A new campaign on campus will award a faculty, student or staff member who improves the St. Thomas community through a random act of kindness.

Campus ministry and the human resources department started the campaign after a difficult spring semester last year with the economic crisis and the deaths of two St. Thomas students.

“There was a sense that it was a hard time on campus, and we wanted to bring a human touch,” said the Rev. James Rutten, director of campus ministry. “We can at least be kind to each other to help each other through this tough time.”

Last fall, the Acts of Kindness committee held public events promoting simple acts of kindness. Committee members gave out carnations for the “flower power” event and flashlights to “shine a light on kindness.”

Each month this semester, the committee will honor a person or group nominated for a kind act.

“If you’ve seen someone really touching people in small ways or even big ways you can send in an application,” Rutten said. “The idea of the award is to try to communicate that there’s lots of good stuff going on around here. The idea is to lift up and highlight some stuff that’s happening already.”

Committee member Renae Pappas thinks this award will help students to “not get wrapped up in negative events” and focus more on positive things happening around St. Thomas.

“As cheesy as it sounds, no act of kindness is too small to be recognized,” Pappas said.

For more information or to nominate someone for the acts of kindness award visit the committee page.

Karen Schmitz can be reached at kmschmitz1@stthomas.edu.