What is kindness?
Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate towards others, showing compassion, empathy, and a willingness to help others without expecting anything in return.
Make the Choice...
It seems such a simple thing. We often go about our everyday life without thinking about being kind; perhaps we just assume it happens, however, being kind involves making a choice to be kind and acts of kindness have the potential to make the world a happier place.
Don’t underestimate how much impact an act of kindness can have. It doesn’t just benefit the recipient; it also helps you too! Kindness can increase your sense of connectivity with others, and it can be contagious, encouraging others to join in with their own generous deeds.
When times are hard, it is good to reach out with kindness to those around us, and as Christmas approaches, feelings of loss and sadness can be amplified for many in our community. If you are moved to kindness at this time, Yarra Plenty Regional Library (YPRL) has plenty of ideas for you.
Diamond Valley Gift Appeal
The Diamond Valley Gift Appeal is collecting NEW toys and gift vouchers for children and teenagers in need. There are collection bins at Watsonia, Diamond Valley, Eltham, Rosanna, and Ivanhoe branches. Gender-neutral toys are helpful, and there is a particular need for presents suitable for teenagers. Please leave your donations unwrapped.
We can accept your donations up to December 15th.
This leaves time for them to be sorted and given to families!
Donating Food
Whittlesea libraries are also collecting food for Whittlesea Community Connections - please contact your Whittlesea branch for further information.
System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' was not present in the dictionary. at Our.Iconic.ValueConverters.IconicValueConverter.ConvertIntermediateToObject(IPublishedElement owner, IPublishedPropertyType propertyType, PropertyCacheLevel referenceCacheLevel, Object inter, Boolean preview) at Umbraco.Cms.Core.PublishedCache.PublishedElementPropertyBase.GetValue(String culture, String segment) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedPropertyExtension.Value[T](IPublishedProperty property, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedElementExtensions.Value[T](IPublishedElement content, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String alias, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Yprl.Website.Core.Models.Umbraco.ImageAndTextBlockComposition.GetButtonIcon(IImageAndTextBlockComposition that, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback) in /home/vsts/work/1/s/src/Yprl.Website.Core/Models/Umbraco/Generated/ImageAndTextBlockComposition.generated.cs:line 117 at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_Blocks__ImageAndTextBlock.ExecuteAsync() at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_imageAndTextBlockElement.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\Bento\imageAndTextBlockElement.cshtml:line 3 at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials__Bento.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\_Bento.cshtml:line 36
System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' was not present in the dictionary. at Our.Iconic.ValueConverters.IconicValueConverter.ConvertIntermediateToObject(IPublishedElement owner, IPublishedPropertyType propertyType, PropertyCacheLevel referenceCacheLevel, Object inter, Boolean preview) at Umbraco.Cms.Core.PublishedCache.PublishedElementPropertyBase.GetValue(String culture, String segment) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedPropertyExtension.Value[T](IPublishedProperty property, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedElementExtensions.Value[T](IPublishedElement content, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String alias, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Yprl.Website.Core.Models.Umbraco.ImageAndTextBlockComposition.GetButtonIcon(IImageAndTextBlockComposition that, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback) in /home/vsts/work/1/s/src/Yprl.Website.Core/Models/Umbraco/Generated/ImageAndTextBlockComposition.generated.cs:line 117 at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_Blocks__ImageAndTextBlock.ExecuteAsync() at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_imageAndTextBlockElement.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\Bento\imageAndTextBlockElement.cshtml:line 3 at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials__Bento.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\_Bento.cshtml:line 36
System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' was not present in the dictionary. at Our.Iconic.ValueConverters.IconicValueConverter.ConvertIntermediateToObject(IPublishedElement owner, IPublishedPropertyType propertyType, PropertyCacheLevel referenceCacheLevel, Object inter, Boolean preview) at Umbraco.Cms.Core.PublishedCache.PublishedElementPropertyBase.GetValue(String culture, String segment) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedPropertyExtension.Value[T](IPublishedProperty property, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedElementExtensions.Value[T](IPublishedElement content, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String alias, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Yprl.Website.Core.Models.Umbraco.ImageAndTextBlockComposition.GetButtonIcon(IImageAndTextBlockComposition that, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback) in /home/vsts/work/1/s/src/Yprl.Website.Core/Models/Umbraco/Generated/ImageAndTextBlockComposition.generated.cs:line 117 at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_Blocks__ImageAndTextBlock.ExecuteAsync() at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_imageAndTextBlockElement.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\Bento\imageAndTextBlockElement.cshtml:line 3 at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials__Bento.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\_Bento.cshtml:line 36
System.Collections.Generic.KeyNotFoundException: The given key '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000' was not present in the dictionary. at Our.Iconic.ValueConverters.IconicValueConverter.ConvertIntermediateToObject(IPublishedElement owner, IPublishedPropertyType propertyType, PropertyCacheLevel referenceCacheLevel, Object inter, Boolean preview) at Umbraco.Cms.Core.PublishedCache.PublishedElementPropertyBase.GetValue(String culture, String segment) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedPropertyExtension.Value[T](IPublishedProperty property, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Umbraco.Extensions.PublishedElementExtensions.Value[T](IPublishedElement content, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback, String alias, String culture, String segment, Fallback fallback, T defaultValue) at Yprl.Website.Core.Models.Umbraco.ImageAndTextBlockComposition.GetButtonIcon(IImageAndTextBlockComposition that, IPublishedValueFallback publishedValueFallback) in /home/vsts/work/1/s/src/Yprl.Website.Core/Models/Umbraco/Generated/ImageAndTextBlockComposition.generated.cs:line 117 at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_Blocks__ImageAndTextBlock.ExecuteAsync() at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials_Bento_imageAndTextBlockElement.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\Bento\imageAndTextBlockElement.cshtml:line 3 at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageCoreAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderPageAsync(IRazorPage page, ViewContext context, Boolean invokeViewStarts) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Razor.RazorView.RenderAsync(ViewContext context) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.RenderPartialCoreAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData, TextWriter writer) at Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.ViewFeatures.HtmlHelper.PartialAsync(String partialViewName, Object model, ViewDataDictionary viewData) at AspNetCore.Views_Partials__Bento.ExecuteAsync() in C:\home\site\wwwroot\Views\Partials\_Bento.cshtml:line 36
What else can you do?
Volunteering is the donation of your time to support an organisation or community. Over 2 million Victorians give their time as volunteers. Take the first steps at: Search for volunteer roles - Volunteering Victoria
Have you ever thought about the kindness you can give by donating blood or plasma? Each donation can save up to three lives. You can also register as an Organ Donor.
Acts of kindness don’t need to be big, or to be part of an event, or a Christmas drive. Everyday kindness can have a big impact.
Pay it forward at your local coffee shop - suspend a coffee for someone who needs it.
Offer to mow your neighbour’s lawn, or nature strip, or bring in their bins for them.
Smile and say hello to people as you pass them. This simple act of kindness could make someone’s day.
Channel Kindness: Stories of Kindness and Community
A collection of 51 stories of kindness, bravery, and resilience from young people all over the world collected by the Born This Way Foundation and introduced by Lady Gaga. For Lady Gaga, kindness is the driving force behind everything she says and does. She founded Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the world a kinder and braver place. community.
The Biology of Kindness: Six Daily Choices for Health, Well-Being, and Longevity
In The Biology of Kindness, the science of mindfulness and the findings of biology come together to show how kindness and optimism improve overall well-being in profound, organic, and demonstrable ways. Daniel Lumera, an expert in meditation and mindfulness, and Immaculata De Vivo, a preeminent researcher in molecular epidemiology, outline a revolutionary approach to health, longevity, and quality of life--and explain the scientific evidence that supports their work.
Before we Forget Kindness
Four guests arrive in the mysterious cafe where customers arrive hoping to travel in time. They must follow the cafe's strict rules, however, and come back to the present before their coffee goes cold. In another moving and heartwarming tale from Toshikazu Kawaguchi, our new visitors wish to go back into their past to move on their present, finding closure and comfort so they can embark on a beautiful future.
The Kindness Revolution: How we can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism
Can we dare to dream of a more loving country - kinder, more compassionate, more cooperative, more respectful, more inclusive, more egalitarian, more harmonious, less cynical? Hugh Mackay asks the questions many of us have also asked. What really matters to me? Am I living the kind of life I want? What sort of society do I want us to become?
When I Smile: A Book of Kindness
Showing the power and gift of a smile, this story follows one girl as she goes about her day, giving different smiles to those around her, including goofy smiles with her best friend and playful, supportive smiles with her sister when she's feeling down.