giving back Making the World a Little Better,
One Random Act of Kindness at a Time By Olivia Overman
W
Photo by Rob Jinks
hile it seems like today's world keeps us busy every minute of the day, there are some special people who don't hesitate to take a moment to put a complete stranger first. Whether it is letting somebody in line in front of you at a store, paying for something for someone else, or offering a simple smile to brighten a person’s day, it is a random act of kindness that helps make this world a better place. And in today’s world, that is priceless.
Have You Been BARK’d? Officially started five years ago, Semper K9’s BARK’d program is the brainchild of the Baity family. It is a complement to their non-profit, Semper K9, a nonprofit veteran's charity that provides custom-trained service dogs to wounded veterans at no cost. BARK’d stands for “Baity Acts of Random Kindness” and is a tradition that started as their family sharing kindness over the holiday period. “For years, my family has had a tradition of doing random acts of kindness leading up to the holidays. My children love being able to hand out small gifts or pay for the person behind us in line at the fast-food drive-through. They turn and look behind at the surprise on people’s faces and giggle. That sound warms my heart and gets us all in the spirit of the season,” said Amanda Baity, co-founder of Semper K9. Seeing the need for kindness and the impact one small gesture can have on someone, the Baity family decided to create a card to go along with their random acts of kindness to encourage people to pay it forward. “When we do something nice, we attach a card, which sends people to a website where we have a custom message and video, challenging others to be kind along with suggestions on ways they can give back for the holidays … or more importantly every day!”
18 |
May 2020 prince william living
Amanda Baity, founder and Director of Operations for Semper K9 Assistance Dogs is the face behind the random acts of kindness campaign she and her family created years ago, BARK.
Asked how people are chosen to receive a random act of kindness, Baity said “It is entirely random. If I personally am having a tough day, I will pay for someone behind me in line at the drive-through or pay for their meal in a restaurant. I give items out as well including hand sanitizer and, even during this time, I am still handing those out. They all have a little card on them that encourages them to go to the website and read our story. The whole point is to encourage them to do something nice as well."
