World Kindness Day: Be the Good in Your Community This Holiday Season & Beyond

Kick off the giving season by celebrating World Kindness Day on November 13—but don’t stop there! Kindness goes a long way, especially for those working long days and nights in the healthcare setting, regardless of the season. From spreading acts of kindness by showing your appreciation for a hardworking nurse to volunteering for the Frederick Health Auxiliary or simply holding open the door for someone else, there are endless opportunities to promote good health in your community.

Whether you’re looking to devote a few hours a week to help Frederick Health directly or you want to bring cheer to others in your daily interactions, here are some tips for celebrating World Kindness Day on Nov. 13 and beyond.

Volunteer for Frederick Health Auxiliary

Each month, hundreds of caring people devote their time to Frederick Health by volunteering. This may include assisting patients arriving at and departing the hospital, greeting and directing visitors, working at the Gift Shop or Select Seconds Thrift Shop, delivering flowers or reading material, and much more.

We’re looking for volunteers of all ages, including high school or college students, stay-at-home parents, newly retired seniors, and anyone in between.

Not only does volunteering for Frederick Health help a good cause and brighten our patients’ and staff’s lives, but research also shows that volunteering can improve your health and wellbeing, too. Those who choose to volunteer can become more active and have reduced stress, have empathy for others, socialize more and meet new people, and become better connected to their community.

To volunteer at Frederick Health, call 240-566-3567 or email vol@frederick.health a staff member will discuss your skills and interests and match them with the closest need.

Take a Second to Help Others

Did you know that spreading kindness and goodwill can start with a small gesture at your next doctor’s appointment?

It may not seem like a notable action, but holding the door for someone else is a simple gesture of kindness that can go a long way. Of course, you don’t need to act as a doorman every time you go to the doctor’s office. Still, holding the door open for an elderly patient, someone with limited mobility, a cancer patient arriving for chemotherapy treatment, a mother with a stroller—or anyone else, for that matter—is a small action that can be met with genuine gratitude.

Give Back to Your Community

This holiday season, consider spreading kindness with a donation to one or more of the Frederick Heath funds, all of which help Frederick Health continue the tradition of philanthropy it was founded upon.

The Cancer Patient Assistance Fund is just one of the many funds created to assist local cancer patients in need. A cancer diagnosis is devastating, but it is even more devastating when patients struggle to afford medical care and treatment. This fund has no hidden overhead costs, so each dollar donated by caring individuals goes directly to patients in need.

Visit the Frederick Health Development Council’s website to learn more about donation options and to begin your giving journey.

If a monetary donation isn’t in the books for you this year, consider helping Frederick Health in another way: visit the Select Seconds Thrift Shop.

The thrift shop on E. Patrick Street partners with Frederick Health, so every clothing donation or purchase directly benefits the health system. In addition to accepting clothing for all ages and genders, the thrift shop also accepts jewelry, antiques, linens, toys and games, and small furniture items. Donations should be clean and in good condition.

Give a Gift to a Patient

Sometimes even a tiny gesture can help make a not-so-ideal situation a little better. Not only is the Frederick Health Gift Shop a great place to buy a snack or drink while you’re visiting a loved one at the hospital, but it’s also the perfect place to pick up something to brighten their stay, too. From fun and lighthearted gifts to bestselling novels and magazines, our devoted staff stock the shop with a wide variety of items for everyone.

Express Appreciation to Hardworking Healthcare Professionals

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals work long hours year-round to care for their patients. While others are celebrating the holidays with their families, Frederick Health employees are still performing surgeries, monitoring patients, prescribing medicine, and providing the best care possible at any time, night or day.

Whether it’s a spoken acknowledgment of gratitude, a thoughtful hand-written holiday card, a warm hug, or even flowers or a small gift, these tokens of kindness can go a long way in making your favorite nurse, doctor, physical therapist, or receptionist feel appreciated for their efforts.

How do you plan to celebrate World Kindness Day? Share your ideas on our social media channels (links below!)