In 2013, Dan Usher decided to buy 100 Easter eggs from a local supermarket and give them away to people in his community. From that one act of kindness, Share the Miracle was born. The following year more than 7500 Easter eggs and gifts were given – last year that number topped 15,000.
Volunteers gave these gifts to people in places as far afield as London, Surrey and Sussex to Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Birmingham. It wasn’t just individuals that were contacted, but also groups, agencies and local organisations including government officers, schools, elderly people, business colleagues, Saturday shoppers, homeless people and victims of human trafficking. Volunteers also visited Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, handing out toys and gifts to the children. This is planned to happen again this Easter.
The idea is simple: Share the Miracle invites people to form local groups, to procure chocolate eggs (either by buying them or through donations) and to give them away in the community, together with a special Easter invitation card to an event. This might be a social activity such as a meal for neighbours, or a community event such as a toddler group, a youth group, a family fun day or the Easter services at the local church. The website offers 5 steps to get you started on Sharing the Miracle of new life at Easter.
However you get involved, you will create a unique story. Why not take time to share that story with others – via Twitter @ShareMiracleUK, on Facebook www.facebook.com/sharemiracleuk or on Instagram. Sharing your experience could well encourage others to join in.
Share the Miracle is scheduled to run from mid-March to Easter weekend (25-28 March). For schools, it offers a key opportunity to fulfil some SMSC and character education components of the curriculum: you can read more about how schools can get involved on the Share the Miracle website. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about children and young people learning about the joy of giving, sharing and connecting with each other and with their communities.
Whatever the invitation, Share the Miracle is all about building community and connectedness. Can you remember a moment when you were on the receiving end of a random act of kindness? It leaves an impression and generates an attitude of gratitude. That’s because we are designed to live together in relationship and in community. Showing kindness is a powerful way of building both. Share the Miracle helps to build them.