Service to Others
For the Benefit of All Beings
Hi Friend,
Welcome to 2025. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. Mine was filled with a lot miles on the road, edge of the seat excitement at my son’s soccer tournament, sniffles and coughs, and much needed family time and great skiing at Mammoth Mountain in the Sierra’s.
Thank you for bearing with me while I took a pause and nursed myself back to health.
I’ve been thinking a lot about little acts of kindness and service to others lately.
Just after Thanksgiving (last year), my favorite local coffee shop displayed their beautiful Christmas tree, its branches adorned with white tags instead of ornaments.
Each tag represented a child in foster care.
The tags listed the child’s gender, age, and their Christmas wish: a Lego set, a racing track, a science kit. For some of the older kids aging out of the system, the requests were rooted in the reality of adulting - gift cards to Target, Amazon, or the grocery store.
I read, each tag carefully, imagining the child on the other side. What were their dreams? What did they long for beyond what the tag could convey? I pictured their faces lighting up on Christmas morning, holding the very gift they’d wished for.
I wanted to grant every single wish on that tree, to let those children know that someone, somewhere, was rooting for them.
Children often enter foster care with very little of their own. For them, a simple gift can mean so much more than the object itself—it’s a reminder that they are seen, that they matter, and that love exists in the world.
My youngest son, Donovan and I talked about how these gifts could brighten Christmas morning for children who’ve experienced so much hardship.
He walked over to the tree and began reading the tags, just like I had. One tag caught his attention: an 8-year-old boy asking for an Up Lego set. "That’s a cool ask," Donovan said, his face lighting up with excitement. "Can we get this one?"
But he wasn’t done. Like me, he wanted to take every tag from the tree, imagining how we could bring joy to more children.
Studies show that acts of kindness increase happiness for both the giver and the receiver. People who give to charity are 43% more likely to describe themselves as "very happy" compared to those who don’t.
Martin Seligman, the father of Positive Psychology, was once asked for his top advice on how to feel happier. His answer? Help someone in need. Even the smallest act of service can bring immense joy to others—and to ourselves.
"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." – Aesop
This same spirit of kindness is needed now more than ever in Los Angeles, where devastating fires have destroyed nearly 30,000 acres, 10,000 homes and buildings, and displaced over 150,000 residents.
Many children have lost their sense of security—their schools have burned, their daily routines disrupted, and their homes and communities left uncertain.
Organizations across LA are stepping up, offering support to impacted families.
LA Parks & Recreation, for instance, has created Care Camps to provide children and teens a safe space for fun and connection. These camps offer music, arts and crafts, sports, and field trips to bring a little light into these dark times.
LA County Parks is seeking donations to support these Care Camps. Items needed include toys, stuffed animals, clothing, jackets, shoes for youth ages 5-17, pajamas, and undergarments. If you’d like to help, email a description of your donation along with your contact information to carecampsdonations@parks.lacounty.gov, and someone will follow up with you.
Every day brings an opportunity to make an impact—to step up instead of staying on the sidelines, to act even when it’s easier to turn away, and to offer help rather than waiting for someone else to do it.
Other Vetted Ways to Help
Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation has called for donations to its wildfire emergency fund. The proceeds will go toward equipping firefighters with tools and supplies to contain the infernos.
Best Friends Animal Society, which runs a pet adoption center in West Los Angeles, says all donations will be used for emergency assistance to animals impacted by the wildfires.
World Central Kitchen, founded by chef José Andrés, said it has mobilized across Southern California, providing sandwiches and water throughout the region. The charity said its volunteer chefs are on standby to give out meals.
Generosity—whether through a gift for a foster child, a donation to support fire survivors, or a simple act of kindness—has the power to transform lives. And in giving, we find that we are also giving to ourselves: happiness, connection, and a deep sense of meaning.
I’ll leave you with the Buddhist expression "For the benefit of all beings" which reflects a fundamental principle of Buddhism: cultivating compassion, selflessness, and interconnectedness with all living beings. We are all interconnected; our happiness and suffering are intertwined.
It serves as a reminder that our actions, thoughts, and choices have a ripple effect, and that living with intention and care can create a better world for all beings.
With love,
Katherine
thanks for sharing practical ways that people can get involved in acts of kindness today <3