Dear Friends,

Kindness is contagious. Earlier this month, an anonymous benefactor blessed MCN with a gift of $45,000 to address the unique needs of the Venezuelan refugees we care for at the border, and beyond. This surprise gift came from a donor’s recognition that our Health Network program is a labor of love, staffed by wonderful employees dispensing doses of kindness from the moment a referral is received. As we help them link up to care as they migrate, we learn about their lives, walking beside them in their challenges and celebrating their achievements. We wonder what becomes of them when they transition out of our care. The connection is reciprocal; in more than one instance, we have been overjoyed to learn that a newly-born baby has been given the name of the Health Network Associate who managed the mother's prenatal care.

Kindness has been the backbone of our work since our founding more than three decades ago, and it is integral to pushing forward health justice. Equally important, however, are those moments where kindness emerges unexpectedly. These random events, no matter how small, can be all it takes to improve a life—and prompt a ripple effect of altruism in its wake.

February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day, an opportunity to make the world a little bit better with acts of giving towards others. At MCN, we want to see how kindness is catching in your community: how are you giving back to others today? Snap a selfie and upload it to your social media profiles, making sure to tag us so we can see the impact you are generating in your own community.

Remember, #KindnessIsContagious.

In gratitude,
 
Karen Mountain, MBA, MSN, RN