This Durham, NC Entrepreneur Carrie McQuaid has made it her mission to spread kindness. She's the owner of Carrie Grace Shop and The Kindness Box, runs workshops for woman-run businesses, and regularly holds Kindness Days - special days meant to spread kindness within her community.
Ever since she can remember she's been an advocate for spreading kindness; she gives credit to her parents for instilling this value in her. At just 14-years-old, she began volunteering at UNC's hospital, delivering flowers and cards to patients, and ever since she's made it her mission to spread hope and love to everyone she meets.
Three years ago Carrie started "The Kindness Box," a quarterly box subscription with the goal of making the world a kinder place. Each box is filled with 7-10 items meant to spread joy and happiness. You can get them delivered right to your door or you can even send them to a friend!
Along with her Kindness Box, Carrie has been coming up with ways to spread kindness on a daily basis. Around election time she handed out donuts in Durham Park and on her most recent kindness day, HooplaHa-Only Good News caught up with her as she handed out ice cream, popsicles, and balloons. There's only one condition when she hands out these items, in exchange, each person must perform an act of kindness.
Most recently Carrie spread kindness on a Southwest Airlines' flight. This year Carrie's birthday happened to fall on the same day she was traveling from her hometown in Durham, North Carolina to California, so she wanted to do something special. She handed out "kindness bags" to every passenger on board her flight, including to the flight attendants and pilots, with the goal of getting everyone to pay it forward! "My life's mission is to add more kindness into the world. One act of kindness can have a ripple effect. One act of kindness can turn into hundreds of acts of kindness," says Carrie.
For more inspiration from Carrie and to follow her mission of making the world a kinder place, follow her on Instagram. This HooplaHa original video is shot by Ryan B. Timms edited by Kellie Sieban. To see more good news, follow us on Facebook and sign up for our Only Good News Newsletter.