By La’Shawnda Smith

In 2018, after my mom passed away, my life changed in a profound way. During that season, I began asking God to show me my purpose. Over time, I realized that one of the greatest joys in my life comes from being a blessing to others.

As I embraced that calling, I knew I didn’t want my children to simply watch me serve others—I wanted them to experience the joy of kindness for themselves.

That’s when our family’s Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) journey began.

I don’t remember exactly where I first heard about Random Acts of Kindness, but once the idea sparked my interest, I headed to Pinterest and discovered countless creative ways to spread kindness. Inspired, we decided to make November our family’s Random Acts of Kindness Month. With Thanksgiving as a backdrop, it felt like the perfect opportunity to practice gratitude by giving back to others.

Have we completed an act of kindness every single day? Not always. And that’s okay.

Our goal has never been perfection. Our goal is to be intentional—to look for opportunities to bless others and make kindness a regular part of our lives.

Some of our favorite Random Acts of Kindness have included:

• Writing encouraging notes and handing them out to strangers.
• Creating cards in honor of my mom and attaching them to items we gave away.
• Passing out hot chocolate to a group of girls raising money at a gas station.
• Giving flowers to strangers.

One of my favorite moments came when my children started coming home from school and telling me about acts of kindness they had done on their own. Those conversations made my heart smile because it showed they weren’t just participating in our family project—they were beginning to live it.

For inspiration, La’Shawnda and her kids used to brainstorm kindness ideas and keep them in a jar

What My Kids Learned

My hope was that my children would learn that helping others isn’t only about money. Sometimes the most meaningful gifts are our time, encouragement, attention, and compassion.

Our family has been incredibly blessed, and I wanted them to understand that one of the best ways to respond to those blessings is by blessing others.

When I asked my kids what they learned from our Random Acts of Kindness journey, they said:

Makela: “Be kind to people. If you have something and are able to give it, give it.”

Alexandria: “A small act of kindness can change a life.”

Ke-Shawn: “An act of kindness doesn’t have to be big to make a difference.”

How to Start Random Acts of Kindness with Your Kids

If you’d like to begin a Random Acts of Kindness tradition with your family, here are a few suggestions:

1. Let your kids see you serving others. Children often learn more from what we do than what we say.
2. Invite them to participate. Let them help write notes, choose gifts, or deliver acts of kindness.
3. Think about what would make you feel loved or encouraged. Then do that for someone else.
4. Use Pinterest and Google for inspiration. There are endless ideas for every age and budget.
5. Share the stories. Talking about acts of kindness inspires others to spread kindness too.

Kindness doesn’t have to be complicated. A smile, a note, a flower, a cup of hot chocolate, or a few encouraging words can make someone’s day—and sometimes even change a life.

Our family has discovered that when we make kindness a habit, everyone benefits. The people we serve are blessed and so are we. We all learned that somebody can’t help everybody, but everybody can help somebody.

About the author: If kindness had a chief operating officer, it might just be La’Shawnda Smith. A devoted mom to Ke-Shawn, Alexandria, and Makela, La’Shawnda has a gift for making people feel seen, valued, and cared for. By day, she serves as Executive Assistant to the President and CEO at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, keeping leaders organized and relationships thriving. By night (and often in between), she’s spreading random acts of kindness, gathering family around the table for board games, and finding joy in serving others. Whether she’s supporting community leaders, encouraging a friend, or planning the next family game night, La’Shawnda leads with compassion, connection, and a contagious spirit of generosity. She lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her beloved husband Alex.