Shirley Gilfether says she doesn’t want much — just for everyone in the area to treat each other with kindness.
“I was sitting around chatting with a group of friends,” Gilfether said. “I told them I couldn’t deal with the negativity I saw and heard on a daily basis. That’s when I said that we need to organize a month of kindness.”
A retired school administrator, Gilfether, of Greenfield, said she has learned from going to Weight Watchers that it takes 21 days to develop a habit.
“If we could just get everyone to perform random acts of kindness — they don’t have to be big — for one month, it would become a habit, at least for some,” she said.
The group of friends thought it was a good idea, she said, but everyone was too busy to organize such a thing.
“I happen to hang out with people who are always doing good for the community, and they are all busy with other projects right now,” Gilfether said.
So, Gilfether decided she’s do it herself.
“You have to put your energy where your mouth is,” she said. “I started calling service agencies, and they seemed pretty interested.”
Gilfether said the idea would be for people in Greenfield and some of the rest of the county to commit to being kind to others throughout the entire month of August.
“It could be an individual’s goal, or it could be a family activity,” she said. “The lesson here is that everyone can make a difference.”
Gilfether said her idea isn’t about wealthier people helping less wealthy people. It’s about people helping people.
“I want to see everyone do this,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how much money you have or your status in the community. The idea for this is that it doesn’t cost anyone anything.”
She said she is also planning to talk with local banks and grocery stores to see if they would put drop boxes in their establishments, where people can drop off donations, if they so choose.
“There are always people who want to do something more tangible,” she said.
Gilfether said ways to do that might be to donate diapers, backpacks and school supplies, reusable grocery bags, nonperishable food, toiletries and blessing bags, which are see-through bags filled with items people need, like toothpaste, snacks, tissues, soap, shampoo, razors, gum and more.
“You don’t have to give someone something to be kind, but some people like to do that,” she said.
She will also be printing “kindness cards” on which people can write kind messages and randomly hand them out to people they meet on the street or in a store.
“I’m just thinking of simple ways to make someone’s day,” she said. “Spread kindness.”
Gilfether said random acts of kindness can also include bringing your grocery cart back to the storefront or holding the door open for someone or buying flowers for a friend for no reason.
“I’ll bet there are as many ideas as there are people,” she said.
Gilfether said she will release more information about what people can do and where they can go to help, as well as what local agencies are participating, when it’s available.
For more information, contact Gilfether at: sgilfether49@gmail.com.
Reach Anita Fritz at 413-772-0261, ext. 269, or afritz@recorder.com.