Kindness Matters Effort Aims to Bring Highland Together
(Lara Mossa, Sept. 15, 2023)
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, MI – Nancy McCauley Branstetter’s friend saw a group of newborn squirrels fall in the yard. She spent her day taking the squirrels to the Howell Nature Center and saved their lives. That’s an act of kindness.
McCauley Branstetter along with local residents including the Highland Community Round Table are hoping to spread awareness about such acts through a new Facebook page called Highland Kindness. The Round Table is a coalition of community leaders in Highland Township. McCauley Branstetter presented the idea to them and launched the campaign the week of July 24th.
“It’s simple,” she said. “If you are out and about and see an act of kindness or are lucky enough to be a recipient, we are asking people to go to the Facebook page and tell us about it.”
McCauley Branstetter came up with the idea after hearing about a similar campaign in Gilbert, Arizona. The town actually changed its name to Kindness USA.
Some examples of kindness include a woman who brought cold water to a family whose car broke down outside her home; a neighbor who pulls the trash barrels up for you; or even someone who holds the door.
“It can be small little things like that,” she said. “They don’t have to be huge.”
The Facebook group called Highland Matters is promoting the campaign. Community leaders have also put fliers in businesses to spread the word. So far, there have been about a dozen comments. People can post their stories, videos and photos to the page for Highland Kindness or send a message to the group to remain anonymous. They even can use the hashtag #highlandkindness to post about acts on their own pages.
“I think it’s very positive, and I’m excited to bring it to the community,” McCauley Branstetter said. “As we grow, it will be a big source of pride for Highland.”
Tami Flowers, the Highland Township clerk, is helping with some of the technical aspects of the page.
“I was really excited about it when Nancy brought this idea to us,” Flowers said. “I think we can always use more positivity in the world. I love it.”
There is no funding for the project; It is a grassroots effort. The duo is hoping that with the start of the new school year, students will acknowledge acts of kindness.
“We have to train people to see these things and make a mental note to say thank you later,” McCauley Branstetter said. “I don’t see a downside to kindness. We’re trying to bring it to the community.”
For more information, go to the Facebook page Highland Kindness.
