GIVING BACK

Making the World a Little Better, One Random Act of Kindness at a Time

By Olivia Overman

While 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!”

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."

Bill Daffan's property, home to CJFinz, Imagine, Foster's Grille and Jirani Coffeehouse.

Giving Comes Full Circle

While a random act of kindness can help you and others feel good in that moment, you will never know how much a simple act can make a difference in someone’s life. Baity described how a $20 meal helped someone during a difficult time in his life: "Normally we go to Waffle House [on Christmas Eve], tip our server well and give out gift cards to the rest of the staff. We have been doing this for several years now. About five years ago, we went to iHop on Smoketown Road for dinner. There was an older man and what appeared to be his daughter having dinner. I told our server I wanted to pay for their meal. The day after Christmas, someone in our Semper K9 volunteer group said his wife and father-in-law had their meal paid for by someone and was handed a BARK card. He then told us that his motherin-law had recently passed away and this was their first meal dining out without her and their first Christmas without her. Our volunteer said his father-in-law said it was a sign from his wife that she was still with them because she was always so kind. He recently told me his father-in-law still talks about that night regularly. So just paying $20 for someone's dinner has made that much of an impact on someone's life ... imagine if we all did that,” said Baity.

During this current period of quarantine, Baity is still paying it forward. She has been gifting excess seeds from her garden, plants from her greenhouse, giving out hand sanitizer when she makes essential public outings and mailing out hand drawn inspirational quotes to strangers that have been nominated for a surprise through Facebook posts.

A New Normal

In today’s new normal, random acts of kindness mean even more. Some of the examples in our community include

Amanda gifts hand sanitizer to friends and family along with those who comment through social media.

children bringing containers of cookies to the Prince William County Western District Station; Tandoori Nights Bar and Grill Woodbridge donating food to the Prince William County Eastern District Station, feeding staff and officers for two days; and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Manassas donating coffee and donuts for the Prince William County Public Safety Communications Center staff.

Helping small businesses in downtown Manassas during this difficult time, landlord Bill Daffan recently offered his four tenants a deferment of their rent for six months. Not a requirement, just a kind gesture during this challenging time. Speaking about his gesture, Daffan said, "I've lived here all my life, as has my father and grandfather. One thing I know about Manassas is that we are stronger as a community than we are as individuals. This community has always come together during hard times. If what I've done has helped the community or others as a whole, then we'll get through this and will be stronger for it."

Look on any local neighborhood site, and you will see offers from people to pick up groceries and medicine for neighbors. Random acts of kindness are having quite an impact. Ready to make yours?

Olivia Overman (ooverman@princewilliamliving.com) is a freelance writer for both online and print organizations. She earned a M.A. in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University, Washington DC.