Thanks to a Grade 7 class from KVR Middle School, the City has declared Feb. 12-18, 2023 as 'Real Acts of Caring' (RAC) Week in Penticton.
The class made a presentation to City Council on Tuesday, taking turns to speak about the importance of spreading kindness to others, while expecting nothing in return. This is the fourth year Penticton has declared RAC Week, which KVR teacher Melissa Burdock introduced to the city after bringing the concept here from Coquitlam School District.
"I, Mayor Julius Bloomfield, do hereby proclaim the week of February 12-18, 2023 as ‘Real Acts of Caring Week’ and I encourage everyone to participate in spreading and practising generosity, patience and consideration of others at all times in order to create a better, kinder, safer and more peaceful City," said Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield.
The Grade 7 students hope their efforts will inspire others throughout the community. Their initiatives so far have included:
- They partnered with a non-profit organization called The Fabric Bag Solution to bring 100 fabric bags to Penticton. Their hope is that more people will choose to use re-usable bags instead of plastic.
- During the holiday season, they made cards for a local senior centre.
- Through One Sky, they made Joy Boxes for community members in need during the holidays.
- This month, they will be doing a virtual assembly for over 2,000 K-5 students in the school district. Their hope is to inspire them and make RAC a bigger part of their lives.
Hear it from the Kids
What kindness means to these KVR students:
Annella: To me RAC means going the extra mile to make someone's day and not having to feel like you need to but doing it because you want to. When you do a RAC the person who did the RAC and the person who received the RAC will both feel good and hopefully the person that receives the RAC will keep it going.
Leo: to me it means doing intentional acts of kindness to make the world a kinder place.
Lezandro: To me RAC means sharing your things with others and being kind to people that you don't know.
Casey: I feel RAC is truly going out of your way to make someone's day just that much better. You never know how much one small act of caring can affect someone in a positive way.
Hannah: To me it means to be kind and to go out of my way to help someone because it makes me and the other person feel great.
Charlee: For me RAC means giving things to other people without thinking twice about it.
Kendra: To me a RAC is never forgetting the person that gets a RAC, it means so much more than just doing something kind to make someone's day, It's about thinking of someone else in their time of need, making someone smile because you never know if they need it. A RAC stays in your heart and in your mind. My family has been through a lot and the only way we got through it was people supporting us. That is what RAC means to me.
Learn more! Visit realactsofcaring.org.