West Bend Provides a Silver Lining.

Kindness is contagious, pass it on!

It’s hard to control it, that smile that creeps across your face when someone unexpectedly does something nice for you. Even the smallest gesture can have a large impact. The effects of kindness are profound and far-reaching. Studies have shown that kindness has scientific benefits, not only for the recipients, but also for those who commit and witness kind acts.

Random Acts of Kindness Day is Sunday, February 17. This is an excellent opportunity to spread a little joy to others. Think about what you can do for those in your family, workplace, school, and community. You don’t need to limit kindness to loved ones and acquaintances, there are many things you can do for strangers too. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, check out these suggestions.

For other kindness resources, including uplifting quotes, moving videos, kindness calendars, school curriculum, blog posts, and more, check out randomactsofkindness.org.

While Random Acts of Kindness Day is a perfect opportunity to celebrate kindness, don’t forget, every day is a great day to make others smile!

Do you like green eggs and ham?

That’s just one of the many classic lines penned by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. His fun, witty, and rhythmic writings have been delighting children and adults alike for decades. Therefore, when the National Education Association (NEA) decided to create an annual day to celebrate reading, it made perfect sense to select March 2, Dr. Seuss’ birthday!

In 1998, the first NEA’s Read Across America Day was celebrated, and it has been going strong as the country’s largest celebration of reading ever since. Each year in March, volunteers fill schools, libraries, community centers, and bookstores to read Dr. Seuss favorites to kids of all ages. Teachers and school administrators infuse the daily curriculum with fun Dr. Seuss-themed challenges and activities. In recent years, celebrities, including Michelle Obama, Danny DeVito, and Alex Rodriguez, have participated in NEA’s Read Across America events.

These activities generate a lot of excitement for kids, but they also raise motivation and awareness about the importance of reading.

This year, NEA’s Read Across America Day will be celebrated Friday, March 1. To get involved, contact your local school, library, or bookstore to find out about events taking place in your community.

Spirit of the Silver Lining^® award

West Bend recently presented the Spirit of the Silver Lining Award to 13 inspiring West Bend agents and the worthy nonprofit organizations they support. The Spirit of the Silver Lining Award embodies the dedication of nonprofit organizations and the generosity of the independent agents who share their time, talent, and resources to help them deliver a silver lining to those in need. Each nonprofit organization also received a $10,000 grant from West Bend's Independent Agents’ Fund.

Since we established the Independent Agents’ Fund in 2006, West Bend has awarded grants to nonprofit organizations representing a broad field of interests, including, but not limited to: arts and culture; education; the environment; family, youth, and elderly; health and human services; medical research; and community development. Grants are made to organizations within West Bend’s core geographic operating territory that includes Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota.

Read more about this year’s recipients.