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A Little Bit More: Free Hugs and Mysterious Letters

This post is by Celeste, who coordinates the La Vida Idealist blog.


From Flickr user kalandrakas When I meet people and tell them I work for a nonprofit, more often than not they tell me about some volunteering they did a while ago and the reasons why they don't do it anymore. There's usually a hint of guilt in their speech, and an assumption that I'm judging them. Which I'm not.

Just because you aren't volunteering directly for a nonprofit doesn't mean you aren't doing some good in the world. There are plenty of people doing small gestures that when added up, mean a lot – even if they aren't formally connected to a 501(c)(3).

Take the Free Hugs campaign. Started by Juan Mann, the idea of the campaign is to spread more kindness in the world through the act of hugging strangers. I was lucky enough to experience a free hug firsthand here in Buenos Aires a few months ago. At the weekly antique fair in San Telmo, I saw a young woman holding a cardboard sign that said "Free Hugs." Some people ignored her, some stopped to stare, some ran right into her arms. I hesitated at first, but then gave in, and it surprised me how sincere the hug was – and how much I enjoyed it. So if you're like me and relish a good embrace from time to time, check out The Illustrated Guide to Free Hugs, which gives advice on how to enact the campaign in your own community as well as details 30 different styles of hugs, the Lift and Spin and Koala being my personal favorites.

Mysterious Letters, an independent project of Lenka Clayton and Michael Crowe, is a similar attempt at spreading global goodwill. Starting with the small Irish village of Cushendall, the two artists sent personal, handwritten letters to each of their 467 neighbors. The beautifully crafted letters were all different shapes, sizes and styles from retro postcards to hotel stationery, and the content ranged from the absurd to the sweet. One of my favorites is a letter that read, "We appreciate all the things you have done that no one has noticed. And we will think of them often." The idea was to foster community by encouraging their neighbors to talk to one another more – even if suspicion was the guiding emotion at first. But it worked, and now Lenka and Michael have an ambitious plan to send a letter to every community in the world.

So, if you've made anyone smile or feel good recently, go ahead and pat yourself on the back. It might mean more than you think.


A Little Bit More is a series in which we cover the "little somethings" that people and organizations are doing to respond to the needs around them – things that, if done by many people all around the world, add up to make a big impact. Read more here.