Dick Yarbrough

Syndicated columnist

Spoiler alert: no discussion of politics this week. I’ll let the talking heads talk and the political pundits pontificate, then I’ll tell you what really happened and why. No applause, please. I’m just doing my job.

Instead, I’m going to tell you about a remarkable woman who is doing a remarkable thing and who, despite the partisan poison spewed these days, reminds us that we have a better side. And it all started with a candy bar.

You may remember that at the beginning of October I mentioned a group called Kind30, which challenged us to “commit to doing one small act of kindness every day.” Whether it’s a simple compliment, sharing a meal, helping a neighbor or donating your time. At the time, I committed to making an effort to do one act of kindness every day of the month. I give myself an “A” for good intentions, although the execution could have been better. But it led me to learn more about the organization.

Kind30 is the brainchild of retired Atlanta businesswoman Beth Abernathy. For no other reason than being a naturally kind person, Abernathy got into the habit a few years ago of buying a candy bar to give to the person who bags her groceries each week.

A small act of kindness of course. It not only made the recipient smile, she told me, but it also made her feel good. Her friend, Diane Moffett, a community volunteer who had started a nonprofit focused on mental wellness, referenced a New York Times article on the issue of loneliness and how even the most small interaction can have a positive impact on mental health. Research has shown that kindness can be part of the cure.

Beth remembered her own experience with candy bars and wondered what it would be like to spread kindness every day as an intentional act. She then brought in communications manager and nonprofit communications expert Julie Salisbury. Thus was born Kind (Kindness Is Needed Daily) and 30, to commit a simple, intentional act of kindness once a day for 30 days.

In April of this year, the three went to the pastors of their church, Peachtree Road United Methodist, to ask permission to test the program among members. The answer was a unanimous “yes”. The group chose October 2024 for its launch, centered around October 10, World Mental Health Day.

Then came the what ifs. What if we asked other places of worship to participate in this initiative? What if schools, civic groups, or maybe even businesses got involved? Never accuse this group of thinking small. Beth Abernathy says the response has been overwhelming. Good ideas usually are.

In the few months since the idea emerged, they have secured commitments to participate in Kind30 so far from blue-chip companies such as Home Depot, Delta Airlines, RaceTrac, Dentons ( the world’s largest law firm), GE Appliances in Louisville, Kentucky and the Sea Island Company.

Kind30 also has a presence in a number of schools in metro Atlanta and other areas of the state. Additionally, Girl Scout troops are involved, as well as tennis teams, Bible study groups, and a host of nonprofit organizations, all committed to the idea of ​​intentional acts of kindness every day.

As a retired business, I had to ask: What is the cost for a business to be part of Kind30? The answer: None. Every company has its own culture, but Kind30 adapts to all. Just do kind things. Hold the door open for a colleague. Smile at a colleague. Find out about the family. Surprise the work group with lunch one day. Say thank you.” Not only are these acts of kindness good for morale, which is good for business.

Beth Abernathy and her colleagues at Kind30 have come a very long way in a very short time, but they’re just getting started. The group says its ultimate goal is “to inspire a national movement that unifies a diverse range of people from all backgrounds and ideologies to choose to be kinder, every day.” It can’t start soon enough. You can learn more about this organization and its efforts on their website, www.kind30.org.

Next week it’s back to politics and mean people saying mean things about each other. Fortunately, there is an antidote. Like30. May he live long.

You can reach Dick Yarbrough at dick@dickyarbrough. com or at PO Box 725373, Atlanta, Georgia 31139.