Kindness is easy to endorse and harder to schedule.
NuMark Credit Union decided to schedule it. Working with 1340 WJOL, the credit union turned the stretch between August 31 and September 12 into “11 Days of Kindness,” giving community members a specific cause to support each day.
Where the idea came from
The initiative draws on Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11 by Kevin Tuerff and his Pay It Forward 9/11 organization. It also lined up with the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center.
“In our grief following 9/11, we witnessed the best of who we are when neighbors and strangers came together to help one another,” said Kari Endres, NuMark’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Kindness is a powerful healing force. Every act of kindness matters, and you never know how far one kind act will go. By helping one another, we have the power to make the world a better place.”
One cause per day
Each day had its own focus:
- Animal shelters
- Schools and teachers
- Women’s and homeless shelters
- Food pantries
- Libraries
- Being kind to nature
- Healthcare professionals
- Local veterans
- Shopping at local businesses
- Random acts of kindness
- Fire and police departments
The series wrapped up on September 12 with volunteering at Carry the Load’s Patriot Day gravesite cleaning at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, part of the organization’s National Day of Service.
What NuMark’s teams did
NuMark let its branches and departments choose their own projects. The results were varied:
- Management team: Made a meal for residents at the Comer Ronald McDonald House.
- Marketing: Donated 130 homemade t-shirt tug toys to the Naperville Humane Society and Pawsitive Impact Animal Shelter.
- Mortgage Team: Collected treats, leashes, collars, pet food, toys, and other needed items for Paws for a Cause Vet Care.
- Call Center: Packed more than 6 laundry baskets with toys, clothes, and personal items for the Guardian Home.
- Accounting and Employee Experience: Teamed up with the Joliet branch to collect items for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Will County, with donations from staff and members.
- Crest Hill: Handed out 300 seed packets so members could grow wildflowers and support native pollinators.
- New Lenox: Donated needed items to the NAWS Humane Society in Mokena.
- Plainfield: Delivered supplies, mugs, and thank-you cards to local teachers.
- Earlville, Paw Paw, and Sublette: Delivered 150 kindness cards to residents at the Mendota Senior Center, packed 60 care packages for troops, restocked a community food pantry, and spread awareness about suicide prevention.
The Learning & Development Department donated requested school supplies to two first grade classrooms in Joliet. “As a team passionate about learning, growth, and helping others succeed, it was especially meaningful to support educators and spend time in an environment filled with curiosity, creativity and potential,” said Carol Sheetz, Learning & Development Manager. “Seeing classrooms ready to greet new students on their first day of school and witnessing the teachers’ genuine gratitude reminded us of the profound impact educators have every day. We left inspired, grateful, and proud to play a small part in supporting their important work.”
The WJOL side
The station’s team packed food at the Northern Illinois Food Bank. They sorted more than 10,000 pounds, roughly 9,854 meals for families in Northern Illinois. They also took to the streets and handed out 15 free t-shirts to people caught doing random acts of kindness.
“WJOL radio and the team at Connoisseur Media were honored to partner with NuMark Credit Union on the ’11 Days of Kindness’ initiative,” said Diane DeVries, Marketing Executive for Connoisseur Media and WJOL. “As part of the media, we take our responsibility seriously to keep our community strong and to promote positive actions for our citizens. This was a perfect opportunity to bring people together for good, and we were thrilled to encourage everyone to BE KIND.”
WJOL also spread the word on air. Two episodes of NuMark’s Money Talk Radio Show covered the effort. The August 18 episode featured Endres and DeVries discussing the thinking behind it. The September 1 episode focused on the Patriot Day event, with Endres, Graphics Coordinator Adam Claiborne, and NuMark Board members and U.S. military veterans Wally Chlipala and Ray Eich.
Why veterans matter here
Community outreach has been central to NuMark’s mission since the credit union started more than 70 years ago. Several veterans serve on its staff and Board of Directors, so supporting local veterans is a big part of that work. The initiative let NuMark live out its “people helping people” philosophy while honoring those who served and sacrificed for others.
What it means for you
You don’t need a credit union’s budget or a calendar of events to do this. A donated bag of pet food, a thank-you card to a teacher, or a few hours at a food bank all count, and the teams above showed how far small, specific gestures can go. NuMark says it will keep volunteering, backing local organizations, and helping members through financial challenges. If you live in the communities it serves, there’s likely a way to join in, and your neighbors will notice when you do.