The Fellowship of the Poptart

Hi Readers,

The fall 2012 semester at Penn State Behrend is finally underway! You are reading the second message from Random Acts of Kindness, a student philanthropic group on campus focusing on improving the lives of Behrend's finest. Perhaps you found our blog by searching Reality Check's website, or maybe you have been personally impacted by RAK through one of our campus betterment projects. Maybe...you had a Poptart.

Last Monday morning during the first day of classes, on-campus freshman awoke to a little breakfast boost--a small care package including Poptarts and encouragement. Our goal? To make you smile. To give you hope. To spread the message that Random Acts of Kindness is here for you. Even though the Fellowship of the Poptart influenced hundreds of freshman that day, we also work on smaller scales. If you know someone who needs a boost, call on us. We are here to help you and the people you care about. All you have to do is request our assistance via our webpage.

Why do we do it? We believe that nobody in the Behrend community should feel alone or neglected. We want to bring comfort to people who are in need and provide support when times are tough. We want to make someone's day brighter, even if the gift is small. We want to inspire people to appreciate the little things, and spread the love.

There are a lot of new projects brewing from Random Acts of Kindess so stay tuned! Until then: speak gently, laugh heartily, and make time to make a difference. Because what you do MATTERS.  

We are.. a campus community.

We are.. investing in your happiness.

We are.. Random Acts of Kindness,

And WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.

The Scoop

Hey everyone,

This is the first post for Random Acts of Kindness :). If I had to guess I bet some of you are still unsure of what we're really about. There's a deeper meaning to this whole idea. Here's a fictional story to demonstrate:

You've been at school for about 3 weeks. It's your sophomore year, so you’re starting to get this college thing figured out. One of your best friends at school, Ben, had not been himself lately. You talk to him and find out his Dad just lost his job. Ben's parents are divorced and his Dad can barely support himself financially. Ben puts in close to 20 hours a week at the on campus dining hall; Dobbins. Ben has been on a level one meal plan since freshman year and he's struggling to make ends meet. He never even gets to go out on the weekend!

Ben's your bro and you really want to help him out. Only thing is, you don't know how. You do not really have the time,effort, energy, or financial resources to help. You tell Ben you'll keep him in your thoughts and prayers, but deep down inside you want to go a step further....                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

This is where Random Acts of Kindness comes in:  You're walking out of Bruno's (On-Campus Dining) one day and you see an advertisement for this organization called "Random Acts of Kindness. " You notice something about helping friends in need. For some reason, you decide to check out their website and fill out a request form....that weekend Ben returns to his room to find a basket filled with all sorts of wonderful grub. Ben feels as if a weight has been lifted off his chest and is grateful that someone out there cares. There's a shoulder for him to lean on. .....                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

These are the principles Random Acts of Kindness was founded on. Hopefully Ben see's our letter inside the basket, is inspired, and refers one of his friends, colleagues, etc. By taking 5 minutes of your time to recommend an individual, group, or community in need, you can make a huge difference.  In addition, we are open to different ways to serve. Is there someone you would just like to say thank you to? Is there a service project you need help organizing? Is there any way we can give back because.... WE'RE HERE FOR YOU!  

"Look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others."