Taking Actions Day 2015 - October 17
The second annual "Taking Actions Day" was on October 17, 2015. On that day, me and my friend Belle hit once again the streets of Washington, DC, to help as many people as possible in 12 hours, as we celebrated Taking Actions' 5th year anniversary. We passed around our "Taking Action Day Card" to those we interacted with for them to pay it forward by passing on the card, along with a good deed to someone else.
Agenda for Taking Actions Day 2015:
10:00 am – Drive to Silver Spring Metro Stop 10:16 am – Metro to Columbia Heights Metro Stop 11:00 am – Columbia Heights 12:45 pm – Metro to Gallery Place Chinatown Stop 01:00 pm – Gallery Place/Chinatown 02:30 pm – Metro to Smithsonian Metro Stop 03:00 pm – Walk the National Mall to Wash. Monument 05:00 pm – Taxi to Dupont Circle 05:30 pm – Dupont Circle 07:30 pm – Metro to Union Station Metro Stop 08:00 pm – Union Station 09:00 pm – Metro to Silver Spring Metro Stop 09:30 pm – Silver Spring |
The day was cloudy and a little cold (about 55°F); we were happy that it did not rain. We did 44 acts of kindness to more than 380 people. For the detailed list of all of the acts of kindness with specific times and locations click HERE. During the 12 hours of this event we interacted with more than 550 people. These are the acts of kindness we did:
- Buy a drink for a stranger (1)
- Buy a gift for a friend (1) - Clean metro cart - Feed homeless people (11) - Give $ to a stranger in need (1) - Give $ to employees at a work place (4) - Give $ to local artists/street performers (6) - Give “50 Acts of Kindness” cards to a teacher (1) - Give ~120 Taking Actions wristbands during free hugs - Give a generous tip to a taxi driver (1) - Give a gift card to a stranger (1) - Give beauty tips (hair) to a stranger (1) - Give compliments to strangers (9) - Give directions to strangers (2) - Give flowers to ladies (2) - Give free hugs to strangers in about 50 minutes (110) - Give lollipops to strangers (12) - Give Taking Actions buttons to strangers (6) - Greet and hold door open to strangers in ~15 mins (53) - Help people with dropped items (2) - Hold kindness & human rights posters to raise awareness - Leave a gift for a stranger at a metro station (1) |
- Leave encouraging/inspirational notes in cars (10)
- Let a driver go in front in heavy traffic (1) - Let people cross the street (2) - Let people get off the train first (11) - Listen to a stranger (views about government and media) - Make donation to a random non-profit - Make people smile and honk for peace & love (53) - Offer seat to an elderly person (1) - Offer to make a donation to The Nature Conservancy (1) - Offer to pay someone’s metro card (1) - Pay for someone’s meal (2) - Pay for someone’s movie ticket (1) - Recycle newspapers from a metro cart - Say hello to strangers throughout the day (~80) - Send a nice text to a loved one (1) - Show someone how to use metro card to leave station (1) - Support local vendors (3) - Take pictures for someone else (3) - Talk to a stranger about animal rights (1) - Talk to strangers about being kind to one another (3) - Thank fire department with goods - Throw away someone else’s trash (1) |
Here are some of the pictures we took to document that awesome day:
Throughout the event we interacted with people from different paths of life, and we had a great time helping others. Many people were surprised as of why we were doing this, but they were inspired and motivated to pay it forward.
One of the the acts of kindness that we did during this event was making a donation to a random non-profit. By the end of the day, we asked a stranger to pick a number between the nominated organizations (see list below), and #8 The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was selected as the winner. The donation was submitted on 10/18/15 (receipt on right).
As part of our "Taking Actions Day," we encouraged our supporters to participate in our 31-Day Kindness event by doing something nice for someone else. We added $1 to our fundraising for every act of kindness shared on social media (using hashtag: #TakingActionsDay) in October 2015. We doubled it and added $2 instead for each good deed shared on the actual Taking Actions Day 2015. By October 31, 2015, 44 supporters had shared 237 good deeds on social media, including 27 done on Taking Actions Day (10/17/15), for a total of $283. We rounded it up to $300, and instead of one, we chose two winner organizations ($150 for each). |
On November 1, 2015, by 7:00pm, we randomly selected the 2 non-profits from the 41 nominated organizations, and #5 Help For Our Community and #32 Kulturecity were selected as the recipients of our annual 31-Day Kindness fundraising (receipts below).
We also asked our supporters on social media to pick 3 numbers between the 42 supporters who shared their good deeds during our annual 31-Day Kindness event, and the chosen winners were: Lisa Correa, Linda White and Dawn Kramer. We sent them a gift of appreciation (Taking Actions goodies) for inspiring and motivating others to pay it forward.
Check out our Taking Actions Day 2015 Facebook Event.
Check out our Taking Actions Day 2015 Facebook Event.
Here is the list of all the organizations that were nominated during this event, and all the different act of kindness that were shared by our supporters on social media, in October 2015.
Nominated Organizations, Causes, Foundations and/or Charities
1. St. Baldrick's Foundation by Dawn K.
We are a childhood cancer charity funding the most promising research to help find cures for kids with cancer. 2. To Write Love On Her Arms by Jade T. We are a movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. We exist to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. 3. Make-A-Wish by Adrienne B. We grant the wish of a child diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition in the United States and its territories to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. We believe that a wish experience can be a game-changer. This one belief guides us. It inspires us to grant wishes that change the lives of the kids we serve. 4. The Peace House by Sarah H. We are a vehicle to transform individual lives and communities for those working for positive social change and a world free from oppression. We foster learning and activist excellence through the People’s Library and Research Center, which assists and/or facilitates various individual, community, and world betterment projects. 5. Help For Our Community by Robert W. We are a community of volunteers in our local surroundings. We service whomever we can all year long. During Thanksgiving and Christmas we cook pack and deliver meals to veterans, elderly, homeless and anyone in need of a meal. 6. The Bully Project by Michael Farley B. We are a social action campaign inspired by the award-winning film BULLY. We’ve sparked a national movement to stop bullying that is transforming kids’ lives and changing a culture of bullying into one of empathy and action. 7. Susan G. Komen For The Cure by Dianna N. We educate, support research, offer grants that provide financial and emotional assistance and advocate for better breast cancer policy. But in a broader sense, we empower others, ensure quality care for all, and invest in science to find the cures. 8. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) by Linda W. As the first humane organization to be granted legal authority to investigate and make arrests for crimes against animals, we are wholly dedicated to fulfilling our mission through nonviolent approaches. We provide local and national leadership in three key areas: caring for pet parents and pets, providing positive outcomes for at-risk animals and serving victims of animal cruelty. 9. Children's Scholarship Fund by Ada M. We expand educational opportunity by providing scholarships to families in need so children can attend the K-8 schools that are the best fit, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live. We also support scholarship programs and policy reform efforts nationwide that help all children get the education they deserve. 10. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by Dawn K. We advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. 11. WALK a MILE in MY SHOES~~~on the Path to PEACE!!! by DonnaChristine P. We are a SHOEString global outreach 'Ministry’ designed to advocate and facilitate individual empowerment through the 'simplicity' of sharing a single pair of 'gently-loved' shoes with folks having no shoes at all. 12. Autism Speaks by Becky M. We are dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a possible cure for autism. We strive to raise public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society: and we work to bring hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder. 13. Feeding America by Jessica B. Our mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. 14. Gina’s Team by Diana P-M We encourage and promote education and self-sufficiency for incarcerated women in Arizona. Led by dynamic volunteers and supported by community leaders across the state and beyond, we focus on getting inmates needs addressed. 15. Alzheimer's Association by Dawne B. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. 16. Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by Timber H. We are an organization dedicated to attacking cystic fibrosis from every angle. Our focus is to support the development of new drugs to fight the disease, improve the quality of life for those with CF, and ultimately to find a cure. 17. Mercy for Animals by Timber H. We are dedicated to preventing cruelty to farmed animals and promoting compassionate food choices and policies. We work to create a society where all animals are treated with the compassion and respect they so rightfully deserve. We serve as a voice for animals through proactive consumer education initiatives, cruelty investigations, corporate outreach, and legal advocacy. 18. Prison Library Project by AJ We are printing and distributing a limited paperback edition of Buddhist Boot Camp to inmates in correctional facilities across the globe. 19. Tu Nidito by Celeste A. We are dedicated to our mission of creating a community of acceptance, support and understanding regarding children in grief. It is our vision that no child grieves alone. More than 20 years ago, we filled a need in our community by building a successful non-profit agency dedicated to supporting children impacted by serious medical conditions and death. 20. Planned Parenthood by Brandon S. We deliver vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide. We have promoted a commonsense approach to women’s health and well-being, based on respect for each individual’s right to make informed, independent decisions about health, sex, and family planning. 21. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) by Brandon S. We focus our attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. We work through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns. |
22. Humane Society by Teri L.
We provide hands-on care and services to more than 100,000 animals each year, and we professionalize the field through education and training for local organizations. We are driving transformational change in the U.S. and around the world by combating large-scale cruelties such as puppy mills, animal fighting, factory farming, seal slaughter, horse cruelty, captive hunts and the wildlife trade. 23. UNICEF by Michael M. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. We were created to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. 24. Tripura Foundation Builds HoPE by Chandra S. We share science-based, transformational tools through educational programs that activate the highest potential of people oppressed by poverty. The result? Empowered children, inspired families and uplifted communities who open doors to a world of peace, love and prosperity for all. 25. Big Fluffy Dog Rescue by Lauren S. We are an organization dedicated to helping giant breed mixed breed dogs in need. We have volunteers in several states in the South, the mid-Atlantic and New England as well as parts of the midwest who work to help homeless big fluffy dogs find a home to call their own. 26. No Kid Hungry by Michael M. We are a national organization that works hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. We weave together a net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children facing hunger and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn and play. 27. Institute for the Love Of Genius In Community (iLOGIC) by Jamar F. We are an association of people who create space and opportunity for collaborative learning. We intend to improve ourselves and our communities. 28. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by Dianna N. We are the leader in the fight against suicide. We fund research, offer educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support those affected by suicide. 29. The Carlos G. Figueroa Foundation by Diana F. We are advocating to replace the stereotypical images of this diverse community with more faithful and accurate representations through documentaries and other media outlets. Our mission is to create film, art, and alternative media focusing on poverty and homelessness to help inspire social change in our community. 30. Café 54 by Diana F. We are a unique employment training program for adults recovering from mental illnesses. We provide on-the-job training in a variety of restaurant positions. We also provide training for job coaching by providing support and training to individuals wishing to learn job coaching and peer-support specialist skills. Psych-social supports include one-on-one time with cafe staff as well as assistance in accessing counseling, intervention, and health care resources. 31. A.L.S. Family Charitable Foundation by Nancy S-C We are an organization dedicated to raising funds for cutting edge research to cure A.L.S. in the future and providing patient services for those suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis today. 32. Kulturecity by Jennifer M. Our mission to create a world where all individuals with autism and their families are accepted and treated equally. We provide tangible help, fulfilling the here and now needs for these children and their families. We created programs aimed at serving these children directly, for instance our art and music camps. 33. Street Warriors of Central Florida by Christine M-C. We are a group of Christian friends, who are led by the Holy Spirit to serve those in need. Currently we are focused on homeless in our area. 34. Socks 2 Serve by Melinda P. We are a community outreach program. We collect socks, water and donations to give back to people in need. 35. Central MA Kibble Kitchen Inc. by Tami A. Our goal is to help families affected by the current economic climate by keeping their pets fed so the pets can remain with the families who love them. By providing a place where owners can get the pet food they need, the owners won’t have to consider surrendering their companion animal due to lack of food. 36. Veterans On Patrol by Rebecca C. We are a group of Veterans and civilian volunteers that are on a mission to give back and help the homeless Veterans and civilians in our area. Currently at the base camp, we provide safety, food and shelter for our Veterans as we work tirelessly to get them off the streets and into a home. 37. Newark Yoga Movement by Amy O-B With so many children at a deficit in terms of academics and character building values, we believe in sharing the valuable "life tools" of yoga with them, their educators and caregivers. Through yoga and the power of the breath, these children learn through direct experience how to be more relaxed, more focused, more confident and creative. 38. Rock & Rawhide by Linda W. We aim to increase adoptions and quality of life for dogs and cats in shelters, by providing distraction therapy and noise/stress reduction through the donations of toys, tough chew items, Kongs, Nylabones, bones, rawhides, blankets and more. In turn, dogs and cats can pass their evaluations at shelters, and show more of their personality, making them more adoptable. 39. Santa Cause by Belleange H-R We are a charity initiative founded by DMV hip-hop artist/philanthropist Mo Betta to raise money to help sexually abused youth in Washington, DC. All money raised goes to Safe Shores DC, a children's advocacy center that specializes in working one on one with youth that have been sexually abused and mistreated. 40. National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) by Randy S. We are the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. 41. Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida by Yajahira C. We offer hope, encouragement and acceptance through advocacy, education and awareness as we guide individuals with Down syndrome through life’s transitions. Together, we create a Central Florida community composed of and dedicated to individuals with Down syndrome – and those who love them – so that each may realize their potential. |