Photo By Tech. Sgt. Shanice Ship | Lakenheath High School students speak to their peers during a club meet at Royal Air...... read more read more
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Some believe the most powerful form of kindness comes unexpectedly and without expectations. It was Aesop, the ancient Greek storyteller, who said, “no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Holding the door for someone, helping an elderly person across the street, or offering your seat to someone are all known typical acts of kindness. Lakenheath High School students have dug even deeper to incorporate this into their daily routines by building a club with the sole goal of lifting community spirit through random acts of kindness.
“When someone does something nice and unexpected for you, it can change your whole day,” said Rebecca Stanley, LHS student and Random Act of Kindness Club faculty head. “The Random Act of Kindness Club is mainly about putting a smile on other people’s faces and making their day better.”
According to Stanley, student activities are inclusive across the entire school to include faculty and staff members. Inspiration for RAK ventures can be found anywhere one looks, she said.
“I joined the club because I was inspired by my mother’s kindness”, said Annalise Roundy, LHS student and RAK Club president. “She does a lot for others and I look up to her. Since I’ve started, I’ve realized that it makes me feel good as well. Everyone can use kindness in their lives, and we love doing it.”
Scientific evidence identifies positive effects of doing kind acts for others as well as receiving or even witnessing kindness. A 2018 study by Harvard and the National Library of Medicine revealed that performing acts of kindness boosts happiness and well-being.
“It doesn’t matter if you do something small or you do a grand gesture, you know that you’re making a difference in someone’s life when you show kindness,” Stanley said. “We’ve all been in dark, sad places so we know what it feels like when someone reaches in and gives us a bit of positivity. We know how helpful that is.”
According to Stanley, the club is more than aimless gestures. The activities are geared toward boosting resilience and encouraging mental health, she said.
Club activities extend outside the borders of the installation and include occasions of outreach to host nation organizations such as the Cambridge Women’s Aid Society.
“So much of being an educator is academic, but we really want to grow great human beings,” said Caletha Ellis, LHS educator, and RAK club sponsor. “It is important to remember that we’re educating the whole child and this club provides them the opportunity to develop and exercise strengths of a heart-centered education.”
The exponential power of the efforts the students have committed to this initiative is astounding, Ellis said. The authenticity of the students' endeavors allows their sentiments to touch the hearts of others and facilitates the program’s growth.
“It really doesn’t matter how big or small a project is, random acts of kindness mean taking care of people when no one is making you,” Roundy said. “It is important in the world, and it’s important to us as well.”
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.20.2021 11:52 |
| Story ID: | 387214 |
| Location: | RAF LAKENHEATH, SUFFOLK, GB |
| Web Views: | 176 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, LHS club lifts community spirit, by TSgt Shanice Ship, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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