City of kindness
We see kindness every day here in the city centre, shared between strangers, friends, family and colleagues. This week, it’s more evident than usual, thanks to Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day. RAK days are celebrated around the world, and NZ’s is this week. Community builders Splice have been bringing the RAK action to the city centre for the last couple of years.
What does kindness mean in the city?
They’ve been out and about encouraging people to think about kindness in the lead up, painting a mural opposite the central library, setting a mysterious ‘kindness envoy’ loose on the town and asking people in the city centre, including our CEO Viv, about what kindness means to them.
Mik Smellie, Splice’s ‘city centre fanatic’, says they’re encouraging people to consider the impact elevated levels of kindness can have on how we are as communities. “How much more enjoyable, connected and positive could our daily lives be through simple actions, that feel as good in the giving, as they do in the receiving?”
Random Acts of Kindness Day 2018 mural opposite Auckland central library. Image: Splice
What’s happening for Random Acts of Kindness Day 2018
This year, RAK Day is being celebrated in the city centre on RAK Eve - 31 August.
- Spot Splicers RAKing in the streets of the city – they’ll be handing out 5000 Little Pots of Kindness (honey) with a fully transferable kindness card encouraging people to share their own kindnesses - and with some surprise treats from city businesses
- New World Metro, local supermarket to many in the city centre are coming to the kindness party with in store activity and gold coin coffees with proceeds going to the Griffiths Garden Community Fridge
- Selected Cafes of Kindness in the city centre will be delighting their customers with surprise acts of kindness – think free coffee – building on the often special relationship between barista and coffee drinker
DIY kindness
They say kindness is contagious – so if you’ve got the bug and want to spread it further afield, get involved on social media by sharing your own examples of kindness with the hashtag #splicekindness
To keep the circle of kindnesses going, the best #splicekindness story will be rewarded with goodies from New World Metro.
