Am Shalom was challenged by the 11/11 Foundation to perform acts of kindness on Veterans Day (11/11) and Martin Luther King Day (1/11). They supplied families with $11 each to help get their good deeds started, and boy did our community rise to the challenge!

Here’s what some of you had to say:

• I think the number one feeling we all felt was the overwhelming rush of joy we received each time we completed a kind act. Anytime I’d see my son mope around the house I’d grab him to go do a random act of kindness. He would reluctantly get in the car and every time the experience would immediately uplift us both so much that we were totally feeling only the highest of vibes afterward.

• This small, kind gesture made us feel like we were making a big difference. Thank you for giving our family the opportunity to participate in this mitzvah.

• It felt great to do a random act of kindness together as a family!

And here are just a few examples of what you did:

• Wrote thank you notes and made cookies for teachers
• Bought toiletries for a shelter
• Left extra tips at the car wash and coffee shop
• Bought kickballs for a school
• Donated cakes to staff at the Emergency Room
• Helped an elderly man who was having trouble walking carry his groceries and return his cart
• Brought donuts to the police station
• Called to deliver 11 jokes to a family that had Covid and needed a smile
• In the check-out lane at the nearby Jewel grocery store, we asked the cashier and nearby baggers what their favorite candy was on the shelf. We then gifted each of them their favorite candy. 
• Donated items to Amvets 
• Brought canned goods to a food pantry
• Supported a variety of causes that are personally meaningful
• Baked brownies, cookies, and cupcakes for friends and family
• Brought a balloon and cookies to our rabbi