7.26.21 | read time: 2 min
Springing Into Kindness: Q2 116 AOK Review
Christelle Lyman
At 116 & West we commit to performing 116 Acts of Kindness (116 AOK) each year, no matter how big or small. Each month, we participate in at least one event that can impact our community or environment in a positive way.
Here’s a recap of our second quarter Acts of Kindness:
APRIL
For Earth Day, we planned a week full of environmentally-friendly fun:
To support our community, and fight for this lovely planet we live on, we worked with the Golden Eagle Audubon Society to clear paths and pull invasive weeds from Warm Springs Park. We had a great time in the rain doing our part for Mother Earth.
During the week, we encouraged Westies to bike to work, commute or carpool for the week. We also shared eco-friendly products, such as compostable bags and upcycled dog toys, as well as great locations for thrifting and repurposing. We also made suggestions for alternatives of single-use plastic or styrofoam containers.
One of our favorite Earth Week events was a virtual vegan dinner via Zoom. We shared our sustainable vegan recipes and ate them together.
We also found a great recipe for a sustainable cleaner and made a personal bottle for eachWestie. It’s super easy to make, and we all love using it!
Recipe here:
- 4 oz- white vinegar
- 3 drops lemon verbena essential oil (please make sure your oil is animal friendly if you have pets)
- 7.5 oz water
- Shake and spray
MAY
In May, we did our best to moooove, baby!
We challenged ourselves to transform a regular May into “May in Motion.” We encouraged Westies to bike to work, and provided information about commuting and carpooling. We organized a small green-belt bike ride to the Green Acres Food Truck Park for beverages and team building.
We like celebrating May in Motion as an Act of Kindness because it’s good for our bodies, our environment, and our community.
JUNE
During June, we gave our blood away (in the best possible way).
Because June 14 was National Blood Donor Day, and the American Red Cross’ (ARC) crucial need for blood is dire, we enrolled in the ARC “SleevesUp” Campaign. “Sleeves Up” is a way for businesses and individuals to set up virtual campaigns for blood donations. You decide on the timeframe for your campaign and then set a goal for the number of “pledges” you are shooting to get.
Once we had our campaign set up, we then encouraged co-workers, family, and friends to pledge to donate blood via social media. Once they pledged online, the ARC’s website takes potential donors to a different page with information regarding nearest blood drive locations where they can make an appointment.
We were super excited to get 21 pledges! Did you know one blood donation can save up to three lives? ARC will even let you know where your blood donation was transported and used after you donated. Ours went all over the country — from Las Vegas, to California, even to Puerto Rico!
Stay Kind
We have an entire year of 116 Acts of Kindness events planned! Keep tabs on our progress and learn how you can get involved by following us on all the socials @116andwest, and coming back to our blog.
Have any ideas for future Acts of Kindness? Give us a holler at whatsup@116andwest.com!