“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

                                                                                  -Aesop

2016 has been a rough year for everyone. Between the countless acts of gun violence, police brutality, natural disasters and this awful election, this year has been very grim. People groups have been tearing each other down and our country is divided. Tragedy is becoming more regular, making people numb to terrible happenings. The new year is right around the corner, and many will look to the new year to bring with it hope that has been missing. With just 63 days left of this year, there is still time to turn things around.

At the beginning of each new year we make resolutions. Often times these resolutions are things that will better us as people. Some want to drop a bad habit while others want to drop a few pounds. Most of the time these resolutions are superficial and are not seen through to the next year. We don't often think about making a resolution to make the world a better place. We could choose to be kind to others. After a terrible year full of hardship and hate towards others, a resolution of kindness is exactly what we need.

The quote I included above shows us the first step to fixing the hardships that 2016 brought us. While grand gestures and major movements are important, the little, everyday acts of kindness are important as well. As we approach the year end giving season, it is important to think about your part in making the world a better place. There are many organizations in the nonprofit community that can use our help to make a difference. Getting involved with a nonprofit is a great way to make a direct and immediate impact in your community.

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving is Giving Tuesday. This is an incredibly important day for nonprofits. It was created in response to the consumerism encouraged by Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Giving Tuesday asks people to take a portion of the money they intended to spend at these sales and donate it to a charity of their choice. Giving Tuesday is a great way to give back, but donating money is not the only way we can make a difference. Volunteering is another important way to help nonprofits. Anything you can do to give back and put kindness into the world is incredibly important.

All of our individual acts of kindness matter because together, they make a huge impact. If everyone commits to choosing to be kind to his fellow person and to put good into the world, we can make 2017 much better than 2016.

                                                                                - Bria