Pay It Forward: Warren Coalition’s “We See You, Warren County” August theme is a challenge

After eleven months of encouraging the Warren County community to reach out to each other through various greetings, the Warren Coalition is now challenging the community to take action on their sense of goodwill and engage in acts of kindness throughout August, under the theme of “Pay it forward.”

Knowing that finances are a concern for many people, the Warren Coalition has provided a list of 36 possible ways to pay it forward, many of which are free or low-cost. One of the ways to participate is to visit the Warren Coalition at National Night Out (August 2^nd) or the Warren County Fair (August 1^st-6^th) and pick up ice pops to share with others. The ice pops remind people “It’s Cool to Connect” with others.

The We See You, Warren County campaign was started in September 2021 to encourage people to connect with others. Participants have been provided monthly themes they could use, but the main goal is to create a sense of belonging in Warren County, to help break through the sense of isolation and loneliness that many people feel.

Here are 36 potential ways for you to “Pay It Forward” in August:

1. Mow your neighbor’s grass.
2. Pick wildflowers and give them to someone.
3. Wash your neighbor’s car.
4. Weed your neighbor’s garden.
5. Draw a picture and give it to someone.
6. Send someone a funny photo.
7. Visit a neighbor who is a shut-in.
8. Give someone a ride.
9. Sing a song to someone.
10. Clean a room in your neighbor’s house.
11. Volunteer at a local nonprofit for a few hours.
12. Pick up trash along the road.
13. Bag/carry someone’s groceries.
14. Visit someone in a local nursing home.
15. Send an encouraging/appreciation text or phone call.
16. Make dinner for/give your leftovers or additional portions of food to a neighbor or friend.
17. Reconnect with a lost friend.
18. Lend an ear to a friend in need.
19. Leave a positive review of a local business (include an employee name for bonus points).
20. Ask three random people “How was your day?”
21. Give people vegetables from your garden or fruit from your fruit trees.
22. Offer to feed pets and water plants for someone while they are away.
23. Send uplifting quotes to someone who is down or struggling.
24. Bring in your neighbors’ trash cans.
25. Leave a note for your mail carrier thanking them.
26. Make cookies and share some with your neighbors/mail carrier, etc.
27. Offer to help a friend in completing a home project.
28. Make homemade cards for people in a nursing home.
29. Donate to blessing boxes/food pantries.
30. Pay for someone’s coffee, ice cream, donut, lunch, etc.
31. Pay for someone’s groceries.
32. Donate blood.
33. Place books in the mini lending libraries.
34. Donate books to the library or a school.
35. Volunteer at your child’s school.
36. Share/hand out “It is Cool to Connect” ice pops.

Anyone can participate in the “Pay it Forward” efforts this month; you do not have to be a registered member of the We See You campaign. The Warren Coalition hopes that 100 people will engage in the campaign this month. If you perform an act of kindness as part of this campaign this month, please email celeste@warrencoalition.org or post a photo or a note to the We See You, Warren County Facebook group (facebook.com/wecuwc). “While we love stories and photos, we know some people would prefer to remain fairly anonymous when they do something nice for others,” said Celeste Brooks, Community Outreach Coordinator. “We aren’t necessarily asking for specifics. You could send an email that just says, ‘I participated in the Pay it Forward campaign today.’”

More about the We See You, Warren County Campaign
We See You, Warren County participants are encouraged to share their experiences on social media using the hashtag #WeCUWC. Organizations and individuals that register receive a window cling to show they are participating. The program now has over 175 registered members, and more than 875 Facebook members. Sign-ups are ongoing. Go to weseeyou.warrencoalition.org to learn more, or to officially sign up yourself, your family, or your business or organization. You can also join the Facebook group at facebook.com/wecuwc.

In addition, the Warren Coalition features individuals of the Warren County community on the “We See You” website, and on the Warren Coalition social media accounts. People do not have to be registered members to be featured. Anyone who lives, works, or plays in Warren County can submit a profile on the We See You website (weseeyou.warrencoalition.org)

About Warren Coalition
Warren Coalition is a nonprofit agency established in 1994 to help fill the gaps in health care and substance misuse awareness to the community. The Coalition began under the guidance of Warren Memorial Hospital as an outreach project, but it has since grown and was incorporated in 2001.  The office is currently located in the Warren County Community Center.  Their mission is to make Warren County a safe, healthy, and drug-free community through many programs and in collaboration with 15+ member agencies.