Kindness can be defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. These are all the characteristics one would use to describe the incredible Kindness Crew we have at Sonny’s. They know that a little bit of kindness can make a huge difference in someone’s life. That’s why they have spent the whole year doing good deeds in their local communities and being kind to those who need it most.

From working with charities, collecting goods for food drives, giving out free meals, passing out flowers to guests, and helping children in need, they have done it all. We are so lucky to have such caring team members that look out for their neighbors and want to make the world a better place. Here are just a few of the ways they got involved and gave back to their communities this year.

Kennon A. | Santa’s Bike Force

Two team members in front of sign for Santa's Bike Force, hoping to spread kindness

Kennon and his team volunteered at the Santa’s Bike Force event in December to help get everyone in the holiday spirit and spread kindness. Every year, this event is hosted in Orlando in hopes of raising enough money to buy bikes for all the kids in the community. There are many ways to get involved with this event. Some people donate funds, some contribute by donating a bike, some get their companies involved and donate a large number of bikes and some help with volunteering at the event.

Kennon participates in this event every year because he enjoys finding ways to get involved in his community whenever he can. He spent the whole event distributing bikes to the children and talking to all the families that attended. He also passed out BBQ meals to all the volunteers. What an incredible way to kick off the holiday season!

Tara B. | Coca-Cola Experience

Tara and her team partnered with Coca-Cola for a special celebration. The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan made a stop at the Palm Harbor location to help spread some holiday cheer to the local community. It was a great turnout as many families came to take their photos with Santa Claus and listen to the local Guardian Angels Choir sing Christmas carols. They passed out candy canes, hot chocolate and smokin’ BBQ to everyone who stopped by to celebrate with them. Along with the fun activities, they also hosted a food drive to collect canned goods for the FEAST Food Pantry. It was an incredible night filled with lots of happiness, laughter and kindness just in time for the holiday season.

Claudia H. | School Supply Drive

In August, Claudia and her team at the Apopka Sonny’s started a school supply drive to collect supplies for the local kids in need. They had some fun with it by painting a yellow cardboard school bus to display at the front of the store. Team members and guests all worked together to fill up the BBQ bus with backpacks, pencils, pens, paper, crayons, notebooks and more essential supplies to set kids up for a successful school year.

Once they had enough supplies collected, they filled up about 60 backpacks with all the supplies and hosted an event to pass them out to all the neighborhood kids. It was such a successful event and a fun way to help the community around them.

Jessica S. | Gift Bags for Life Care of Orange Park Nursing Home

With the help of her Lane Ave Sonny’s team, Jessica put together 167 goodie bags to pass out at the Life Care of Orange Park Nursing Home. They wanted to do something special for the holiday season and thought it would be a nice surprise to bring them gift bags filled with candy, Christmas necklaces, ornaments, teddy bears, and handwritten cards. Two separate guests overheard Jessica planning the event with her team and wanted to join in on the fun. One guest was touched by the thoughtful idea and thanked them for spreading kindness. Another guest got emotional when she explained that her mother was in a nursing home and donated $100 to put toward the gifts.

Jessica has a soft spot for helping nursing homes and has actually worked with this nursing home multiple times this year. For Valentine’s Day, she spent the day decorating their cafeteria area with Valentine’s Day décor, brought them banana pudding, and passed out roses to each member there.

Tina B. | The Cabinet for Family Services

Santa sits by Christmas Tree holding Sonny's BBQ bag

Tina held an event at the Nicholasville, KY Sonny’s location to spread some holiday cheer to those in need. Together, Tina and her team helped raise awareness and collect donations for the Cabinet for Family Services of Jessamine County. The event was the perfect opportunity for guests to enjoy some delicious BBQ and take their pictures with Santa. With the help of the community, they were able to collect toys, coats, gloves, and hats for the children of the organization.

Share a Kindness Story With Us

Sonny’s is always searchin’ for inspiring stories of kindness, and we love hearin’ all the kindness our communities have to offer. Do you have a story of a time when you or someone close to you experienced kindness? If so, share your stories with us at QtheKindness.com.

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