Want to get involved? Hart says a lot of their needs are also fulfilled by mail-in donations to three specific projects, including Baby Bonus Boxes and Shoebox Santa. Baby Bonus Boxes are provided for new parents as they leave the hospital. Items that can be included in these shoebox-sized boxes are sleepers, onesies, bottles and nipples, bibs, baby powder, shampoo, and receiving blankets. Shoebox Santa provides gifts for adults that might include notepads, pens, pencils, stamps, stationary, bandages, gloves, folding umbrellas, hairbrushes or combs, and hand lotion. Participating in this or a similar mission closer to home can help to cultivate a giving heart in your child. Be sure to research the organization and let your child know as specifically as possible why the gifts are needed and how they will be used. There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up. —John Holmes In the end, it’s about love, kindness, and helping someone in need. While there are certainly plenty of ways for you to volunteer locally, here is the contact information for the organizations mentioned in this article. » Inn from the Cold: 110–11 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 0X5 Canada; 403.263.8384. innfromthecold.org. » Appalachian Outreach, Inc.: 13 West View Lane, Glen Dale, WV 26038; 304.845.2762. appalachianoutreaching.org. » Acts 1:8 Ministry: 2145 S. Oneida Street, Green Bay, WI 54304; 920.494.2289. acts18.org. » Send Kids the World: 305.904.2771; sendkidstheworld.com. » Remembering military personnel: www.anysoldier.com. » Christian Charities USA: a listing of dozens of different organizations helping those in need in various ways. www. cusa.org/find. » Donation Town: internet clearinghouse for charities accepting donated clothing and other household goods. www. donationtown.org. Do Good, Feel Good “When you’re experiencing compassion, benevolence, and kindness, they push aside the negative emotions,” says Stephen Post, PhD, a research professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University and coauthor of Why Good Things Happen to Good People. “One of the best ways to overcome stress is to do something to help someone else.” This is true of children as well. Stress isn’t an exclusively adult problem, and incorporating kindness into daily life isn’t difficult. According to Post, when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life-satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly affected. Research includes a 50-year study showing that people who are giving during their high school years have better physical and mental health throughout their lives. Studies also show that people of all ages who help others on a regular basis, even in small ways, feel happiest. Remind your children that, even on a bad day, they can be kind and polite. If they’re stressed or grumpy, help them to find a way to carry out one act of kindness for someone. This might be as simple as letting a sibling go first when playing a game. Even a small gesture of generosity is an instant mood booster. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. —Mark Twain Christ. Its website provides a list of ideas on how to help others, including suggestions for individuals, families, and organizations. “Thanks to a very simple idea, this verse truly comes alive within anyone who routinely performs planned acts of Christian kindness (PACK),” says ministry coordinator Lee Larsen. “What we provide is a PACK kit that walks you through the steps of establishing a PACK ministry at your church,” Larsen explains. “[This includes] what holidays or other special days can be used to do these events, the kinds of things that can be handed out, and ideas for simple service projects that can be performed. “A free hot chocolate on a cold day, ice cold lemonade on a hot summer day, or shoveling snow from someone’s walk, A Publication of Christian Schools International Random Acts of Kindness Acts 1:8 Ministry, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is focused on sharing faith in practical ways by being an example for | Spring 2014 17