How ZUM is Giving Back this Holiday Season (and How You Can Too)
Show compassion. That was the challenge set before us.
Gift cards in hand, we exited the doors onto the windy Seattle street and set out to find people that we thought could benefit from an act of kindness. Intent on spreading the holiday spirit, the ZUM team roamed the avenues underneath an rainy, overcast sky as shoppers rushed here and there, arms filled with various purchases and parcels.
Five strangers were given gift cards that day. All were surprised by the caring gesture, not just by the gift, but by the fact that we stopped, looked into their eyes, smiled, and started a conversation with them. It may seem small, maybe even inconsequential. Only five people out of hundreds on the streets that need help; but that day we showed five people compassion. When we pause, smile, and look someone in the eyes, we are communicating “I see you” and “you matter”. It’s such a small gesture, but such a powerful thing.
We were reminded and given a chance to show kindness amid this season where it’s all too easy for us to be absorbed with the hustle and bustle. What if just for a moment, we imagine that these five people set out to pay it forward and continued to spread joy by helping others? We may never know the impact that our small acts of kindness can have.
Here are just a few simple ideas from ZUM to show kindness this season:
Reconnect with a friend or relative that you haven’t heard from in a while.
Purchase a few $5 or $10 gift cards to hand out to people that you encounter throughout the day.
Bake cookies to share with neighbors. Who doesn’t like the aroma of freshly baked goods?
Sign up for a festive 5K race that donates its profits to charity.
Ask your friends to bring canned goods to your holiday party, then donate them later.