Perform An Act of Kindness Each Day in February

This letter was submitted by Linda Hillman Chayes, Chair of the Scarsdale Community Support Council: Like communities around the country and the world, the Scarsdale community was deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14. To find a constructive response for such a horrific event, the Scarsdale Community Support Council is proposing that our community respond to this tragedy by finding ways to strengthen our connections to each other. Many of you have heard about Ann Curry's 26 Acts of Kindness campaign to the Newtown tragedy (http://www.facebook.com/26acts) which has gone viral on the Internet. We would like to take Ann's concept and transform it into a community project for Scarsdale. To that end, we would like to encourage every Scarsdalian to perform an act of kindness for each day in February.

We believe that the right start is for all of us as a community to make suggestions about the kind acts we engage in. We invite you to write to Scarsdale10583 or mail@scarsdalechamber.org with your suggestions for acts of kindness. Also, visit https://www.facebook.com/ScarsdaleKindness to share your ideas and see more acts of kindness:

Here are a few ideas:

1. Smile at someone
2. Hold a door open
3. Tell someone they did a good job!
4. Yield a parking space to someone
5. Donate to a food pantry
6. Check in with a neighbor
7. Be a good role model
8. Go above and beyond for someone

There are, of course, many responses to this recent tragedy. Many groups and individuals are hard at work on legislative, policy and advocacy issues. Religious and mental health organizations are working to help with the overwhelming sense of loss and hopelessness that comes from such a traumatic event. Our Council felt that a community-wide action would be most helpful to the healing process as well as a way to honor the memory of those lost on December 14.

The Scarsdale Community Support Council is comprised of representatives from local clergy, police, Scarsdale Edgemont Family Counseling Service, Scarsdale schools (mental health professionals, the administration, and the PTA), Village Board, Chamber of Commerce, the senior community, the Scarsdale Forum and other civic organizations. The Council, which came together in order to coordinate responses to emergencies in the community has another mission as well which is to promote the social and emotional well-being of our community.

Please help us make February an acts-of-kindness month.

Linda Hillman Chayes
Chair, Scarsdale Community Support Council