SECU wrapped up its fourth annual Kindness Campaign at the end of October, logging a record 616,788 acts of kindness during the month-long campaign – far exceeding their goal of 500,000 acts of kindness.

“Our Kindness Campaign grows every year as more people get involved and choose to spread kindness,” said Sarah Ryan, SECU’s AVP of Community Engagement. “This year we had a whirlwind of activities where our teams, their families, and our partners spread kindness through different planned events. We also had opportunities for our members and others to get involved, helping to spread kindness even farther.”

Every Act of Kindness Makes a Difference

Since the very first Kindness Campaign in 2020, SECU and the SECU MD Foundation have emphasized that every act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a big difference in someone’s life. One small act of kindness can create a ripple effect that spreads as people pay kindness forward.

SECU provides resources and ideas on how to spread kindness on their Kindness website, including sending eCards, creating and sharing kindness artwork, and making treats for neighbors.

And people are definitely paying it forward. The number of kind acts recorded on this year’s Kindness Tracker was more than double the kind acts recorded during last year’s campaign.

Governor Moore Proclaims October is Kindness Month                                   

This year’s campaign got a boost from Governor Wes Moore’s office, who issued a statewide proclamation declaring October Kindness Month.

“The Moore-Miller Administration is proud to officially proclaim October as Kindness Month in Maryland. By partnering with local nonprofit organizations, SECU and their team of dedicated employees are working to make a positive impact in our state by promoting service and goodwill in our communities.”
-Wes Moore, Governor

Kindness Campaign partners including Kennedy Krieger Institute, Special Olympics of Maryland, the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, WBAL TV, and the University of Maryland Athletics also helped spread kindness – and spread the word – to push SECU to exceed its kindness goal.

Here are some of the ways SECU and the SECU MD Foundation spread kindness in October:

• Awarded $50,000 in Kindness grants to our partners Special Olympics of Maryland and Kennedy Krieger Institute
• Donated more than 1,000 pumpkins to Kennedy Krieger Institute to create a pumpkin patch on-site for patients undergoing treatment who are not able to attend fall festivities in their communities. Check out the video of the pumpkin patch!
• Sprinkled first responders with breakfast and other snacks and treated patrons at local coffee and pastry shops, totaling more the $12,500 in sprinkle donations
• Raised $117,000 for the SECU MD Foundation through our golf classic and other fundraising initiatives.
• Donated 1,100 pounds of food to the Maryland Food Bank
• Provided a $15,000 grant to pay for visitor parking at Sinai Hospital
• Logged 2,856 volunteer hours on our Day of Kindness and throughout the month

World Kindness Day – Keep Kindness Going 

While SECU’s Kindness Campaign may be over, you can keep kindness going by making the commitment to spread kindness every day. Be sure to also celebrate World Kindness Day on November 13. Find ideas on how to join that global kindness movement. “Through our Kindness Campaign, we are inspiring transformational change one kind act at a time, making our communities – and our world – a kinder place,” said Ryan.