City Hosting a “Day of Kindness” to Honor Pope and Dalai Lama Visits


Philadelphia was to play host to two of the world’s top spiritual leaders this fall (we got the pope, the Dalai Lama canceled), so, in the spirit of keeping the holiness flowing, the City and nonprofit organization A Day of Kindness have teamed up for “A Day of Kindness” on October 27th. (History buffs may recognize that date as the birthday of Philadelphia—its 333rd.)

“We are working to bring out the spirit of kindness William Penn envisioned when he founded Philadelphia,” say reps from A Day of Kindness. “Our intention is to invite the best of the human spirit to be more present by facilitating acts and expressions of kindness. We are reaching out to the diverse communities, faiths, celebrities and underserved populations of the city to reacquaint each other with the kindness that lives inside all of us.”

The centerpiece of the daylong warm-fuzzy fest will be an instillation in the courtyard of City Hall called “Kindness in the Wind.” There, spectators will find more than 5,000 flags emblazoned with kind words and phrases written by folks throughout the city. The installation will be unveiled on the morning of “A Day of Kindness,” and displayed for several weeks. It was curated by Mural Arts and A Day of Kindness Creative and Co-Executive Director Dafna Yachin, who says, “We’ve started to receive fantastic flags with everything from a wish for a cure for epilepsy to a child’s wish for more puppies. There are wishes for prison reform, more eye contact, everyone having as lovely a family as they have, and a message for a baby about to be born.”

There are a variety of ways to create your own flag that will be hung in the exhibit—from virtually on A Day of Kindness’s website to a handful of flag-making stations set up at places like Please Touch Museum, the Italian Market and Philadelphia Museum of Art. (More information about times and dates here.)

In addition to the flag display, A Day of Kindness encourages folks to, you know, be extra kind on October 27th. They’ve set up a page on their website where you can set intentions for the day—anything from something personal like, “I intend to lay off my horn if the person in front of me doesn’t go a split second before the light turns green” to pledging to volunteer at a local nonprofit in need of a few extra hands. Start making your pledges here.