Name: Rowan Meredith
Title: Regional Lead for the Americas, and Regional Representative, Canada – West
Location: British Columbia, Canada
As is the case with several of our staff members, Rowan Meredith’s introduction to Random Acts turned out to be a bit random! As a law school student, Rowan signed up for a seminar in non-profit law. After hearing about Random Acts through the grapevine, she decided to spend the semester researching and analyzing the organization as a part of her course work. “I learned a lot about Random Acts and fell in love with its mission and programs,” she says. Once she graduated in the spring of 2018, she decided to apply as a Regional Representative, and the rest is history!
Rowan and her mom doing E4K – hiking around Isle of Man
Since Rowan started as a Regional Representative, she has participated in various programs and worn many hats. Among her favorite Random Acts programs are Class Act and AMOK. “I really love the programs where we get to reach out to individual members of the community in small ways,” she explains. “Really, my goal at Random Acts is to inspire people to get involved in kindness in whatever capacity that means, and these programs are a perfect opportunity to do so.” When she and fellow Regional Representative Darsey Meredith (who is also Rowan’s twin!) donated games to an alternative school, they talked to the students about Class Act. The kids were so excited to get started! Their act of kindness was bringing snacks and hot chocolate to a local seniors’ center.
Rowan and Dave at Dave’s Pop Culture
Rowan has also carried out several acts of kindness on behalf of Random Acts, using funds generously provided by our donors. “One of my favorites was when I worked with Dave, the owner of a local game store, Dave’s Pop Culture, to purchase games for the Spirit of the Children Society, a local organization that supports Indigenous youth,” she says. All was going according to plan until something miraculous happened: Dave got inspired by the gesture of kindness, and he went above and beyond for the project. “He threw in so many extra games and other items, and then reached out to his suppliers and customers to get donations of even more! He also helped us pick out a great range of themes, ages, and gaming styles for all of the kids. He has even offered to go into the organization to teach the kids how to play some of the games. Dave is a Kindness Hero!”
Rowan excels at making connections with other people and fostering relationships, which made her a naturally good candidate for the newly created position of Regional Lead for the Americas. “I applied for the Regional Lead position because I thought it would be a great way to use my experience to help newer Regional Reps get acquainted with the organization and get the most out of their first few months with Random Acts,” she says.
Rowan holding games at Dave’s Pop Culture
Rowan has also been the event lead for several Creation Events at which Random Acts had a table for outreach and donation collection. “Working at events as a member of Random Acts is amazing because of the opportunities we are given to bring additional kindness into our communities. Every time I have worked an event, I have been able to collect donations for a local organization that I feel passionate about. It is incredible to see how many donations our amazing supporters always bring in! For example, we have brought in hygiene products for Atira Women’s Resource Society and miscellaneous supplies for Spirit of the Children Society,” she explains.
When asked if there was something she was particularly proud of accomplishing with Random Acts, Rowan mentioned not one, but several things. “I have loved working with Random Acts in part because it has encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone. I have spoken to so many great people at conventions, hiked the Isle of Man to raise money for Random Acts, and coached a group of young women in rugby. These are all things I never would have expected to try, but I’ve gotten so much out of the experiences.”
Rowan with the group she taught to play rugby
Though it is hard to imagine, considering how busy Rowan is with Random Acts, she does have several hobbies. “I like highland dancing, playing with and cuddling my dogs, playing Dungeons and Dragons, board gaming, playing rugby, and trying new things. Not in that order; dogs come first.” As they should!
We would love for you to join our team! Check out our staff page, see if one of our volunteer positions speaks to you, and apply today!