Moorestown Therapist Makes Acts Of Kindness Her Daily Mission

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Even before Moorestown Township began setting a week each year aside to recognize random acts of kindness, Holly Myers has maintained a soft spot in her heart for finding the good in the people around her.

Myers, who has a background in social work and works as a psychotherapist, has long chosen to recognize the gold that she believes can be found in every person. But when she was inspired by the story of a Black Alabama attorney who went to visit a white inmate on death row to show him some kindness before he was executed, Myers wondered why exhibiting similar levels of care couldn’t be put on display by her Moorestown neighbors.

In 1996, Myers introduced the idea of a proclamation to the Moorestown Township Council, which took a liking to the notion of recognizing the need for more kindness. That led to a week in February starting around Valentine’s Day to be recognized each year as Kindness Week in Moorestown.

Now, 25 years later, the tradition lives on and will again be recognized beginning Sunday. The annual tradition of respecting others and taking the time to listen has become more important in recent times, when Myers says divisiveness has caused more walls to be built around people across the country.

So in addition to recognizing the need for kindness for seven days, Moorestown officials have extended the emphasis to last throughout the year.

In a proclamation signed by Mayor Nicole Gillespie, 2021 has been recognized as a year “in which we continue to deepen and expand the power of kindness.” And for Myers, the woman who is recognized as being the local inspiration behind recognizing kindness, there may not be a better mission.

“As somebody in the helping profession, I’m very aware of the impact that an absence of kindness causes in emotional well-being, so I look to do whatever I can as an individual,” Myers told Patch in a telephone interview Friday. “It’s not unique to me that kindness matters. Many, many people do many, many kind acts. I seek to have it become second nature to people.”

A national organization, Randomactsofkidness.org, has made kindness its business — which has inspired many community coordinators like Myers to pick up the banner in their own communities.

Over the years, what started as the issuing of a proclamation at a Town Council meeting that Myers says was attended by “about three people” has grown and the proclamation has been handed down to various Kindness Ambassadors. Those ambassadors have included school children and other community members who have carried on the tradition started by Myers — all in the name of goodwill.

By the mid-2000s, Moorestown had established a bit of a reputation and was recognized as the best small town to live in in America and became known as a town that makes a big deal about kindness, Myers said.

Given her life’s work, Myers understands the power that people’s words and attitudes have on others. And at a time during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic when many people are struggling with isolation and loneliness, Myers said that the annual Kindness Week and Random Acts of Kindness Day (Feb. 17) still matter in everyday life.

She said that all it takes is to reach out to someone that could use some kindness, which may go much further than the giver may have ever thought.

“When we bring a greater level of intentionality to our interactions, life can be so much more wonderful,” Myers said.

“We’ve had so much divisiveness of late and we are one race — the human race — and when are we going to learn that? So I’m going to stand for that — that we learn that.”

In years past, Myers has decorated the Town Hall with red garland as a reminder to show kindness to others. But because of the ongoing pandemic, council meetings have been conducted remotely and school children have been unable to make visits to the mayor and other officials that they have in the past. Although the annual Kindness Week recognized by Moorestown officials may take on a different look this year, Myers believes the thoughtfulness associated with the annual weeklong celebration can still be recognized.

Often, she said, that can happen most on an individual level — if people are willing to take the time to find the “gold” that exists in the neighbors. She said that Moorestown officials choosing to recognize kindness for one week each year helps to galvanize the idea in the community for the remaining 51 weeks on the calendar.

Myers has used photography and social media posts to fill in some of the gaps left by the pandemic, which has limited the way Kindness Week can be recognized around the community. Other people have picked up the ball as well by sending out email reminders and putting notices around the township as a reminder that the annual week to recognize kindness has again arrived.

Despite the change in focus the pandemic has caused, however, Myers — who may well be the original Kindness Ambassador for Moorestown — is glad her mission has taken hold.

“I like kindness,” she said.