Ohio Rotary Club Rewards Kindness With $20 Gift Cards

In Belpre, Ohio, doing something nice for your neighbor might just earn you dinner on the house.

The Belpre Rotary Club launched a "Random Acts of Kindness" campaign that flips the script on social media negativity. Every week through Thanksgiving, they're asking residents to share kind deeds they've done or witnessed, then rewarding one person with a $20 gift card to a local restaurant or store.

The idea started with a $250 peace grant from Rotary International. The local club matched it, turning $500 into a weeks-long celebration of community goodness.

"People get caught up in a lot of things on social media that just aren't positive," said Travis Williams, the club's Peace Chair. "We want to promote kindness, peace, and things that bring about goodness in this world."

The process is simple. Each week, the club posts a prompt on their Facebook page asking people to nominate themselves or others. Community members share stories in the comments, and by week's end, one person gets recognized with a gift card to places like Belair's, Wings Etc, or Kroger.

So far, five people have been honored. One young woman was recognized for volunteering during recent flooding. Another resident got a gift card for helping a struggling neighbor hang an American flag.

Williams made sure every gift card supports local businesses that have supported the Rotary over the years. "They're used to us asking for donations, so it was nice just to go in and just buy one," he said.

The Ripple Effect

The campaign is doing more than spreading smiles. Several new faces have started showing up at the Rotary's weekly Wednesday meetings after discovering the organization through the kindness posts. What started as a way to counter negativity has become a recruitment tool and community builder.

Williams keeps his hopes modest but meaningful. "We hope that through this, maybe just for a few moments, somebody sees an act of kindness and it brings a smile to somebody's face," he said. "If that happens, then we think we've won."

In a world where social media often amplifies the worst, Belpre is proving it can also shine a light on the best.