The #KindnessMap

The #Kindness Map celebrates kindness heroes around the world. It calls on the Kindness Pandemic's 560,000+ members to put their town on a #KindnessMap. It recognises that almost a year into the COVID19 Pandemic - so many people still need acts of kindness to help them get through. Kindness is universally important.

An initiative of Designer and Illustrator Lily Bu, the #KindnessMap invites us to understand what others around the world are experiencing and to celebrate local heroes. 

How to put your town on the Map

Share the story about an act of Kindness that happened in your town (suburb, region) to the Kindness Pandemic Facebook Group that includes:
  1. The town you are from
  2. An act of kindness that happened in your town
  3. An image related to the kindness - or a flag from your town​
  4. The #KindnessMap hashtag so we can find all the Kindness Map posts in the group.

#KindnessMap UK - NHS

The NHS in the UK is under significant strain. The week the Kindness Map was launch saw 80,000 deaths and around on in 50 people in the UK infected with CoronaVirus. The immunisation has begun but with weeks before immunity is achieved there are 30,000 people in English hospitals with COVID19, compared with 18,000 in the COVID 2020 peak. Experts are saying the NHS is on the brink of collapse. To try to support NHS staff we are calling for stories from NHS staff about their experiences and acts of kindness - and calling for people in the UK to share stories of kindness to NHS workers. 

#KindnessMap USA

At the time the #KindnessMap was launched, there were almost 300,000 new cases of COVID a day in the USA, deaths have surpassed 350,000 and some health services are at crisis point . In response we invited our members to share stories of kindness for health care workers in the USA - or health care workers in the USA to share stories of kindness they experienced. Steps to participate: 
  1. Tell us where in the USA you are from
  2. Share an act of kindness done for a Health Care Worker in the USA
  3. Health Care Workers you are invited to tell us about your experience of working during COVID19 and share an act of kindness someone did for you 
  4. Share the kindness and an image to the Kindness Pandemic Facebook group
  5. Include the #KindnessMap hashtag so we can find all the Kindness Map posts in the group.

We hope that by raising awareness of how hard Health Care Workers are working during COVID19 - and how powerful even the smallest act of kindness is - that we will promote acts of kindness for Health Care Workers. 
Tami Owens: We live in Arizona.  Covid is rampant here.  My elderly mother was put in the hospital with kidney and liver failure.  We can't go see her. Absolutely no visitors even though she is not covid positive. No one at all. Her phone went flat after a few days. Such a simple thing that happens every day right?  But I can't take her a charger. She can't figure out the hospital phone.  It's heartbreaking. Today a nurse or someone was with her when I called the hospital phone. My mom told me her mobile was flat and I heard this angel say... "What kind of phone?  Let me get you a charger." Such a kind offer.  I can't even thank them so I am posting here to acknowledge their kindness.  This mystery person doesn't  even know how much it means to my family. Small acts of kindness go a long way in this troubling time we are living in.

Lily Bu's Gallery 

Below is the Victorian Kindness Map Lily drew from stories shared to the Kindness Pandemic Facebook group, and some of Lily's responses. We want to thank everyone who gave permission to include their wonderful stories of kindness, the project would not have been possible without you. 

To see the full collection of Lily's art work and stories, please go to @thekindnessmap on instagram.

Partnership

The #KindnessMap is a partnership between designer and illustrator Lily Bu and the Kindness Pandemic. Lily reflects on the parntership:
When I stumbled across The Kindness Pandemic on Facebook, I was overwhelmed by the generous stories and amazing interactions between strangers. The community really came together in a time of crisis, forming a support network that has certainly gotten many people through a tough time. As a graphic design student in Melbourne, I wanted to do my part by illustrating some of the brilliant stories shared in the community. At university we were studying how to make maps, so I figured it would be great to combine the two and thus, The Kindness Map was born! I want to show people that no matter where you are, kindness is never far. ”
Lily Bu, designer and illustrator​

Contact us

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