Operation K is a random acts of kindness club at Wittenberg, established in September of 2015 by juniors Annie Fort, Caitlin Martin and Mackenzie Morehouse.
As one could guess, the “K” in Operation K stands for kindness. The inspiration for the club came from Fort and Martin’s decision to re-evaluate HEART, a health club on campus they previously led. It needed a new mission, but still wanted to affect the culture of campus in a positive way.
When Morehouse began doing random acts of kindness on campus to bring recognition to Down Syndrome Awareness Day, the idea took off for the three women.
“My favorite part about Operation K is the concept,” Morehouse, vice president of the club, said. “Kindness is something everyone is capable of, but many times people underestimate the power it can have.”
The leaders of Operation K recognize that as college students, we get wrapped up in our busy, stressful lives here at Wittenberg and forget to recognize that something we say or do could completely change someone’s day for the better.
Recently, the club noticed that with the transition from Jazzman’s to Starbucks, the Post 95 workers had a lot on their plates, and people were not always treating them with the respect they deserved. Operation K decided that its next meeting would consist of each club member writing a note of appreciation for the Post 95 workers. They filled oversized coffee mugs with the notes and Hershey Kisses and delivered the gifts to them. The workers’ reactions showed that the random act of kindness made a big difference on their day.
The biggest event the club organizes is Destress Fest, which takes place in the spring around finals. It typically includes games, inflatables, snacks and much more to give students a break from studying, and ease the stress of finals. Club members will also be planning a series of small acts of kindness throughout the week of February 12, also known as National Random Acts of Kindness Week.
“Random acts of kindness are scientifically proven to decrease anxiety, depression, blood pressure and improve life satisfaction by causing an increased sense of belonging and self worth,” Morehouse said. “With mental health issues and anxiety being so prevalent on college campuses, we could all use a little bit more kindness in our lives.”
If a student wants to be a part of Operation K, he or she can email Fort, Martin or Morehouse, or show up to one of the meetings. The club meets biweekly on Mondays to discuss good deeds, and brainstorm random acts of kindness in Hollenbeck 129.
