The student walks through the halls feeling down. Life had not been kind to them, and it didn’t seem like it would get better anytime soon. Then, suddenly,  life is made just a bit brighter by one of the simplest but most sincere acts of kindness. A smile.

Kindness, as much as we might want it to be, is not universal. For some, kindness is not a constant in their lives, and their mental health suffers for it. It does not have to be that way though. Kats Joined for Hope, is working to change the culture and make everyone’s day better one kind act at a time.

“Kindness Week is sponsored by our group which is Kats Joined for Hope,” sponsor Andrea Eisinger said. “Kats joined for hope is a club that I started that is suicide prevention and mental health awareness.”

Kindness Week is a themed week with the intention of spreading kindness through the school. It includes themed days such as jersey day, twins day and blue day.

This year, World Kindness Day falls on Saturday, November 13th. World Kindness Day is a globally celebrated day meant to spread mental health awareness and positivity.

“World Kindness day is November 13th so we decided to make it a whole week,” senior Kendall Cobb said.

The club has committed to spreading positivity on

“Every single month we have some kind of theme to get some positivity here at Willis,” Eisinger said. “This is our November choice which is kindness.”

This year, Kats Joined for Hope is not alone in their efforts to spread kindness through the school. Student council has also been helping prepare and orchestrate Kindness Week.

“What’s nice this year is that the student council has been wanting to partner with us,” Eisinger said. “They’ve really helped us by helping support and promote it. I think that’s what it takes, I think we all need more of that partnership.”

For Kindness Week, Kats Joined for Hope made signs to spread positive messages throughout the school.

“We have signs at all three entrances at the main building with fun sayings where people can sign, pledging to be kind,” Cobb said.

Kindness Week is not just for students. Teachers often dress up for themed weeks, and Kindness Week is no exception.

“I dress up on dress up days because it’s fun,” teacher Chris Slovak said. “Teaching is hard, teaching is very hard, especially when things aren’t going the way you want it to and students aren’t going the way you want them to. It’s always fun to lighten things up a little bit, that’s why I do this. Just as much for me as for my students.”

In the end, Kindness Week is more than just the standard fun dress up type of themed week. Kindness Week represents the inner parts of ourselves that want to reach out and help others, even if that’s just with a smile.

“Kats Joined for Hope ais based on a student of mine that actually commited suicide in 2015 when I taught at College Park. Her family created a foundation and that foundation has made it its mission to spread hope and start clubs, so I said that I would do that in her name here. We’re trying to do something to change the culture at this school.”