CELEBRATE NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE WITH KINDNESS MATTERS 365 + BRICKS BUSTING BOREDOM JAN 16–17

BOCA RATON, FL (January 12, 2022) – January 17th is the National Day of Service. This annual observance is celebrated in conjunction with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to recognize the civil rights leader’s life and legacy of service. A day that encourages us all to come together and do something good for our communities and world simply by giving back.

In honor of the National Day of Service, Kindness Matters 365 (KM365) invites the public to do their part by participating in our KM365 + Bricks Busting Boredom Two-Ton Challenge on Sunday, Jan. 16th & Monday, Jan. 17th. Over the past five years, Bricks Busting Boredom has collected 3,930 pounds of new and used LEGO to donate to children’s hospitals, shelters, and other community organizations. That’s just 70 pounds shy of TWO TONS!

The community is encouraged to join in on the two-ton fun this National Day of Service and help us smash our goal brick by brick by donating new and used LEGO to our KM365 + Bricks Busting Boredom collection bin located at Subway® in the Shoppes at Boca Greene. And for anyone interested in hosting a collection, contact ambassadorsupport@km365.org for more information.

There are many different ways to participate in this National Day of Service for those who live in other areas of the country. Join forces with your family, friends, or a local organization and try one of these ten service ideas on for size!

• Host a Teddy Bear & Friends Drive: Collect stuffed animals, then donate to a homeless shelter for new arrivals. Your local police or fire station might also accept this type of donation. A teddy bear can bring comfort to children in times of distress.
• Make Hygiene Kits for the Homeless: Homeless people struggle to obtain the necessities to wash their hands and brush their teeth. Organize your group to collect hotel samples or purchase travel-sized items from a dollar store to complete the kits.
• Remember Service Men & Women: Send care packages to deployed troops, veterans, and wounded soldiers. Write a letter of gratitude for their service and include a snack and personal care items. Find a local organization or research online to learn where to send your care packages.
• Pitch In For the Elderly: Organize your group to rake leaves, shovel snow, or do housework for elderly neighbors or in a local senior citizens neighborhood community.
• Adopt A Park: Decide on a park to adopt, grab some garbage bags, and pick up trash to beautify it. Getting outside to care for the environment is a great way to spend a few hours.
• Care for our Four-Legged Friends: Volunteer at an animal shelter to help clean up, play with the animals, groom animals, and walk the dogs. Or clear out your linen closet and donate old bath towels and blankets to the shelter to use for bedding, clean up, and keeping the animals warm.
• Read to Senior Citizens: Aging eyes can make it difficult to read the fine print. Volunteer to read letters, newspapers, or magazines to residents in a local nursing home.
• Book Collection: Collect used magazines, paperbacks, and novels to donate to prisons, jails, and shelters. Reading materials are needed and appreciated at these community places, often overlooked as beneficiaries of these drives.
• Stand Up Against Hunger: People struggle with hunger every day. Collect non-perishable food items from neighbors, family, and friends and donate them to your local food bank. Before collecting items, check out your local food bank’s website to see what items are accepted.
• Toy Drive: Gather used baby and toddler toys from friends, family, and neighbors. Donate these items to a nearby church, synagogue, mosque, or temple for their youngest members.

You can make a big difference by giving a day of volunteering in your community! KM365 invites you to participate in the National Day of Service and share your acts on social media. Donate to our KM365 + Bricks Busting Boredom Two-Ton Challenge or choose a volunteer initiative that fits your schedule and preferences. Then share your act of service on social media, tagging @kindnessmatters365org (FB) and @kindnessmatters365 (IG) using the hashtags #kindservice and #MLKDay. We look forward to seeing your acts of service on our social media platforms!

ABOUT KINDNESS MATTERS 365 (KM365)

Kindness Matters 365 (KM365) is an established 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2008, based in Boca Raton, FL, dedicated to supporting the mental, social, and emotional well-being of children and teens. Rooted in Social Emotional Learning (SEL), KM365 programming helps youth transform from feeling worthless to worthy, isolated to included, fearful to empowered, intolerant to kind. Through the organization’s after-school Kindness Clubs, Kindness Anywhere virtual programs, hands-on service projects, and Kindness-In-School initiatives, KM365 services help children and teens develop resilience, empathy, and the skill set to purposefully contribute to society and take care of themselves, each other, and the world. KM365’s life-changing programs support children of all ages, backgrounds, demographics, and socioeconomic groups; so every child can thrive and strive to lead a happy, healthy, and purposeful life. Since its inception, KM365 has grown to encompass over 100 programs in ten states, providing critical SEL-based programming to over 12,500 kids and teens throughout the United States, yielding healthier, more resilient youth, safer environments, and stronger communities.

Visit kindnessmatters365.org for more information and stay up-to-date with all things KM365 via Facebook @kindnessmatters365org and Instagram @kindnessmatters365.

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