KEY INTO THE KINDNESS CODE

It may be the smallest gesture, such as giving someone a smile or donating to a food bank, but the ripple effect can change lives, says Jaime Thurston. Try it – and spread the love

Even the smallest caring getsures can change elisv. Try it – and esapdr the lvoe

rgently need rugs.’ That was the message that started everything. I was searching online for second-hand furniture when I came across this plea. It was a ‘wanted’ ad placed by a woman who sounded desperate. I emailed her and was heartbroken by what I learnt. She needed the rugs to cover her broken floor so that her young children wouldn’t cut their feet. She was a single mum who had fled a horrifying domestic situation and was starting all over again with nothing.

I wanted to help her and was sure that others would want to help, too. So I spread the word among friends and family, and household goods started pouring in. I delivered everything one afternoon – piles of bedding, furniture, kitchenware, clothing and toys. I will never forget the look on her face when she opened the door. This was a woman in need of kindness, and strangers had made her feel loved when she needed it most.

I wanted to do more. I wanted to do this every week – and so 52 Lives was born. Each week we choose someone, somewhere in the world, in need of help, share their story on our website and social media pages, post what they need and our supporters offer help. It’s based on the premise that people are good and want to help one another – and that lots of good people working together can achieve amazing things.

52 Lives helps anyone, from anywhere, with anything – from buying teeth for a man in Alabama to building a sensory shed in South London for a toddler who is losing her sight. We made video messages for a young boy being bullied, and sent a little girl and her grandmother on a holiday after the death of the child’s mother.

The philosophy goes deeper than simply supplying goods or services. The people we help all say the same: that it wasn’t the ‘things’ that changed their life, it was the kindness from complete strangers. This human connection is what changes lives. Not just for the person receiving it but also the person giving. Here’s how you can spread some kindness…