Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce Announces Leap of Kindness Day 2024
Leap of Kindness Day – February 29, 2024
The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce introduces the Leap of Kindness Day on February 29, 2024 and invites you to participate. Leap of Kindness Day was invented by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce in 2016. The idea was to inspire their members and community to use their extra day that Leap Year to do something kind for someone else, and hundreds of local organizations helped thousands of local people on February 29, 2016. The Leap of Kindness Day was even bigger and better in 2020 as more than 200 chambers in the US, Canada, and Ireland joined the Saratoga County efforts and organized their own celebrations in addition of the efforts of Saratoga County.
What will you do in honor of this day?
The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce invites everyone in the City of Leeds to participate in a Leap of Kindness Day this year to join this growing kindness movement. The Chamber invites local businesses, municipalities, organizations and individuals to get involved and donate your time, talent and treasure to help others including local charities, churches, non-profit organizations and to thank first responders, teachers, school bus drivers, Veterans and others in honor of this day.
To make this happen, local non-profit organizations can send an email to Diane Poole at diane.leedsareachamber@gmail.com to share what your organization needs in 2024. These requests will be posted on our website as they are received.
If you are a local business, municipality, organization or individual that would like to participate in this kindness campaign, please let us know using the form provided what specific acts of kindness you decide to do from this list or to achieve a mission important to you and your organization. These efforts will be posted to our website as well so the world can see the kindness projects that are happening right here in Leeds, Alabama.
Mayor David Miller Declares Leap of Kindness Day 2024
Leeds Mayor David Miller and Leeds City Council declared Leap Day, February 29, 2024 as Leap of Kindness Day in the City of Leeds, Alabama with Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber launched a kindness campaign and Mayor Miller encourages everyone in the City of Leeds to participate in some act of kindness or a kindness project in honor of or on Leap Day this year.
"Tonight was a special occasion at the city council meeting in that we provided a proclamation to our Chamber of Commerce for a really very important initiative that the director and the officers have put forward, and that is to establish a special day, Leap Year Day, as Leap of Kindness Day in the City.
This is a national program and the city voted unanimously to participate. We issued a proclamation tonight supporting that, and this is an opportunity for you just to do something good for somebody who needs help. The Chamber of Commerce will be coordinating this. They'll provide a list of businesses, individuals and situations where you can do something to help your fellow man, and we as a city are very proud to participate in this. We think this speaks to Who We Are,” said Mayor David Miller.
To get your creative spirit going in thinking of the possibilities...
here is a list of some of our Leeds area non-profit organizations to consider and some needs that have been made known:
- Leeds Arts Council
Leeds Arts Council has a need for someone to help with pulling weeds on the side and the back of the arts council building.
- Leeds Lions Club
Leeds Lions Club needs donations of your old eyeglasses. Also, the club is open to new members who may have an interest in joining a great volunteer organization.
- Leeds Outreach
For the Leap Day campaign, our most needed items at Leeds Outreach are: Trash bags, Toilet paper, Laundry detergent. We also have an ongoing volunteer opportunity on Mondays from approximately from 12-3 unloading and storing milk. If you know anyone that would be interested please have them contact us.
- Leeds High School Band Boosters
Leeds High School Band Boosters is a 501c3 that is currently raising money for the Leeds High School Band's once in a lifetime trip to Pearl Harbor with the performance of a song written by Chip Wise, band director, to honor Leeds, Alabama, the City of Valor, and our Medal of Honor recipients. The trip is coming up in March and the band is continuing their fundraiser fundraiser projects to enable all band members to be able to go on this trip. If anyone would like to donate or help with fundraising efforts for a Leap Day kindness project, it would be awesome.
- BackPack Buddies
Currently, Backpack Buddies is providing bags of food for 176 children in Leeds Schools and 1,000 children ministry-wide. These children have been identified as having food insecurities, and these bags of food help meet the needs these children have on the weekend. Food items that we need most right now include peanut butter crackers, ramen noodles, single-serving cereal boxes, and 7 oz. ravioli cups. Thank you for your support.
- American Legion Post 107
- Ann's New Life
-Backpack Buddies
- Friends of the Library
- Community Action Togetherness Services, Inc.
- Knights of Columbus Leeds Council #5597
- Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce
- Leeds Education Foundation
- Leeds Historical Society
- Leeds Main Street
- Leeds Masonic Lodge #446
- Moody Miracle League
- Moton Community Center
- The Red Barn
- Tri-County Civitan
- Woman's Literary Club of Leeds
- Your Local Church
Here are a few other acts of kindness that you might consider:
- Organize a drive for essential items and personally deliver goods to a local charity on February 29.
- Express gratitude to first responders by delivering meals or snacks to your local police, fire, or EMS station on Leap of Kindness Day.
- Dedicate February 29 to enhancing a public space – a park, trail or playground – by cleaning, beautifying or fixing amenities in need.
- Encourage your children to write and deliver heartfelt thank-you notes to educators, custodians, bus drivers and others on February 29.
- Reach out to local care facilities, hospitals, senior or youth centers and agencies assisting those with unique needs. Collect and deliver items tailored to their specific requirements on Leap of Kindness Day.
If you still need more ideas, here's a list of 100 Random Acts of Kindness ideas at: https://signupgenius.com/groups/random-acts-of-kindness-ideas.cfm
A Special THANK YOU to These that are already participating with our Leap of Kindness 2024 campaign:
- Leeds Senior Center - During February we will be participating in the City of Leeds “National Leap of Kindness Day.” The day is celebrated on February 29. Since we have an extra day, it’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate by doing something kind. Watch for more details.
- Kaylee Williams with Cricket Wireless is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day! She and her team have chosen Leeds Outreach as their kindness project. "Charity and donations! I love to have the opportunity to give back to communities and to give to families that are less fortunate than I am. It pains me to see families struggling to feed their families or children to not have the supplies they need to get a good education. Currently, I am running a children’s book drive with my company for the Leeds Public Library," shared Kaylee. Thank you Kaylee Williams and Cricket Wireless for your participation!!!
- Trussville Rotary Daybreak Club is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day." Their project is Leeds Outreach and they plan to collect and deliver their most needed items: trash bags, toilet paper, laundry detergent.
- Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day". The Board of Directors has chosen their kindness project to be: The Chamber will provide a Duty-Free Lunch on March 6, 2024 for Leeds Elementary School teachers.
- adr Business & Marketing Strategies is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day". This business will join efforts with Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce to provide a Duty-Free Lunch on March 6, 2024 for Leeds Elementary School teachers. adr is also collecting eyeglasses for Leeds Lions Club. If you have any old eyeglasses that you would like to donate, please contact Dona Bonnett at 256.345.3993 to arrange pickup or you can drop them off at the chamber office or in the night drop box outside the chamber office.
- LA Salon & Boutique is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day." This business is asking everyone to support small businesses in Leeds on Leap Day and will offer 25% off of all merchandise and one free 15-minute tan that day.
- Leeds Elementary School is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day". As a school, we are collecting donations for four different organizations. Each grade level is in charge of collecting for a different organization: Second Grade is doing a children's book drive for Women's Literary Club. Third Grade is doing a diapers and wipes drive for Ann's New Life. Fourth grade is doing a food and hygienic items drive for Backpack Buddies. Fifth grade is doing a sensory bins drive for Leeds Public Library.
- Stratford Real Estate is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day". They are having Straight Mountain Catering cater lunch to the Leeds building services department employees.
- The Grove School is participating in the City of Leeds "National Leap of Kindness Day" with several charity projects.
For more information about the Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce and the Leap of Kindness Day 2024, please visit https://leedsareachamber.com or call Diane Poole at 205.478.2469 or Sandra McGuire at 205.965.9392.
Is Your Company or Family Participating? Does your Non-Profit Organization have a Need? Let us Know!
Share Your Plans for Leap of Kindness Day 2024
Help us keep track of all the wonderful acts of kindness happening in our community on Leap of Kindness Day - February 29, 2024.