Instead of being showered with gifts for her 22nd birthday a Seton Hall student decided to help the community in 22 ways on July 23.
Senior nursing major Hillary Sadlon said that she performed the 22 "random acts of kindness" in several New Jersey towns and Bethlehem, Pa. with the help of her friend Meghan Cox and boyfriend Evan Reed.
"I wanted to do something big to show that helping others has a contagious rewarding feeling that comes with it," Sadlon said. "I wanted to make a difference, even if for one day," she added.
Sadlon said they donated blood, weeded her grandmother's front yard, left a gift for the mailman, brought flowers to local nurses and brought balloons to a special education class among other good deeds.
"I wanted to do a wide range of acts," Sadlon said. "Some are pretty big like donating blood and donating animal supplies to a shelter; others are as simple as leaving pennies heads up."
She also said she got the initial idea from the social media website, Pinterest.
Sadlon said that a woman in a neighboring town was doing the same thing for her 45th birthday.
"It is so nice to see that the kindness is spreading in different areas," she said. "It makes you truly believe that a good change is occurring by helping others."
Sadlon said that she was at first hesitant and nervous about approaching people, but the results were worthwhile.
"The love I received back was overwhelming," she said.
Sadlon said that she would like to continue to "spread the kindness" on her next birthday or during the holidays.
Tiffany Do can be reached at Tiffany.Do@student.shu.edu
