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Acts of Kindness “pays it forward”
By Bob Robinson

GREENVILLE – “Courage for Corynna… Pay it Forward.” Greenville High School senior, Jennifer Murray, lost a friend in December, but continues Corynna’s message with a club they started: Acts of Kindness.

“Her facebook, with 7,400 likes, inspired my mom and me,” Jennifer said. “We realized if each of them (the ‘likes’) did one act of kindness, the difference it could make in the community and the world.”

Jennifer said she and Corynna were friends as were their moms. Jen and her mom brought the idea to Corynna and her mom; they started the club together. It was granted club status by the Board of Education, so they started advertising and promoting it. “It was tough because of the weather,” she added, but it has gained traction in the high school.

“We have about 30 kids we text for an event or idea, some have never been to a meeting but they have texted ideas of their own and receive our texts.” The group meets every other Tuesday after school; number of students attending varies due to the myriad of activities in which they’re involved. Jennifer herself is in choir, art, Spanish Club, orchestra, NHS, SADD and golf.

Acts of Kindness, as with other groups, did a fundraiser for Corynna. It was a cookie walk. “We sold different sizes of boxes; when they bought one they filled it with donated cookies.”

The big event, however, was the club’s participation in National Acts of Kindness Week. Some of the activities the students did during the week included dressing up in neon colors (to brighten someone’s day) and decorating hallways with streamers and signs.

“We wrote notes to different individuals… one act of kindness can change the world! Pay it forward!”

On Thursday of that week staff and club members handed out “Caught you being good” tickets. “If they saw someone doing an act of kindness toward someone they got a coupon for a prize (candy).”

Jennifer said on Friday they all wore their Corynna shirts and showed part of her “life review” Hospice made… the part about paying it forward and the school’s support in the fight. “We ended the week showing this is what can happen when you ‘pay it forward’…

“Not everyone thinks they can go out and do this, but all they need to do is just one small act for someone, and that person can do the same for someone else. Jennifer said the club is more than just a way to promote kindness. “It helps bring closure to Corynna’s friends, offers new students a way to make friends and texting makes it easy for those who want to join and have ideas.”

GHS Principal Ken Neff, noting Jennifer is a senior and would be leaving for college next year, said the concept was too important to keep at club status. “I wanted to keep it going,” he said. “It is no longer just a club, it’s now part of the PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Organization).” Jennifer hopes to be able to do something similar to Acts of Kindness in college.

In addition to her school activities, Jennifer is an intern for Amber Garrett, director of Mainstreet Greenville. She plans to attend the University of Cincinnati in graphic design. She also performs locally, singing and playing the guitar. She’ll be performing at the Coffee Pot on March 14.

Published courtesy of The Early Bird


 
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