At my high school we recently had an organization called “Rachel’s Challenge” come and speak to us. They had 100 of us sign up for an orientation to be part of “FOR” or Friends of Rachel, it’s a club for anybody who wants to join and we just go around helping new students and just trying to improve the atmosphere of the school.
Rachel’s challenge is based upon the belief that you should treat people with kindness and respect, and that you can start a “chain reaction” with one simple act of kindness. A chain reaction is started by you doing something nice for somebody (or somebody doing something nice for you), then they might do something nice, and the person they help will do it too. It’s a cycle.
An example of that could be if you see somebody sitting alone at lunch, go see if you can sit with them or ask if they’d like to join your lunch group. By doing that, even if they don’t sit with you, you’re letting them know somebody cares and perhaps they’ll feel better about themselves. Even be something as small as smiling at somebody in the hallway or helping direct a new student to her or his classroom can make a big difference.
You know that feeling you get when you help somebody? Doing something nice for someone else can help you feel better about yourself, so by helping somebody else you’re improving their morale and your own. Maybe they’ll even go on and do something nice for somebody because you helped them. It’s a chain reaction.
If you’re interested in finding out more information ask your parents’ permission and you can look up Rachel’s Challenge online. I challenge each and every one of you to try and start a chain reaction and try to be kind to somebody at least once a day.
I hope you’re all having a great school year! Feel free to follow up on this topic on the sister to sister message board, you can tell us about a time you did something nice for somebody or help give ideas on how to reach out to others.
Love,
Hallie
