In celebration of National Make a Difference Day Oct. 24, a classroom of Northern Essex Community College students practiced random acts of kindness on campus and within their communities.
The students spent the week of Oct. 19-24 doing good deeds — from things as simple as helping someone who has their hands full to open a door to taking the time to write a note of appreciation to a coach, teacher or family member who has made a difference in their lives.
Once the good deed was completed, recipients were given a card encouraging them to "pay it forward" and do a good deed for someone else.
The students are enrolled in Professor Clare Ostrander and Professor Trish Schade's "Reading and Writing Toward Home" Learning Community at Northern Essex which links two classes, Basic Writing and College Reading, with the theme of home. According to Schade, this initiative was designed to broaden student's definition of home to include the college campus.
Students wanted to acknowledge the people who work hard to contribute to their educational experience at the college, which is why they targeted faculty, staff and administrators with their good deeds.
In addition to practicing random acts of kindness, the class is organizing collections to benefit Emmaus House in Haverhill. They will collect nonperishable food, gently used and new books, toiletries, and winter coats and clothes.
