Kindness does not have to be loud or complicated to be powerful. Sometimes it begins as a small spark. One person choosing to care. One donation dropped off. One yes spoken quietly but with intention. When those small sparks come together, the impact can be far greater than anyone expects.

Sparking Georgia is the local Georgia kindness group of Sparks of Kindness, a movement that began years ago with one simple idea and has since spread worldwide, being featured across the United States on the news. What started as a single spark has grown into a global ripple of everyday people choosing to look for opportunities to love others in practical, meaningful ways.

This past weekend in Georgia, that ripple was felt in a powerful way. Through our Sparking Georgia homeless outreach, I witnessed firsthand how small acts of kindness multiplied through community can create real, tangible change. What unfolded was a beautiful reminder that when people show up with open hands and open hearts, lives are touched on both sides.

Donations arrived from all over, far beyond what we could have imagined. Items were collected and dropped off at four different locations across Georgia, including Lizard Thicket’s corporate office, Venture Games, Splatterdash of Newnan, and even my own front porch.

Lizard Thicket’s corporate team generously opened their lobby as a drop-off location and then loaded their bus to help transport donations into Atlanta. Venture Games went above and beyond by allowing us to use their warehouse to sort and pack everything, creating a central space where community could gather and work side by side.

Lizard Thicket’s corporate team generously opened their lobby as a drop-off location and then loaded their bus to help transport donations into Atlanta. Venture Games went above and beyond by allowing us to use their warehouse to sort and pack everything, creating a central space where community could gather and work side by side.

As we worked, something deeper happened. As a community helping others, we connected. Conversations unfolded between people who had never met before. Laughter, quiet moments, and shared purpose filled the space. We weren’t just serving together, we were being shaped by the experience together.

Once the bags were packed, Rock Springs Church arrived to pick up 100 bags to serve people experiencing homelessness in Griffin, Georgia. Bridging the Gap also came to collect bags to distribute in Newnan. Watching those carefully prepared bags leave the warehouse was deeply moving, knowing how much love and care had gone into each one.

My friend Maurice, who runs Feet on the Street Ministries in Atlanta, took several hundred bags directly to people living on the streets. The remaining bags were handed out face to face on sidewalks throughout the city.

That’s where the moments happened.

One woman accepted a suitcase, looked up, and asked if she could hug me. As she held on, she whispered “I love you” over and over again.

Another man, sitting in a wheelchair, asked if we happened to have shoes. We had exactly one pair left. My son brought them to him. The man shared that he woke up that morning wearing shoes that had completely fallen apart. Someone had given him flip-flops earlier in the day, but when he saw the high-top sneakers, his entire face changed. His day had completely turned around.

Another man, sitting in a wheelchair, asked if we happened to have shoes. We had exactly one pair left. My son brought them to him. The man shared that he woke up that morning wearing shoes that had completely fallen apart. Someone had given him flip-flops earlier in the day, but when he saw the high-top sneakers, his entire face changed. His day had completely turned around.

If you donated.
If you collected items.
If you sorted or packed bags.
If you drove or transported supplies.
If you prayed.
If your child made a card.

Please know this. You made a real difference.

Real people were loved because of you. And as a community, we were reminded that when we show up for others through small acts of kindness, we don’t just change lives. We change each other.

Thank you for being part of Sparking Georgia and for choosing to love louder.

Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SparkingGeorgia if you live in Georgia, but also join and invite friends to our worldwide group https://www.facebook.com/groups/sparksofkindness

See more about my kindness group here https://cedarhillstudios.com/2024-kindness-page