She’s paid for a stranger’s coffee, picked up rubbish off the streets and made a woman smile by giving her a bouquet of flowers.
These are just a few of the 22 random acts of kindness Cara Santana has carried out today to help spread some love and positivity after a mass shooting in her hometown of El Paso, Texas.
The actress was inspired to take action by 11-year-old Ruben Gandarilla who came up with the #elpasochallenge which encourages the people of El Paso to carry out random acts of kindness for each of the innocent lives lost on the weekend – now sadly up to 22.
My 11 year old came to me with an idea. #elpasoCHALLENGE He challenges ALL El Pasoans to commit 20 Random Acts of Kindness. One for every person that was killed in our city’s mass shooting. Let’s get this done El Paso. @abc7breaking @kels1142 @YsletaISD @EPPOLICE @elpasoisd pic.twitter.com/pvy5Q9G4f6
— Rose (@rgandarilla99) August 5, 2019
“If you’re feeling anything like me, you’re feeling helpless and hopeless,” Cara explains in an Insta story, “so I’m taking the El Paso Challenge.”
Hoping to inspire her 855 thousand followers to do the same, Cara filmed her random acts of kindness which included, paying for someone’s expired parking meter, pumping and paying for a stranger’s petrol, buying snacks for someone whose car had broken down, shouting strangers a coffee, covering someone’s grocery bill and donating some money to a good cause.
Cara Santana paying for someone’s parking metre, unloading a stranger’s groceries and giving someone a coffee gift card. (Images from @carasantana Instagram stories)
“I’m so moved by everyone’s response,” Cara says with tears in her eyes after completing her 22nd act of kindness. What was their response exactly? Some were surprised. Some hugged her or shook her hand. And some promised to pay-it-forward too.
“The world is a beautiful place and you just have to look and find it,” the actress explains before thanking the 11-year-old boy who came up with the challenge.
“I want to inspire everyone to honour those who are not with us anymore and also just try and spread kindness, so Ruben thank you for inspiring me.”