http://www.kindacts.net/cycle/faq.htm
 | Frequently Asked Questions 2. What is the Vancouver Random Acts of Kindness Fund's connection to KindActs? 3. What is Cycling for Kindness' connection to KindActs? 6. Who exactly is Brock Tully? 7. How can I get Brock's book(s)? 8. Who else is going on the Cycling for Kindness tour? 9. What is Brock (and the team) personally getting out of this? 10. How did this group come to be? 11. How is the tour being funded? 13. How will the proceeds of the journey be used? 14. What can I do to support the tour? 15. If I choose to support the journey financially, will my purchase be tax-deductible? 16. Is Cycling for Kindness and/or KindActs a charitable/registered organization? 18. Can I cycle with the team? 19. How will you inspire one million random acts of kindness? 20. How will you choose what kindness stories will go into the Cyclopedia of KindActs? 21. Who will be reading my story? 22. When will the Cyclopedia of KindActs be published? 23. What will I experience at the weekly 'Kindness Conference' 24. How many ‘Kindness Conferences’ (formerly referred to as Town Hall Forums) will there be? 25. How are the locations for the 'Kindness Conferences' selected? 27. Is this a book tour for Brock?
1. What is KindActs?
KindActs is a home-base and administrative resource for kindness initiatives. Our purpose is to inspire, facilitate and enhance kindness in all aspects of our lives. Whether it is in our workplaces, schools, communities or in our own personal lives, kindness is the most tangible, universal and powerful way for us to reconnect and bring meaning and joy to our lives and the lives of those we touch.
As kindness has no boundaries, we have no religious or political affiliations or motives. We facilitate the connection of kindness-minded individuals and organizations through inspirational events and communication tools and resources. Along with developing our own initiatives, we associate with and expand upon existing kindness projects so as to further the spreading of kindness in all areas of our lives.
KindActs is a not-for-profit organization, currently researching the possibility of becoming a Society, with charitable status.
2. What is the Vancouver Random Acts of Kindness Fund's connection to KindActs?
KindActs was originally named The Vancouver Random Acts of Kindness Fund. Our intention was to touch hearts and inspire people to commit random acts of kindness through our street campaigns and public forums. Within a short period of the launch of our 1998 street campaign, which involved sweeping Vancouver with random acts of kindness, we came into contact with individuals and organizations committed to spreading kindness both locally and globally. As television and radio stations, newspapers, schools and workplaces came on board, the interest and demand for kindness-related programs grew faster than we ever imagined. We recognized the need for facilitating the sharing of resources and ideas between existing kindness initiatives and developing resource tools that would inspire and guide the further spreading of kindness. As a result, KindActs was formed to serve as a home-base and administrative resource for kindness projects.
3. What is Cycling for Kindness' connection to KindActs?
KindActs is a homebase and administrative resource for numerous kindness initiatives. Cycling for Kindness is one of these initiatives. The goal for the tour is to leave a legacy of kindness that will make the world a better place for us and for future generations. The Cycling for Kindness team set out from Vancouver on their 7-month, 10,000-mile journey around North America on February 26 and are scheduled to return to Vancouver on September 17. Kindness gatherings are being held on a weekly basis in over thirty cities along the journey, providing communities with an opportunity to connect around kindness stories and initiatives and further the spreading of kindness in their own communities. The team plans to collect one million random acts of kindness stories. Select stories will be published in the Cyclopedia for KindActs.
Other KindActs initiatives include school programs, workplace initiatives, street campaigns, newsletters and inspirational conferences.
School Programs - providing students with a positive model for interacting with each other and increasing awareness that as individuals, they have the power to make a significant difference in this world.
Workplace Initiatives - taking mutual respect and care programs into concrete action and fostering a deeper sense of cooperation between colleagues.
Street Campaigns - promoting kindness on the streets, be it through a poster and slogan campaign encouraging safe driving, courteous behaviour on the transit system or the commitment of simple acts of kindness that result in a safer and friendlier community.
The Kindness Connection- connecting communities through kindness. This special focus newsletter serves as a communication vehicle and resource guide for people interested in spreading kindness in their community. To date, we have published a special edition on business as well as one on schools.
Inspirational Conferences- sharing stories that inspire heart-felt action. Clam Chowder for the Soul, a yearly special one-day event, Porridge for the Soul, a monthly breakfast meeting and special kindness forums provide people with an opportunity to enjoy heart-felt connection through the sharing of kindness stories and initiatives.
4. Why kindness?
Kindness: Today's Critical Success Factor
Today, we have more tools and ways of communicating with more people than ever before. We have technology, which enables us to connect, whether we are driving our cars, traveling around the world or walking on the moon. Yet for all these breakthroughs in technology that have provided us with faster and easier ways to connect, our modern society is showing increasing signs of disconnection and alienation. With growing incidences of road rage, school violence and predictions that malignant sadness may well become the most debilitating disease by year 2020, our society is suffering from a breakdown in our ability to relate at a very basic level.
A community is only as strong as its relationships. Relationships bind us as people; bring meaning to our lives and enable us to function as a society. If we are to survive and thrive as a community, we must recognize and respect our interconnectedness. Kindness is the most simple, powerful and universal way for people to reconnect with each other and bring meaning and joy to their lives and the lives of those they touch. Kindness takes mutual-respect and care to the next level - into action.
5. Why should I care?
More than just a nice idea, kindness touches hearts and has the power to transform lives. Anyone who has been either the giver or receiver of a kind act will be able to relate to the instant and profound benefits of kindness. Think of a time when you did something kind for someone else or when someone did something kind for you. How did you feel afterwards? This is the kind of personal empowerment and positive energy that we feel kind acts create no matter how big or small.
Caring about kindness and increasing awareness of the importance of kindness is a way for you to immediately experience more meaning and fulfillment in your life. More than that, caring about kindness and doing kind acts provides you with the opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of others and the world. You don't need anyone else's help. This is something that makes a difference whether done as an individual or a group.
6. Who exactly is Brock Tully?
Brock Tully is well known and respected both locally and internationally as an inspirational author and speaker and as a leader for grass roots change through community-based initiatives.
His crusade for kindness was inspired in 1970 when he embarked upon a 10,000 mile bicycle trip around North America and discovered that, despite the news stories of a world at war and a society divided at home, the majority of people he encountered were willing to open their hearts to him through innumerable acts of kindness.
Having personally experienced the transformative power of kindness, Brock has been devoted to spreading kindness and inspiring positive change ever since.
Brock holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Physical Education and Psychology from the University of British Colombia and is the author of five 'Reflections' books (170,000 copies in print), Coming Together, and With Hope We Can All Find Ogo Pogo. He has worked as a college basketball and football coach, a recreation therapist in psychiatric wards, and a crisis centre and drug rehabilitation counselor. In addition, he is a songwriter, musician, album producer, film-writer, marathoner and triathlete.
As an inspirational speaker he has given over 1000 talks to groups of up to 3000 people in schools, corporations and community organizations. For example, he was the feature speaker at the Los Angeles Children's Orthopedic Hospital Fundraiser, and the only author chosen by Simon & Schuster to speak at their 1992 annual sales conference in New York. In 1982 he was recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Kelowna, B.C. (population 80,000) Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Brock has been instrumental in developing such community initiatives as the Porridge for the Soul monthly breakfast meetings and co-founding Clam Chowder for the Soul, an annual event where community and business leaders share their stories of how they are making a positive difference in the community and inspire by example.
In preparation for the tour, he and his wife, Wilma, have recently sold the personal development bookstore, Greenhouse Books…where people grow!, which they have owned and operated in downtown Vancouver for the last seven years.
7. How can I get Brock's book(s)?
Brock's books are available in Canada through Dempsey (604) 708-1081 or from your distributor.
8. Who else is going on the Cycling for Kindness tour?
Cyclist and Spokesperson Brock Tully is accompanied by his wife and cycling companion, Wilma Fuchs. Brock and Wilma are supported by a devoted road team as well as a Vancouver-based home team.
9. What is Brock (and the team) personally getting out of this?
Neither Brock, Wilma, nor any members of the team are benefiting financially from the Cycling for Kindness tour. In addition to the endless hours of preparation every member of the team has committed in preparation for the tour, most have given up full time work to support the cyclists on the road for the next seven months. The money that will be raised from sponsorship, donations, and selling (S)Miles will first be used to cover all costs associated with the tour (gas, food, lodging, equipment, communications, etc.) and with creating the Cyclopedia for KindActs and other tools to spread the message of kindness. All remaining funds will be donated to KindActs to promote kindness and positive change both locally and internationally.
Brock and the members of the team are committed to this initiative because they believe in the power of kindness to transform lives. They will benefit from both giving and receiving this kindness to thousands (and hopefully millions) of people along their journey over the next seven months.
10. How did this group come to be?
They connected through Brock, Clam Chowder for the Soul, Porridge for the Soul breakfast meetings, or were inspired by Brock's initial bicycle journey.
11. How is the tour being funded?
The tour is being funded by private and corporate support, sponsorship and/or donation.
12. Why should I give money? I can commit kind acts myself and make me and others feel good without spending a cent.
You are absolutely right that you can commit kind acts without spending a cent and our primary objective is to encourage you to do just that. You are under no obligation whatsoever to contribute money. Your own personal commitment to committing kind acts is more than enough.
As a group, however, we see a role in raising awareness of the power of kindness and its immediate relevance in addressing many of our modern society's communication challenges. With growing incidences of road rage, school violence and predictions that malignant sadness may well become the most debilitating disease by year 2020, our society is showing definite signs of a breakdown in our ability to relate at a very basic level. The intention of our initiatives is to inspire and support people in reconnecting with each other and taking positive action in their schools, workplaces, communities and their own lives. To develop and facilitate these initiatives takes funding support. This is simply another option that you have to support the spreading of kindness and is by no means required.
13. How will the proceeds of the journey be used?
Funding priorities and planned expenditures are as follows:
Covering journey hard costs and publicity expenses for the Cycling for Kindness project. Honorariums to honour outstanding contribution may be considered once sufficient funding is secured.
Providing much needed materials and staff support to respond to the overwhelming demand for kindness programs and resources.
Our intention is to:
Provide turn-around packages and resource materials to communities who wish to start their own inspirational forums, like Clam Chowder for the Soul, Porridge for the Soul and kindness forums.
Increase awareness of the direct connection between road safety and kindness through street campaigns like the highly successful Victoria Initiative of 1996 called Ride Kind-Drive Kind which was spearheaded by BC Transit and ICBC. Similar campaigns could be launched in cities around the globe and use World Kindness Week as a point of focus.
Vision a Legislature Initiative that would encourage the development of a program promoting dignity and respect within the Legislature.
Create thought provoking kindness slogans through our local “Slogan Campaign”, the results of which will be used for publicity and advertising purposes and will help make kindness a regular part of daily life.
Facilitate the formation of a University/College Kindness Initiative. The University of Victoria's “Lightness and Kindness” initiative is being rolled out for the first test run in February 2000 and could serve as a prototype for other university or college initiatives.
Develop further resource tools and vehicles to facilitate the implementation of kindness programs in schools and workplaces
Host a World Kindness Conference
Develop a network of communities around the globe committed to kindness. Information on upcoming kindness-related meetings or events would be posted on our website so that people could attend initiatives hosted by their local kindness chapter.
14. What can I do to support the tour?
The purpose of this trip is not to raise funds, but rather to raise awareness. However, there are costs that are incurred with a project of this magnitude. There are many ways that you could help support us.
15. If I choose to support the journey by sponsoring a mile through the s(mile) campaign, will my purchase be tax-deductible?
No.
16. Is Cycling for Kindness and/or KindActs a charitable/registered organization?
No, but we are currently investigating it.
17. Is your team paid?
No.
18. Can I cycle with the team?
No you cannot. Our focus is on the weekly kindness gatherings and on raising awareness of kindness, not on the logistics of organizing a bicycle tour. Of course if you wish to cycle with Brock and Wilma we cannot prevent you from doing so, however this is done totally at your own risk and is not a part of the tour.
19. How will you inspire one million random acts of kindness?
Our plan to inspire one million random acts of kindness hinges on a series of kindness gatherings that will take place in 30 cities around North America and will serve as the focal point for each week of the trip. These gatherings will provide an opportunity for people to connect at a heart level through the sharing of stories; and to link with others in their community to develop their own kindness initiatives.
Stories will be collected at each of these kindness gatherings as well as through our website. A select few will be chosen and published in the “Cyclopedia for KindActs”.
In addition, our “Home Team” and the “Advance Road Team” have invested a considerable amount of time in developing Marketing and Public Relations strategies to ensure that the Kindness Conferences (formerly referred to as Town Hall Forums) attract as many people as possible and that communities along the way will be aware of when the Cycling for Kindness team will be passing through their area.
Every member of our team has a personal commitment to kindness and has demonstrated this through their words and actions in the organization of this project and in their daily life. At the most fundamental level, we believe that the heartfelt commitment of our team to kindness will send the most powerful message of the transformative power of kindness to everyone we come into contact with on our journey. In this way, we will inspire a million kind acts, one person at a time.
20. How will you choose what kindness stories will go into the Cyclopedia for KindActs?
Stories for the Cyclopedia for KindActs will be collected through our website and at our weekly Kindness Conference (formerly referred to as Town Hall Forums). Stories will then be sorted by category (eg. kindness in business, in schools, in politics, in the home, to oneself...), with a certain number of stories being chosen from each category by our 'Story Reading and Editing Team'. Categories will not be finalized until all stories are compiled and sorted at the end of the trip.
21. Who will be reading my story?
Our Vancouver-based 'Story Reading and Editing Team', in conjunction with our participating 'Kindness Conference' hosts and Cyclopedia for KindActs publisher, will select a few stories from each category. Selected stories will be read by subscribers to our email-based daily kindness story collection and eventually by readers of the Cyclopedia for KindActs.
22. When will the Cyclopedia for KindActs be published?
The Cyclopedia for KindActs will be published within six to eight months after the completion of the tour. The Random Act of Kindness Foundation has already been selected as the publisher and a team of volunteers has already begun working on how to select and compile all of the stories from the journey into book form.
23. What will I experience at the weekly 'Kindness Conference' (formerly referred to as Town Hall Forums)?
The kindness gatherings are fun-filled and relaxed opportunities for people to connect with each other around kindness stories and projects. There will be a multi-media presentation, an inspirational keynote from Brock, an opportunity for people to connect in small groups as well as share information on local kindness projects with the larger group.
24. How many ‘Kindness Conferences’ (formerly referred to as Town Hall Forums) will there be?
There is a Kindness Conferences scheduled for each week of the journey, for a total of 30 gatherings.
<For details on the gathering nearest you, click here: Link>
25. How are the locations for the se Kindness Conferences selected?
The locations for the conferences have been selected based on size of population and availability of a host. We are open to moving locations of existing kindness conferences that have not already been awarded to a host.
<(If you or your organization are interested in being a host, click here for more information)>
26. Will they be doing events or speaking at places other than the weekly kindness gatherings? Will Brock speak at existing events?
Yes, if you are interested in having Brock come to speak to your group or at your event along the route, please contact Susan MacDonald at 1-800-663-2331 or e-mail Brock at speak@kindacts.net.
27. Is this a book tour for Brock?
Although Brock is an author and will be selling his books along the tour, this is in no way designed to be a means to promote Brock's books. The books will be sold merely as another way to promote kindness. Furthermore, Brock will be donating 75% of any book sales to The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in the States and KindActs in Canada.
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