21 #CoronaKindness Act for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
For the busy and not so busy, the bored and not so bored, for the regular givers and the beginners, we have put together 21 easy to do acts of kindness that you can do from the comfort of your home!
Feel free to share the ideas with friends and family. To receive your daily act of kindness on your phone, WhatsApp your name to https://wa.me/918356832329
Act 1 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Act 2 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!Make a call to your helpers to check if they and their family members are keeping good health and have food supplies.
Most of us have the privilege of work from home arrangements. Our helpers are forced to stay at home in the lockdown and most of them are worried about their monthly wages. Some of them would get government support, some may get material from donations. It is only fair that we pay them their wages.
Transfer wages to your maids, helpers and drivers for the month of March, and ideally for April too! Give a call and let them know that the money would be in their bank account.
Act 3 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Take up a household chore like doing the dishes, mopping the floor, drying clothes, dusting, cutting veggies, making chai, as your daily activity. Make a fun selfie while doing the chore. Get your friends to like your selfie and promise them that you will donate Rs10 per like for a COVID19 affected family.
Click here to choose trustworthy options to make your daily activity support a needy family: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/collaborator-stories
Act 4 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
According to a BBC report, India's daily wage earners feel that hunger may kill them before the coronavirus does. Uncertain of their fate, millions fear they will soon run out of their already meagre food supplies. As Mother Teresa said, “If you can't feed a hundred people,then feed just one.”
Make today, March 28, a day when you can stop the fears of at least one labourer from becoming a reality. Those who give are more blessed than the ones who receive.
Share your blessings by donating towards feeding a daily wage worker’s family here: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/ #featured-donation
Donatekart is supporting the work of many NGOs with procuring material and delivering to them in bulk for door to door distribution to families.
Act 5 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
It’s true that your house-helpers are your best support system. They walk long distances and work odd hours to keep your homes up and running. This lockdown must’ve made you realise more than ever before, that without them, your world will crumble. This lockdown is then, an opportunity for you to return their kindness with a kinder gesture by helping their children to learn over WhatsApp or a phone call.
Since teaching reading and writing may be difficult over a call, you may engage the child in doing mental math or English conversation or quiz them on their History and Science knowledge. Remember kindness breeds more kindness.
Call your house help, set up a time to teach a helper’s child daily via WhatsApp call or phone call.
Act 6 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Old age is second childhood. In that sense, we need to reach out to our elderly as much as we need to reach out to our children in these difficult times. They need to be nurtured, listened to and provided with a same sense of belongingness and community, as do your own young children.
So pick up your phone and call up an elderly family member, a neighbour or someone in an old age home, and speak to them companionably. Find out how they are managing their daily needs and get ready to provide prompt support if needed.You may place orders for them using online delivery apps. If they are living in your apartment complex, you could get them their food, medicine and other essentials. If they need utility bills to be paid, a mobile or DTH recharge or other payments to be made, you could do it for them. Sometimes they just need a carton to be moved or a light bulb to be changed. If you are not in a position to reach them physically to help, use your networking skills to find a friend of a friend of a friend... who could be staying in their vicinity.Image Courtesy Agewell Foundation
Act 7 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Donate to support daily wage workers!
Thousands of daily wage earners in India, especially those in the unorganised sector have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic. Although the centre and several state governments have announced direct benefit transfers, there are several who need immediate relief: vegetable vendors, construction workers, rickshaw pullers, autorickshaw drivers, domestic help and temporary staff in the hospitality industry, malls and shops who are without a source of income.
While governments may have swung to action in providing relief at various levels, these are unprecedented times and we the citizens need to step up to help out combat this adversity. True patriotism requires us to engage more, volunteer more and provide the much-needed scaffolding to those working on the ground.
Join hands with Luis Miranda to contribute to CORO India, towards India’s displaced daily wagers and migrant labourers: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/#featured-donation#EveryTuesday
Act 8 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Teach a fun skill and raise funds!
It’s been a popular tradition to have some fun on April Fool’s Day by engaging in unusual, fun activities. Today can be your chance to induce some fun among your friends and spread joy around you. Invite your friends to learn a skill from you via a Google hangouts or Zoom session. You could teach them to play a musical instrument, cook, bake or simply dance, by charging a small fee. Collate the amount to raise funds for a Covid 19 cause near you. (Lot's of worthy causes at: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org)
It is a straightforward idea and relatively easy to execute, while engaging you and your friends in an hour of non-stop fun!
Act 9 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Cook a meal or do a chore for a neighbour who needs help.
Kindness is as contagious as a smile, and it begins at home. Why not try to do both today? In these stressful times, let us spread sunshine, hope and happiness by being mindful of the people around us.
Help out a neighbour in need by doing a kind deed. Cook meals for an unwell neighbour or get essentials for an elderly or help out someone in distress by attempting to solving their problem or just providing a listening ear. Make your neighbour’s day beautiful by touching it with your kindness. The seed of kindness you sow today will bloom in many hearts tomorrow. The smile you bring to someone’s lips today will bring peace to this world tomorrow.
Act 10 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Serve the ones who serve you, with love!
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.” Mother Teresa.
Have a heart of gold. Serve a steaming cup of tea or a hot meal to that one person who is the most over-worked yet the most neglected. If you open your eyes and look around you, you will find this person. It is the one who is taking care of you even during this difficult time, so you can have the convenience, comfort and safety.It is your sanitation worker, who collects garbage from your doorstep, it is that lonely guard keeping a watch sitting long hours at your gate so you can feel secure, it is the health care staff who either lives in your building or visits your neighbourhood to ensure that it is infection free.As COVID-19 continues to inflict with a greater force, each one of us must take on the responsibility of helping out at least one such person, nearest us: a sanitation worker, a security guard, a health care worker or a driver. They need the care, kindness and compassion so they can continue to do their job. Do not shut the door at them.
Act 11 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
It’s just ten days into the lockdown and we’ve already witnessed its grim impact on people’s minds. With news of doom and gloom coming from all quarters, it is imperative to remain optimistic and positive so as to have the energy and resolve needed to endure this calamity. Here’s what you can do today via Zoom, Google hangouts or a WhatsApp video call:
1. Choose to be in the company of children in an orphanage, to light up their lives and yours, through an interactive storytelling session.
2. Offer to help out your family and friends who are scrambling to find stimulating, educational, creative and entertaining activities to do with their children every day. Teach these homebound children mental math, English conversation or public speaking.
3. Interact with your friends and colleagues over an online yoga session or an online "Antakshari" or comedy session.
Doing these heart-warming, stress reducing and laughter inducing activities can get us through these trying times.
Care in the time of Corona!
Lately, our homes have become our offices. Our colleagues, who were our main source of interaction and our pillars of support during stressful work situations, are now working remotely. For many, the initial excitement of working from home may now be wearing out. In fact, it can be daunting to realize that it is not so easy to maintain the same level of productivity and creativity, working away from vital support systems. Working remotely can present many challenges especially for those whose work involves face-to-face discussions every day in order to arrive at the right choices. Not being able to garner such support can become overwhelming and distressing for them.
So, after a long week of working alone, battling to meet targets, number crunching, devising strategies in isolation, and keeping up a brave front, use the weekend to help some of the anxiety dissolve and angst diminish. One simple thing you can do is to pick up your phone and call up a colleague or two, and share your experiences of the new work set-up. Become an emotionally intelligent listener, express solidarity and ask about how they and their families are coping. And do not worry about the clock ticking away. It’s time for you to just talk and show that you care. Besides, an informal check-in with your team member can help identify priorities, keep potential obstacles at bay and help keep a healthy work-life balance.
Act 13 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Call 10 friends to explain the importance of #StayAtHome and share your experience with the #CoronaKindness Acts.
It's not easy to stay at home. Children and adolescents would be raring to go to play outdoors, elders would be missing their daily walks and chats with friends, one may have to step out to get groceries and medicines. As each day passes, the need to go out is felt more acutely.
Make a phone call to 10 of your friends, check with them how they and their family members are doing and ask how the lockdown has impacted daily life. Reiterate the need to strictly follow the government's instructions. Let them know the range of things they can do from home to make a difference, they have the power to bring some relief to at least one person, one family! Share some #CoronaKindness acts you did in the last 12 days. Give them ideas about putting their time to good use, doing good! Tell them about the 21 Acts of Kindness, all of which are doable from home: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/ every-tuesday
Act 14 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Ask your colleagues/ friends to pay to have a video class with you on using online tools or Apps and donate for COVID-19 affected
Every organisation and professional is doing webinars or online training sessions, daily concalls, etc. For some of your colleagues and friends it could be overwhelming to keep up with all of these and some of their basic questions may never get answered. It's especially hard to work without the support services generally available in the office. Which tool do I use to merge documents, how do I transfer large files, how do I record a session, which app could I use to track my time spent on projects, how do I create a survey form, etc.?
Offer to do a session for colleagues, ask them to sign up/ buy tickets for your session and donate it to support COVID 19 affected families.
Take a look at credible organisations to support at: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/ #featured-donation
Act 15 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Make thank you cards and WhatsApp them to doctors and nurses!
As the Corona positive cases in India cross the 5000 mark, India’s already healthcare system has come under tremendous pressure. Our frontline medical workers are faced with unprecedented challenges, being forced to work in tough work environments. They have to cope not just with the uncertainties of the little understood virus but also with the challenge of not always having state of the art care-giving facilities. At the call of our Prime Minister, healthcare workers received a standing ovation from across the country. But immediately following this act of support, were acts of unkindness, with the medical staff being asked to vacate their residential quarters, being chased out of neighbourhoods and being abused in the worst possible ways. Despite this, they are still showing up every day to care for the sick. Overworked, and themselves vulnerable to infection and hostility, these health care warriors need a morale boost from us to combat negativity and continue to perform the herculean task. Many of them stay in isolation during the few hours they get to go home. Their children, spouses and parents go through much anxiety for their loved one while taking pride in their heroic contribution to the fight against COVID-19.
Too often we underestimate the power of a kind word. Too often we fail to recognise the miracle, a smallest act of caring can accomplish. So, let us make this day, a day to express our sincere regards to the indomitable spirit and the self-less service of our medical staff. Let us keep them in our daily prayers and send them messages of thanks and appreciation because sincere expressions of appreciation are powerful. Boost a healthcare staff’s morale by sending them a message of love and thanks via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram.
Act 16 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Art for a cause!
It is well known that art has the ability to soothe, and surprise. It has the ability to open our own eyes and those of others, enabling us to see the best in humanity. Let us do something challenging today- think of ‘kindness art and craft’ ideas and give them shape. As a parent, you can do this with your children and as a teacher, you can do it with your students.
Few examples are,
(i) “Bee kind”- a painting or artwork of a bee with ‘kind’ written on its back,
(ii) a picture of a ‘whale’ that says “Whale be okay” (pun- We’ll be okay),
(iii) A little garden with seeds sprouting out, saying “Plant seeds of kindness”,
(iv) a painting of a large lush green tree, with a caption, “The Giving Tree, etc.
(v) a painting or a sketch of a monkey hanging upside down with his tail- HANG IN THERE!
This can be done in other languages as well. Carry forward this artwork project for a week, and after you have a collection, auction it among friends and family to support essentials for a less fortunate family in your neighbourhood.
Inspired by: https://blog.yaymaker.com/art-kindness/
Act 17 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Give generously to support to support COVID-19 affected families!
The COVID pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has devastated the world economy and has thousands of workers in the informal sector despairing over loss of their livelihoods. In India, the situation of the majority of the poor is grim with the impending threat of having no food in their stomach and no roof above their heads.
While several of us are lucky to have a place to call home and stay in and stay safe, for thousands, especially in the informal sector who live hand to mouth, this pandemic means hunger. NGOs have been providing food and shelter to these poor workers trudging thousands of kilometres towards their homes. Governments can only do so much. It is therefore imperative, that those of us, blessed with enough resources to sustain ourselves through this difficulty, come forward to contribute towards caring for those who are most at risk. Let us do it not as charity, but give with dignity, as an act of fairness and justice to all.
Give to GOONJ and other NGOs at: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/ #featured-donation
Act 18 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Help people with difficulty in walking, get vegetables and fruits.
Ever since the imposition of the 21-day lockdown and implementation of social distancing, many people have been struggling to access essential supplies such as medicines and groceries. Some have switched to buying these items online. But deliveries are unpredictable. A few volunteer groups and several NGOs have sprung to action in this hour of need to give respite to those who need it the most. But there is a huge deficit.
With COVID-19 tightening its grip further, and states announcing more weeks of stricter lockdown, there is a dire need for more helping hands, more kindness. If you are a healthy and an active person, look around you and extend a helping hand to the elderly, the disabled, a single parent family or vulnerable families in your neighbourhood by offering to make a quick trip to the nearest vendor to buy fruits, vegetables and groceries for them.
Looking for ideas for activities over the weekend, see our collection of 21 Acts of #CoronaKindness for #StayAtHome at: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/ every-tuesday
Act 19 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Set up a video challenge with 5 friends/ colleagues
to make sandwiches/ snacks for your building staff.
“The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves.” — Helen Keller
The security guards, the cleaners, the plumber, the electrician, and the gardeners, who work all year round so you can have comfort and convenience need a pat on the back since some of them are still working, and that too double shift during this difficult time, and mostly staying away from their families. Express your gratitude by making sandwiches or parathas or dosas for them.
To make it fun and more efficient, a few families from your building can come together “virtually” to do this act of kindness. You could also do this challenge virtually with your family spread across the country/ globe or even with colleagues. You can contact each other on a video call while making sandwiches and have a friendly contest to see who can make the most/ best sandwiches in 30 minutes! Best here can be assessed based on the following criteria: number, nutrition, neatness, artistic touch, and packing in order to provide dignity to the receiver.
If you’ve made #SevaSandwich during #DaanUtsav, you know it’s simple and easy.
Act 20 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
De-clutter, donate and find peace.
Let us treat this time of quarantine and self-isolation as an opportunity to de-clutter, not only our minds but also our homes. De-cluttering and tidying up will not only enhance the comfort of working from home and improve productivity but if done with some kind consideration, your de-cluttering can fill someone’s life with hope and happiness. How can it be done? Begin by discarding things that cannot be used, such as broken toys, rusted tools, chipped china dinner plates, rusted tools. After all the unusable items have been put away to give to a raddiwala, reassess to see what things you will be using in the next few months and keep them aside. The next stage is to identify items that are good to use but your household doesn’t need them anymore, like woollens, books, computer, bed linen, baby need items such as a stroller, a kids bicycle, towels, baby blankets, sweaters etc. Such items will be a boon for care centres for children and adults. And, possibly useful for your domestic helpers.
Then there will be items which you may be able to sell, such as a piece of furniture, collectibles, fashion jewellery, shoes, boots, accessories, picture frames, art and craft, a decorative item which you may want to replace. The proceedings from the sale of these items may be given to your favourite charity. The quarantine has given you an opportunity to stop procrastination and declutter your home. There should be love in your giving and dignity in receiving. So you feel good while gifting the things to an NGO or charity or helpers and they feel loved and respected, add some art and beauty to your giving. Put the items you want to gift/donate in neat boxes and wrap them with bright gift paper and ribbons. This will bring a smile to the faces of their receivers when you take them over to give away after the lockdown.
Act 21 of 21 #CoronaKindness Acts for 21 Days of #StayAtHome!
Who has been a Good Samaritan to you?
The lockdown has changed everyone’s life! We see disturbing scenes of migrant workers walking home, being stopped or dispersed; businesses on the brink of bankruptcy; people being laid off their jobs; unkindness towards aviation and medical staff; panic behaviours and social distancing advice being ignored.
However, we have many reasons to believe that the outbreak has also brought out the best in people; that it has side-lined everything except people’s will to be a Good Samaritan. Thousands of individuals have rallied around those vulnerable at this time and provided unflinching support in terms of time and money.
Today, is the 21st day of the first phase of #StayAtHome. Many of you have been practising kindness acts. Before we start the next phase until May 3, it is time to sit down and reflect on how many people around you have done kindness unto you during the first phase. We cannot face the impact of COVID-19 without empathy and gratitude. So pause a bit today to make a gratitude list of the things that people have done to help you out during this time and share with us and with your friends using #CoronaKindness.
To learn about more ideas on doing random acts of kindness, visit: https://www.givingtuesdayindia.org/every-tuesday
#GivingTuesdayIndia
My Giving for #MyBetterBharat
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