Inspirational Stories - Random Acts of Kindness

Be inspired by the following stories:

Vermilion Elementary School:
For Random Acts of Kindness Week we decided to do a couple of things.

Firstly, every student in the building was given a special card that has our school logo and the words "Pay it Forward."  The idea behind it was that students go out into the community and do random acts of kindness and leave the card to encourage others to keep the idea alive!  You can imagine 330 students doing great things - WOW!!

We also have a student leadership group that has been putting up random positive messages and dropping off posters and kind notes to teachers.  This same group goes out at recess time to play games, mentor and engage students. 

It has been a great week so far!  We are so proud of our staff and students.  Random Acts of Kindness is a belief and way of thinking - not just a week.

Akane:
I am a student in Calgary, Alberta who is visually impaired. I recently moved from Lethbridge. The change was a hard one, being one that I did not have a choice in. I left my very few and good friends back in Lethbridge. As a girl with a visual impairment (a disability, although not really disabling) I have been subjected to criticism, social rejection and intellectual distance from other people based on their misconceptions. Two days ago, our gym class had come back from rock-climbing. Two people followed me into the school and stood and talked with me in the hallway until the bell rang, and one of them even walked me right to the door of the room I needed to go to. One of these same people is in two other choirs with me, and she has sat next to me and talked to me as if I were a human being.

As much as negative attention is bullying, neglect is just as powerful. There is a song by Billy Talent about that, though I forget it's name.

Mason:
Hi, my name is Mason.  I'm a Grade 10 student. Two years ago, when i was in Grade 8, I was in the rough patch. Throughout my life I've never exactly been accepted into the major social groups. I've always kinda floated between, that's due to never really feeling accepted. It is also due to constant verbal assaults and attacks against my self esteem. And they worked, they worked real great. Throughout that year I was a wreck, with every day getting worse and worse. Everyone that has ever been in my situation will understand what I mean by "the last resort" - yes....I thought about killing myself....but that's not the scary part.. The scary part is that i knew EXACTLY how i was gonna do it. I had a very detailed plan in my head.
One day I was just sitting in the hallway having lunch when this girl, Sam, had maybe spoken 4 words to before since her sister was our volleyball coach, came up, had lunch with me, and gave me a huge hug at the end of lunch. This happened many times after that. I honestly do thank her, for saving my life. And I have accomplished so much with my life since that year - I'm a high honors student, I'm in a band and we go on a three day tours to schools across Alberta in May, and I'm also getting to go to Australia in November for the world competition of an aquatic sport called Lifesaving. I thank her so much for those words that she said to me those days. Because without her, I honestly would not be here - I would be dead. I'm just wishing that more people out there could be a person like Sam and do for someone else what she did for me, reach out to random people, you might save their lives.
Anonymous:
Hi guys! I just wanted to say that death is never the answer. You will find help in one way or another. I love you guys ! <3 I have never been bullied but I'm sure its hard.
Cloe:
I had a best-friend that I thought I could trust not to hurt me in any way. One day she walked up to me and slapped me across the face really lightly and said "stop flirting with my boyfriend " and walked away. I was alone at the time and I wanted to hide in the corner and cry. But I stayed strong because I knew that I wasn't flirting with him. We had to do an asignment. I just stopped talking to her and she didn't talk to me and that was the end of my problems. Just walk away from people like that. xox
Katerina:
My friends' family had a member in their family that died so we decided to get all their friends to make a house for them to try to make them better and we signed a huge card for them.
Carly:
There was a new girl in my grade but not in my class. The kids in her class were not making friends or being nice. Some calling her a name because her makeup and clothes were different.  I saw her walking home from school the same direction as me, so I walked with her and then we were friends and also friends with some of the kids in my class. After that some kids in her class were talking to her too and not calling her that name.  It was nice for me too because it gave me a friend to walk home with and she is awesome. I'm so glad we talked that day!!

Nicole:
After experiencing many bullying situations throughout the years and in memory of others who have passed and are no longer here with us today due to bullying, I started Jelly Beans and Rainbows anti-bullying program.  Each colored Jelly Bean represents a person being bullied wherever they may be located and after the rain is finished and gone, the Rainbow appears and the days are beautiful again.  By working together, we all can make a better future which everyone can enjoy – one jellybean at a time.

Check back to read more inspiring stories of Random Acts of Kindness happening across the province.  Submit your story here.



Call the Bullying Helpline 1-888-456-2323 toll-free in Alberta, anytime. Trained staff are available to help in more than 170 languages.