Viral Kindness: Sharing the Warmth

Posted on February 3, 2016 at 1:20 p.m.
by Kelley Breeding.

Sometimes it feels as if we are living in a society whose members rarely act kindly toward one another. We are faced with horrific stories on the news every day, such as terrorism, missing loved ones and robberies. Many people believe that it’s hard raising children in such a world. However, there is always that one story that keeps a little faith in all of our hearts.

A Zulily customer, Kelly Blue Kinkel, was on the phone with customer service trying to return a coat she ordered when an employee named Patrick explained she would receive a full refund. He then asked that she not return the coat at all. He said, “Please don’t send it back. If you know someone who needs a winter coat or if you would like to donate it to a charity, that would make us very happy.”

Kinkel later sent out a tweet in hopes that it would go viral.

The story spread like wildfire with more than 27,000 shares.

Companies should use Zulily as an example and implement an act of kindness every once and a while. It would not only boost their company image but also help someone in need.

A similar trend recently started northeast of England aiming to help the homeless keep warm.

People take jackets that they no longer need and zip them up around lamp posts. The jackets are left with heartfelt notes explaining their purpose. The homeless can then use the jackets as needed.

If we could get this initiative to trend in cities with large homeless populations, consider all the lives it would help. With all the darkness occurring in the world, it would be nice to spread some light.