Small yet strong acts of kindness go a long way. Trite as I may sound. Acknowledging the person behind the counter who is checking out your groceries and getting to know them by name and their interests; seeing a person on the street who is obviously homeless but not asking for $ and going into the supermarket and buying some food for them and just dropping it off; turning off your cell phone when checking out at a store; always saying please and thank you; learning the names of the dogs in your neighborhood (very important in Chicago) and petting them; greeting a person on the street who is walking past you; not being racist by clutching your purse if a person of a different race is walking past you; waving thank you when the cars pause to let you cross the street; even if out of work donating a small amount of $ to your preferred charity. Granted this is a bit Chicago-centric...but I think these civic acts apply across the board. I can skip a meal but many cannot. Please donate to your local food bank if you can. Thank you.