Spirit's Promise Challenges You to 10 Acts of Kindness on Giving Tuesday

While many of us will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo today, it’s important to remember that today is also the encore to Giving Tuesday. The global day of giving and unity is held every year on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, but due to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19, the #GivingTuesdayNow campaign has given rise to a second calendar date for this charitable holiday. Spirit’s Promise Equine Rescue in Riverhead is not only participating, they’ve also shared 10 ways we can all do our part.

Today, May 5, Spirit’s Promise is launching their Hay for Horses Mobile Food Pantry as part of their Equine for All Initiative. From noon to 3 p.m., local horse owners and horse organizations experiencing hardship due to COVID-19 can book a 15-minute time slot to pick up free hay at Tanger Outlets Riverhead. Visit spiritspromiserescue.org/giving-tuesday to register.

In addition to the Hay for Horses Mobile Food Pantry, Spirit’s Promise has come up with 10 acts of kindness designed to encourage East Enders to spread kindness, spend time with family, get active, be creative and share their ideas. Take part in #GivingTuesdayNow with these 10 acts of kindness:

1. Tell Your Friends About the Hay for Horses Mobile Food Pantry: We are in this together, supporting the equine community on Long Island, so let your friends know about this vital service. Their horses will thank you!

2. Support Local, Shop Local: Support your local business community by ordering curbside pickup from East End restaurants, ordering online from your favorite North Fork stores or purchasing gift cards for Hamptons businesses.

3. Start a Home Garden: Gardening is an enriching activity for the whole family. Need help getting started? Stop by Spirit’s Promise for a no-contact Manure Pick-Up Drive until 2 p.m. today. Register at fareharbor.com/spiritspromise.

4. Play Together, Laugh Together: Host your own family game night—from traditional games like Uno to video games like Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch. Just Play!

5. Stay Active Together: Join a virtual country line dancing class, tonight from 7:30–9 p.m. on Facebook Live. All skill levels welcome! RSVP at facebook.com/events. Or find other ways to keep the family active.

6. Explore Together: Senior citizens are invited to meet the senior animal residents of Spirit’s Promise for the Seniors for Seniors virtual tour, from 11 a.m.–noon on Facebook Live at facebook.com/spiritspromiserescue. If you’re not a senior, why not explore the East End’s numerous digital art galleries instead.

7. Build Together: While Spirit’s Promise works to expand their barn, start building the barn of your dreams—or another project—using supplies from home and inspire others by sharing your progress on social media.

8. Create Art Together: Download and print the Spirit’s Promise coloring book page to create your work of art. Share it with someone you love! Download it at filesusr.com/ugd, then check out even more East End coloring pages.

9. Show Gratitude Together: Thank-You-A-Thon! Reach out on social media or by phone and thank those people you know who are on the front lines right now—health care workers; first responders; police officers; firefighters; USPS, UPS and FedEx workers; grocery store employees; sanitation workers; restaurant owners; essential business owners; delivery people; bank tellers; and others. They all deserve our thanks!

10. Feed the Front Line Together: While Spirit’s Promise is purchasing meals for Peconic Bay Medical Center workers, you can buy something sweet for our friends at Stony Brook University Hospital through Chocology Unlimited’s Chocolate Prescription program.

For more information on Spirit’s Promise Equine Rescue, visit spiritspromiserescue.org, and for more on #GivingTuesdayNow, visit now.givingtuesday.org.