An event, whether big or small, can make a difference in a community.

Random Acts of Kindness Day was Feb 17. For their HOSA project, four Thomas County Central High School students -- Tosha Tinney, Shivani Patel, Megan Butler and Emily Curry -- decided to incorporate the goals of the day into a project with a message that will persist for the remainder of the school year.

In front of B hall inside TCCHS, a billboard covered in envelopes hangs on the wall. The purpose of this board, created by the HOSA group, is to rally students to aid the community’s homeless.  

“Random Acts of Kindness matters to us because homelessness in our community is not always evident, so we want to raise awareness to make a substantial impact,” group member Tosha Tinney said. “We wanted to motivate students to participate in our local events…to increase the knowledge on homelessness within our community.”

The project’s goal is to decrease the homeless rate and increase the community’s knowledge on how to help its homeless people.

“We want to show that there is a difference between care and caring,” Tinney said.

Students can get involved by giving donations and helping spread acts of kindness to others.

“Our project helps raise community awareness about homelessness in Thomasville,” group member Shivani Patel said. “We have put together multiple projects in the local district to engage others in helping us not only raise awareness, but to accept donations and help others in need.”

Information on the project and how students can get involved was put on the school’s morning news show, News4You. Group members say more than 700 participants have already begun to make a difference in the community through donations and spreading kindness in general.

“After students draw a card from an envelope (on the board), they are encouraged to perform the act and post it on social media to influence others to aid in our hopes of helping the homeless,” Tinney said.

HOSA Future Health Professionals is an international organization formed in 1975 to promote leadership and technical skills in future health professionals.

“In order to provide holistic care, we must also consider a person’s environment and basic needs such as food and shelter,” HOSA advisor Cindy Griner said.

Griner also explains how healthcare, which is based off holistic care, treats the whole person rather than just symptoms and diseases.

The project requires students to assess the needs of homeless students and families, not only in the healthcare realm but as a community.

“We hope to empower others to be proactive and compassionate,” Tinney said.