Simple acts of kindness which affect only one person are the catalyst to creating large social movements. Thankfulness has an inherent quality of exponentially affecting the people you didn’t initially set out to express your gratitude towards. This is what makes thankfulness a trait that must be practiced. As we practice kindness, we can easily be the ones to change the world for the better. Anne Frank said this, “How lovely that everyone great and small, can make a contribution toward introducing justice straightaway. And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness.” The three stories below share how simple acts of kindness led to justice.

The shoe company, TOMS doesn’t skip a beat when it comes to generosity. A portion of every article they sell goes to help those in need. Their sunglasses help restore sight, their coffee provides water, their bags provide birth delivery education, and their backpacks provide education to combat bullying. Of course, for every pair of shoes you purchase, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. The company’s acts of kindness stemmed from the Founder’s trip abroad. Blake Mycoskie, the Founder of TOMS, traveled to Argentina, where his heart reached out to children who were less fortunate than him. He saw the difficulties children had growing up without shoes. Blake’s vision was to create a project mission, not a money-making company. Within 10 years, TOMS became a nationally recognized brand. TOMS launched the entire One for One movement that other companies have successfully reproduced.

Dolly Parton knew her dream to become a writer and singer would come true. Once she reached her dream, she expressed her gratitude through a simple act of kindness. Dolly Parton founded Imagination Library. She saw books as the source of inspiration to children’s dreams. Growing up, Dolly Parton witnessed the challenges her father faced by being illiterate. Dolly wanted to make an impact on families by introducing them to the world of literature. Today, Imagination Library is an internationally known program. The books Dolly Parton donates are spread throughout five countries and total over 1 million books each month. In Dolly Parton’s words, “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

Meet Hilde Back. Hilde Back grew up in Nazi Germany where she was denied the right to education. After a stranger helped her to escape to Sweden, she soon became a teacher. She decided to use what little money she had to give back. For $15 a month, a simple act of kindness, Hilde Back sponsored Chris Mburu giving him the opportunity to receive his own education. The money was well spent because after high school in Kenya Chris Mburu went on to attend The University of Nairobi. From there he went to Harvard Law School. Once in Harvard Law School Mburu founded the Hilde Back Education Fund (HBED) in honor of his benefactor. HBEF is a non-profit organization that helps Kenyan children receive the right to a full education. Hilde’s consistent gift to one child transformed into helping an entire nation of children.

Beginning at its inception, Human Design has looked for ways to give back to the community through simple acts of kindness. During the onset of Covid-19, Human Design ran a buy one, give one campaign. For every piece of jewelry that was purchased, another went to a nurse fighting on the frontlines. The jewelry helped to inspire the nurses who were fighting and give them a platform to share their personal stories. This is just one of the many ways Human Design has exemplified generosity to our community. Human Design is an eco-conscious brand. This means that each purchase a consumer makes with Human Design benefits the environment. Most recently, Human Design has sponsored AccesSurf. Access Surf is a non-profit organization that helps persons with disabilities enjoy the water. They do things like create wheelchair access onto the beaches and help people with disabilities surf the waves. If you want to purchase jewelry from Human Design knowing you are furthering a social cause, please do so here.