As I was reading an article about food insecurity during the ongoing crisis of Coronavirus in the United States, I was startled to read that middle-class families, who have never gone to food banks before, were suddenly turning to food banks to obtain food. It was then that I fully realized the extent of this issue.

I wanted to help, but I did not know what to do. I doubted my small acts of kindness would help solve such a prevalent issue in the United States. I could not volunteer in person due to the pandemic, so that severely limited my options.

In the past, I have volunteered at an organization called Kids Meals that prepares lunches for kids who need the food and then distributes them to the kids. Through a partnership with my school and Kids Meals, I decorated paper sack lunch bags that Kids Meals puts the lunches in as well as donated packs of fruit juices and other food. Over the course of two weeks, I decorated one hundred paper sack lunch bags using different mediums and writing inspirational messages on the bags. I made them inspiring, colorful, and relatable for younger kids. I spent lots of time on each one because I wanted them to look just perfect; I really wanted the kids to enjoy and appreciate the bags. 

Looking back, I have made a realization: I have realized that while I can help alleviate an issue such as hunger, I can not solve it all on my own, and that is okay. If everyone does their part and works together, though, an issue as big as this one can be solved. All I can do is try to do my part and encourage others to do theirs.

Kindness comes in all forms whether it is a small or large action. No matter how small an act of kindness may feel, it still helps. I know this is a cliché sentiment that many have heard times before, but I do not think enough people truly believe this. I know I struggle sometimes to believe that my small act of kindness was impactful, especially when I read articles or heard on the news of some incredible act of kindness someone did. At the end of the day, the truth is that every bit of kindness helps and directly affects someone’s life for the better.

If you’d like to volunteer with Kids Meals and decorate paper sack lunch bags for kids, click here!