Kindness is integral to all our relationships. Whether giving or receiving kindness, the lasting effect is a positive one. A single, small act can make the day of another person just a little brighter, and in turn they are more motivated to help someone else. It’s a never-ending cycle of human decency.
This is why Morgan Hoffman, a local Idahoan, created Kindness Coins. Kindness Coins are ceramic coins that are given to someone along with an act of kindness. The coins feature a QR code on the back so the receiver can scan to see the act of kindness that brought the coin to them. For anyone unable to use QR codes, they can enter a unique code on the Kindness Coins website for information on their coin.
The coins’ journey can be tracked through software, which was one of the more challenging parts of the process in developing Kindness Coins. It took Morgan ten months to create the website and the coins themselves.
Although it was a daunting task, Morgan explains why she created Kindness Coins. “I wanted to interrupt the negativity and spread something positive to remind people that we are all humans and connected at the end of the day,” she said. “I noticed that when I completed acts of kindness it seemed to make a larger impact, because people weren’t expecting it.” She emphasized, “Even if we don’t agree, we can all agree on spreading kindness.”
While technology is often criticized for disconnecting people, in this case it’s being used to help spread goodwill and track just how much that kindness ripples. Looking on the website proves that these coins have been given and received all over the United States, from Los Angeles to New York City.
“I was trying to think of a way to make a bigger impact,” Morgan said, “I thought if people could track their act of kindness and get updates on where it went, it would encourage even more acts of kindness.”
The beauty of kindness is that anyone can do it, and for each person, acts of kindness will look different. There are several ways to use Kindness Coins, but acts of kindness can always be done without the coins. The entire purpose is to put positivity out into the world, which is easy for anyone to do at any time.
For some people, kindness comes in the form of giving gifts or kind words, especially when they are unexpected. Kindness can be as simple as holding a door open or grabbing something off the top shelf for someone who can’t reach it. It can also be a form of generosity, such as paying for the coffee of the person behind you.
Morgan started Kindness Coins as a way to connect us as human beings, and as a way to pay kindness forward. While it comes in many different forms, kindness is an investment with a 100% return.