As we approach the anniversary of the tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012, I begin to think about what I can do in my community to commemorate the lives of the ones lost that day.

The past few years I’ve participated in Sandy Hook’s 26 Acts of Kindness throughout the month of December. What drove me to perform these acts of kindness every year was the effect it had on our community after this tragic event took place.

As a community, we all had to heal and as I performed these random acts of kindness it was clear to me that these kind gestures played a big role in the healing process. The world we live in today is much different than it has been in years past.

There’s more violence, more hate, more discrimination, and by doing these acts of kindness I have been able to play an active role in decreasing that. With all this negativity in our society, one little act of kindness can make a tremendous difference.

Last year my friend Natalia and I compiled a video of all the acts of kindness we did. Our purpose in creating this video was to inspire others to do their own acts of kindness. We hope by watching this video you take away that any act of kindness no matter how small can make a big difference.

This holiday season as I begin my acts of kindness again, I challenge you to take time out of your day to remember the Sandy Hook victims and honor them by doing an act of kindness.

It does not have to be a big grand gesture, it can be as small as leaving a nice note on someone’s car. So please, do one thing everyday that will inspire kindness.