The Family Assistance Education & Research Foundation (FAERF) has been at the forefront of the evolution of emergency management, combining the head-heart approach for a fully integrated response to survivors of traumatic loss. Practicing compassion consciousness in the workplace involves caring for people first, without exception.
Written by: Carolyn V. Coarsey, Ph.D.
February 2026
“In the rush of our daily lives, it’s easy to forget that behind every smile may be a story we cannot see. A simple act of kindness – no matter how small – can have a profound impact, offering hope and comfort beyond what we might ever realize. By choosing to show genuine care and support not just to those we know, but to everyone we meet, we embody the true spirit of compassion and help make our workplace, and the world, a kinder place for all”.
Early 2026 we reached out to FAERF members requesting examples of how Humanitarian Assistance Response™ is practiced at their workplace. Our very first response came from Martina Marquardt (Jet Aviation, AG Zurich Airport Branch), who responded, “I tried to summarize how I feel about Humanitarian Assistance Response (HAR) being practiced on a routine basis.”
We think Martina’s words are perfect to share on the Random Acts of Kindness Day celebrated in US. We thank Martina for the reminder that every day is an opportunity to practice acts of kindness. While many don’t need a list of suggestions for being good to our fellow humans, we have included ideas that others circulate to stimulate creative ideas.
Origins of Human Services Response™ (HSR)
Looking back at the beginning of FAERF’s approach (HSR) to supporting survivors, following traumatic loss in the workplace, I am reminded of examples passenger and family survivors provided in the initial interviews of small acts of kindness by the untrained employees. When I first approached the university with the idea of establishing training for front-line employees, my faculty advisers refused to support the research needed to create such training. The advisers at the university were psychologists and educators who had no knowledge of survivors of technological disasters. My dissertation committee believed that all survivors filed lawsuits and, therefore, there was no need for such training as employees were not allowed to assist in the aftermath of the accident.
Fortunately, CAMI, the Civil Aeromedical Research Institute of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), did not agree. There had been a twenty-four-month period (1987-1989), during which six airline accidents occurred on and above US soil, where was at least one fatality and survivor of the accident. The accidents were enough alike that the FAA accepted the accidents as a sample for study. The Chief US Flight Surgeon endorsed the study, and the university agreed to support the research.
United Airlines Flight 232, July 19, 1989
Whereas my faculty advisors expected only negative interactions between employees and survivors, interviews revealed numerous examples where employees extended courtesies and random acts of kindness on their own, mostly unknown to their supervisors and managers. When I put the research kits out to the list of potential subjects, I began receiving phone calls from survivors. All the calls came from people who shared positive stories about the employees. The very first call came from a passenger who survived United Airlines Flight 232, known by many as the Sioux City crash, where 112 died on impact, and 186 survived.
The survivor began the call by stating who she was and that while she had received the information about my research, she felt certain that I would not want her in the study. “I don’t have an axe to grind”, she explained. “As soon as I arrived home after the accident, I wrote a letter to the president of the airline and thanked him for hiring such great pilots and flight attendants.”
I quickly explained I wanted to include her in the study as an example of positive feelings that I knew survivors often have toward company employees, post-crash. She agreed to interview and, like many others, provided me with multiple examples of acts of kindness provided her in the aftermath of the accident.
I will include one more example from UAL Flight 232. The flight departed from Denver, enroute to Philadelphia with a stop in Chicago. Many of the passengers were from Denver and after returning home, as is consistent with my research, most began flying again.
One evening, a survivor returned to the Denver airport and noticed a DC-10 sitting at the gate. It was the first time he had seen the airplane since the crash. Surprised by the emotions the sight of the intact airplane evoked in him, he realized it might be helpful to him to have more exposure to the airplane. He approached a United Airlines agent and explained that he was a survivor of the Flight 232 accident. He asked if he might have a closer look at the aircraft and perhaps walk through the cabin. The agent told him that this would be possible, as the aircraft would remain overnight at the gate, and it would be early morning before it would be cleaned and catered for the next flight.
He explained that the agent escorted him down the jet bridge and waited outside the door of the aircraft while he walked up and down the aisle. He described how he found the seat he had occupied during the accident, sat down and strapped himself in, closed his eyes, and said a prayer of gratitude for his survival. This began a series of similar visits to the aircraft by survivors of the accident. It was as if there was a secret shared by a few survivors and a couple of employees. The survivors seemed to know that this was not an approved “intervention,” but for each one who interviewed, they gave the airline a high score regarding satisfaction with the company employees, and were among the group who reported less symptoms of the disorders associated with trauma.
Continental Airlines Flight 1713 (November 15, 1987)
Another call that I received right away was from a young mother who I had read about in Reader’s Digest. I remember when I read her story that I secretly hoped she would not interview, as her story was too heartbreaking – even though she was listed in my database and I knew I had mailed her an interview kit. Her boys were identified in the morgue as John Doe #1 and John Doe #2. Her head injuries were so severe that she was initially identified as Jane Doe #1. Of the 82 on board, 28 died.
Like the passenger who called me about UAL Flight 232, the young mom wanted to help, but was concerned that I might not want to interview her once she told me how she felt about the Continental employees. I told her that I had read her story, and while I found it very emotional over the loss of her children, I wanted to hear all that she had to say about the employees’ response to her. She first told me that she had been in a coma for five weeks after she was admitted to the emergency room. When she awakened, her husband was there. He was the one who told her about their boys’ deaths.
She had trouble understanding how toys and balloons had been placed in her room, since there were no children to enjoy them. Her husband explained that those were from airline employees who brought the small gifts. He was so touched by their kindness that he began talking with them and sharing about their boys who had died. Now that mom was awake, he wanted her to meet them, and the relationship grew.
Because her hospitalization lasted so long the father needed to return to the state where they were from to continue working. After she was cleared to leave the hospital for short trips, the employees brought her to mass on Sunday, and took her to the park to enjoy fresh air and sunshine – wheelchair and all. This marked the beginning of the employees being seen as family support and providing family assistance as we know it today.
Like other survivors, this mom gave a very high score to the airline. Due to her severe physical injuries, her recovery was quite lengthy, but she felt the employees gave her reason to hope for a new life someday. The last time I spoke with her, she and her husband were thrilled to be raising a third son.
Formalized Days Around the Globe Today
As Martina’s comments pointed out, every day we have opportunities to help others. These few examples from my research, years ago, represent typical actions performed daily, by compassionate individuals such as these employees. The effects of these and countless acts are recognized today and have led to formal celebratory events around the world. The following is a summary of many of those.
Random Acts of Kindness Day is celebrated internationally on February 17 in many countries, particularly in the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe. It was founded in 1995 by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, a nonprofit based in Denver, Colorado, with the mission of making kindness a standard in everyday life.
While February 17 is the most widely recognized date, some countries observe the day on different dates:
• New Zealand celebrates Random Acts of Kindness Day on September 1, starting in 2004.
• Canada and the U.S. often extend the observance into Random Acts of Kindness Week, which runs from February 14 to February 20, encouraging sustained kindness throughout the week.
The day promotes small, unexpected acts of kindness—such as paying for someone’s coffee, leaving uplifting notes, volunteering, or offering a genuine compliment – to create a ripple effect of positivity. Research shows these acts improve mental well-being for both giver and receiver, reduce stress, and strengthen community bonds.
Random Acts of Kindness Defined
Random acts of kindness are small, thoughtful gestures that benefit others without expecting anything in return. These acts can significantly improve someone’s day and strengthen community connections.
- For strangers: Compliment a stranger’s outfit, hold a door open, let someone merge in traffic, or leave an encouraging note on a car windshield
- In public spaces: Pick up litter, return a grocery cart to the store, or pay for the next person’s coffee at a drive-thru.
- At work or school: Bring treats for colleagues, offer to help a classmate with homework, or leave a kind note on a coworker’s desk.
- For neighbors and friends: Bake extra cookies to share, offer to walk a dog, help with yard work, or send a handwritten thank-you note.
- For self-care and others: Volunteer at a shelter, donate gently used clothes, or plant flowers in a public space to beautify the environment.
We want to publish your examples. If you would like to share an example of an act of kindness in your workplace, please send an email to Kristine Budaha (kristine.budaha@faerf.org)