Kindness Matters… always…
From November 1 – 7 we are celebrating National Others Week. And what is this you ask? National Others Week is a pretty new event on the calendar (with this being its second year), and it’s all about spreading kindness throughout our communities, for doing something for others, for helping to improve social isolation and help us all to feel like we are a part of something bigger than ourselves.
The last 18 months have been so hard on communities, and the people that we serve are no exception. In our programs alone we have seen volunteers stepped down from the hospital programs, event health services put on hold, social trips cancelled and all of these have led to a decrease in connection and a real feeling of loneliness. As we look forward to the next few months, families being reunited, programs running to capacity again and being able to engage with our communities, we know that this will help so many to be able to look forward again to being less alone.
And this is why we are choosing to participate in this National Others Week. There are so many things that we can do to make kindness an everyday part of our lives. Some of the suggestions that we have come up with include:
- Volunteering – it doesn’t matter how much time you have, there are organisations that rely heavily on volunteers (like us at St John Qld) and we would love to work with you to make your volunteering experience a rewarding one
- Visit a neighbour – sadly most of us no longer have the neighbourhoods we grew up in… but there is nothing to stop you from trying! Reach out and say hi when you see a neighbour outside, or even better, take them some biscuits and introduce yourself.
- Pay it forward – whether it’s a coffee at your local coffee shop, or something similar, you have the power to make someone’s day!
- Show a colleague you care – we work with some amazing people every day, and let’s face it, we often see more of them then our own families, so show them you care!
And while we are on the subject of work, Nick Bowditch, an all-round good human, recorded this at a conference last year, outlining the true benefit of having kindness in our lives, even our work lives. It’s well worth a watch, and just what this week is all about.
During this week, we will also be celebrating National Volunteers Manager Day (November 5) and we think it’s the perfect time to acknowledge those people, like our own Volunteer Manager, Opal, who epitomise what it is to be kind every day in their role of supporting wonderful volunteers.
Opal has been working with St John Qld since February 2020 and has worked so hard with her team to keep our volunteers engaged in the most challenging of times. As we move forward to a new volunteering model, we know that St John Qld is in good hands.
What will you do this National Others Week?
