In early December 2017, Random Acts Development Officer Maria Christian and her husband hosted the Day of Kindness in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. For the seventh year in a row, this fun-filled event saw the local community come together in the town’s gym to spread kindness.
Thanks to Random Acts sponsorship, Maria was able to purchase plenty of supplies to give away throughout the Day of Kindness. These ranged from personal hygiene items like shampoo, toothbrushes and tampons, to warm winter clothing, baby essentials and children’s toys.
The Big Stone Gap Parks and Recreation Department donated the space, while the town’s elementary school collected over 350 cans of soup. Local businesses contributed to the cause by offering generous discounts, and many Big Stone Gap residents also donated items or gave up their time to volunteer, making the Day of Kindness a true community effort.
And that’s not all. As Maria explained, “This year, we also teamed up with Operation BBQ Relief, a non-profit that provides free hot meals during local events across the country.” Operation BBQ Relief served up an incredible 1,000 meals in Big Stone Gap for Day of Kindness attendees.
Best of all, the Day of Kindness wasn’t just fun — it was also a huge success! According to Maria, “We gave away nearly everything […] We had two bags of clothes and a single box of soup left at the end of the day. The clothes were donated to a local thrift store that donates its profits to a women’s shelter, and the extra food went to the local food bank.”