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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

 

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” -Aesop

As we all know, Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. Many will celebrate the holiday on a romantic date with our significant other and others will choose to hang out friends and family. No matter how you plan on celebrate Valentine’s Day; you can spread the love by participating in Random Acts of Kindness Week.

Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Week is being celebrated February 10-16. This week is all about taking time out of your schedule to attempt a random act of kindness each day of the week.

A random act of kindness may be as simple as smiling at a stranger or paying for another person’s Starbucks. One smile or kind gesture can make another person’s entire day. This may even influence them to do something kind for someone else, thus creating a chain reaction. What better way to spend your week than being able to put a smile on another person’s face? Cheesy as it may seem, being able to bring another person happiness can fulfill the giver just as much as the receiver. 

Here are several random acts of kindness for you to try:

1. Leave quarters at the laundromat– The next time you go to the laundromat, leave some quarters to pay for another person’s laundry. Help a fellow college kid out!

2. Bring flowers to someone– You don’t have to spend a fortune!  You can go to Walmart or even snag a deal online and get flowers for a family member, or a friend that may need a little cheering up.

3. Reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while– We all get busy and sometimes let friendships fade. Take the time to reconnect with an old friend or loved one.

4. Leave inspirational quotes– Jot down some kind words and quotes onto post-its and leave them on your roommate’s dresser or on a desk in class for the next person that sits there.

5. Pay for someone’s parking– Be someone’s parking angel and help them from getting a ticket or just save them a little money.

HerCampus IUP challenges you as we go through the week to do at least one nice thing each day. Follow @HerCampusIUP on twitter to receive updates on our challenge to our followers this week.

And be sure to check out the official website for Random Acts of Kindness Week http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/rak-week for more ideas of ways you can celebrate and share love!