Western University graduates Josh Stern and Russell Citron are inspiring Gen Y to pay it forward and people are listening. Their charitable initiative #FeedTheDeed discourages people from playing an online drinking game and encourages random acts of kindness.
#FeedTheDeed has sparked a huge conversation about the power of social media. Instead of producing videos of themselves chugging beer, #FeedTheDeed participants are donating blood, clothes and toys.
How It Is Promoted
In the last 2 weeks, my Facebook news feed has been filled with photos and videos of friends distributing popcorn, coffee and TTC tokens. To extend the reach of #FeedTheDeed, participants are nominating friends, family and celebrities around the world. For example, Josh Stern nominated Canadian singer-songwriter Nikki Yanofsky and then she handed out candy in Montreal on Valentine’s Day.
What I Did
I love Twitter. I like Starbucks.
When my friend Sam Pollack nominated me to #FeedTheDeed, this is what I did to support a few charities I care about:
I used Twitter to send Starbucks gift cards to Anaphylaxis Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Non-profit employees deserve to be rewarded for their hard work and I hope they will encourage more people to continue the chain.
What You Can Do
Here are some ideas:
- Volunteer
- Pay for a stranger’s bill at a café
- Send handwritten notes or cards
- Buy a ticket to attend a charity event
- Contribute to a Kickstarter campaign
- Loan money to an entrepreneur on Kiva
For more information, follow Kindness Counts on Facebook!