), our student council has developed a different kindness activity for each day of the week. They wanted one of the activities to reach out to people outside of our school walls. They chose Parkview as a community partner for this activity because of its proximity to our school and the fact that, as a hospital, Parkview may have individuals seeking care who could benefit from the kindness of Valentine’s Day cards.
Why do you think kindness is so important?
Teaching our students to be kind is one of many character traits that will serve them well throughout their lives.
What are your hopes for this donation?
The students hope that these cards will bring a sense of happiness to those who receive them.
What are some simple ways to display kindness?
Some simple ways we encourage our students to display kindness is through smiling, being positive, being polite and helping others in need when the see it.
