Michigan Ag Connection - Random Acts of Kindness, Purposeful Acts of Giving

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Random Acts of Kindness, Purposeful Acts of Giving
By: Stephanie Slingerland, Kellogg Company - 02/16/2018

Many years ago, a kind stranger bought my coffee and left a note on the napkin: Passing along a random act of kindness. Please pay it forward if you can! As you can probably guess, this small gesture made an impact on me.

With "Random Acts of Kindness Day" approaching this Feb. 17, I'm reminded of that cup of coffee. But, as I reflect on that thoughtful gesture, I'm also thinking about how each of us can transform random acts into purposeful giving -- which can have a larger, perhaps longer-term impact.

Purposeful giving recognizes a need, such as food insecurity, and addresses it in a sustainable and meaningful way. Purposeful giving comes to life in many ways. It could be donating food or funds to a food pantry; it could mean volunteering at a soup kitchen; or it could even mean donating time to support organizations by providing legal, accounting or other technical knowledge that may be harder to come by.

I try to take this purposeful approach to giving, myself. My family regularly donates food to a local food bank and we give funds to charities affiliated with our church. We're working to address needs that are important to us: food insecurity and children's development. I also serve proudly on the board of our local United Way, because I'm inspired by their model, which helps families establish long-term success through sustainable income, long-term health solutions and education.

This commitment to purposeful giving is also what makes my job so meaningful. At Kellogg Company, we work with organizations such as Feeding America, No Kid Hungry, Action for Healthy Kids, and United Way because we, as a company, are engaged in purposeful giving. Through our Breakfasts for Better Days global platform, Kellogg is committed to fighting food insecurity. And we show this commitment through our actions.

We are working across the company to create Better Days for children and families around the globe. Between employee volunteer projects, donations and supporting fundraising efforts with our partners, we take purposeful steps to fight hunger and feed potential.

And so, while I love the sentiment of Random Acts of Kindness Day, I'll encourage you to think about what's most important to you, and how you can address a need in your community in a purposeful way. Consider supporting an organization through volunteer work or recurring donations. For some inspiration from Kellogg, check out OpenForBreakfast.com/give.

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