Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has proclaimed Feb. 11-17 Kindness Week in Maryland, on a prompt from kindSBY, the nonprofit, Salisbury-based Kindness initiative.
“The essence of Kindness Week embodies the spirit of goodwill and seeks to inspire and unite Marylanders,” the governor’s proclamation states.
Salisbury was named the first official World Kindness City in the United States thanks to efforts by kindSBY. Heather Brooks, Salisbury’s official Secretary of Kindness, shared the proclamation with Salisbury Mayor Randy Taylor.
“To spread kindness locally, people can join and support kindSBY,” said Brooks, who was appointed to the Secretary of Kindness role last year by then-Mayor Jack Heath. “Kind SBY is a community initiative that works to effect positive change in schools, governments, businesses and neighborhoods.”
The organization’s projects have included an “Adopt a School” program aimed at boosting morale among Wicomico County teachers, providing gifts to seniors at the MAC Area Agency on Aging, donating meals through the Hands & Hearts homeless shelter, donating to new teacher gift bags, giving gifts to day program attendees at Dove Pointe, supporting the establishment of Kindness Clubs in Wicomico County schools and many more initiatives to promote kindness in the region. Visit kindsby.org for information.
“We encourage people to incorporate kindness into their daily lives,” Brooks said. “If they can support KindSBY through volunteering or sponsorship, it will make our city a kinder place to live.”
For more ideas, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation suggests these simple acts to celebrate the week:
- Hold the door for others.
- Smile at everyone.
- Help a neighbor.
- Reach out to a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.
- Curate moments of kindness, laughter and delight.
- Send an uplifting text.
- Treat yourself to a cup of coffee, lunch or something else you enjoy.
