Kindness is free, pleasant and frequently helpful, yet for some reason, it is often an afterthought or exchanged as if it is a limited resource.
With the “Kindness Revolution,” Angel Albin MacDonald is targeting this social malady that should not be here in Attala County. The revolution base camp is located within the area schools, and those who receive cheerfully-colored bracelets are its agents.
“(The bracelets) recognize an act of kindness,” MacDonald said. “To do that, you tell someone that you saw them doing something kind and give them one.
The idea is not to keep it, but to pass it forward. So, when that person sees someone doing something kind, they give their bracelet away.”
She estimates that she has distributed 5,000 bracelets in the two months since she launched the program locally. The visual reminders to be kind are decorated with phrases such as, “It’s Cool to be Kind,” “Pay it Forward” and “Thank You.”
The nationwide program is based on the book “The Kindness Revolution: The Company-wide Culture Shift That Inspires Phenomenal Customer Service,” by Ed Horrill, whom MacDonald is in contact with. It seeks out participants who are “like-minded in their desire for more civility in their communities,” according to www.thekindnessrevolution.net.
MacDonald first saw the non-profit bracelets in Vicksburg, when she was traveling the state training insurance agents. The program logo, which features a smiling face, resonated with her because it reminded her of her daughter, Miriam. MacDonald said that Miriam is upbeat and oriented toward serving others.
In August, MacDonald will begin awarding “Kind Student of the Month” awards at participating schools. Winners will be drawn from boxes of notecards deposited by teachers who witness a student being kind and then write the act and that student’s name on a card. Recipients will receive a certificate and choose from either a football or a custom Kindness Revolution mousse bath balm, which are supplied by Rewindz.
“Hopefully, kindness just becomes a habit,” she said. “The teachers love it. The students love it. I’ve seen bracelets all over town.“
Recently, Jamie Varner of the Mississippi State University Extension Service reached out to MacDonald and inquired about the program. Varner conducts online training courses that prepares educators to teach students how to recognize and combat cyberbullying. As a result of a partnership between Varner and MacDonald, Kindness Revolution practices will now be incorporated into Varner’s training.
In the future, MacDonald would like to introduce a “Book Buddies” program at local schools as part of her local Kindness Revolution. Volunteers, in conjunction with a school, would meet with a student one-on-one and take turns reading to each other for 30 minutes per week. It is something she participated in when she lived in Jackson, where she said she witnessed “dramatic improvement” in students’ reading abilities.
It’s a development that is in part dependent upon the number of people who get involved.
“We’re always looking for people to help,” MacDonald said. “The more people that are involved, the more we can do.”
For those who may be interested in becoming Kindness Revolution “Brand Ambassadors,” MacDonald may be contacted through the nonprofit’s Facebook page (search “The Kindness Revolution- Attala Co., Led by Angel Albin MacDonald Ins Agency”), by phone at 662-289-3161 or by email at angel@insurewithangel.com.
