On Thursday, February 21 American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) will close the Portland administrative office for a half-day to celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Week. Random Acts of Kindness Day originated in New Zealand, as did ACHS’s Founding President, Dorene Petersen, and it has since become an international holiday. It is also a part of Random Acts of Kindness week—started by the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. http://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/random-acts-of-kindness-day/
“This is a day that ACHS staff are excited to step out of our normal routine and carry on ACHS”s tradition of expressing Love for Mother Earth by dedicating our time in support of three nonprofit organizations dedicated to sustainability,” says Kate Harmon, Chief Marketing Officer.
The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS), a Certified B Corp™, was named to the 2018. 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon list by Oregon Business magazine for the fourth year in a row. The college’s commitment to sustainability, caring for our environment, and showing our love for Mother Earth through green practices include planting trees at the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Project Site and donating funds for freshwater wells in Nepal.
On February 21, ACHS staff will continue their commitment to sustainability and green practices by volunteering time to:
Prepare the Soil and build a Bioswale with Growing Gardens. Growing Gardens teaches gardening skills and builds organic vegetable gardens in homes, schools and correctional facilities by providing garden beds, supplies, seeds, plants, mentoring and other resources. Four ACHS staff will volunteer to help Growing Gardens staff and volunteers support children, adults and families who have limited access to safe and nutritious food, and empower them to become healthier, more physically active and self-reliant––thereby contributing to stronger, more sustainable and vibrant communities. https://www.growing-gardens.org/
Dedicate time to remove invasive species along trails and trees at Forest Park Conservancy. Forest Park Conservancy’s focus is protecting Forest Park's ecological health to encourage responsible recreation and access,. Four ACHS staff will support this project by joining the Forest Park Conservancy stewardship staff, seasonal technicians, and 1,000 plus volunteers who spend many hours in the field every year to ensure this unique urban forest’s future is bright. https://www.forestparkconservancy.org/
Help clean and repair a wide variety of donated children's books at the Children’s Book Bank. Ten ACHS staff will help get books ready to go out to kids who don’t have books of their own! This support will help fill the homes and lives of children with engaging culturally diverse books that ignite curiosity, spark the imagination, and open young minds to limitless possibilities. Volunteers support will help spruce up used books to make them look their very best! https://www.childrensbookbank.org/
ACHS’s staff members are also making individual plans to show their love to our community and environment during National Acts of Kindness Week. Some include:
“I’m sharing my love for animals with my three year-old son this season, helping organize a free spay and neuter clinic in our community. We’re also fostering a street dog that we found in bad shape, helping get him healthy and ready for adoption. This is an especially poignant “kindness” task for me as we very recently lost our old dog to cancer. I rescued her from the street thirteen years ago and learned that street dogs can become the best pets ever and beloved members of the family. It’s been an opportunity to grieve and celebrate the love of our noble canine companions.
-Dr. Jacqui McGrath, ACHS Faculty
“As soon as possible, I will walk out in the green grass barefoot with my face to sun to get reconnected with the Earth. And as Spring is a time for cleaning out, I am planning to declutter my home to make it more environmentally friendly.
-Margaret LaPierre, ACHS Ambassador
“During the 2018 Kona Aromatherapy Study tour in 2018, 21 ACHS staff and students planted over 25 Hawaiian sandalwood Santalum paniculatum trees to offset our carbon footprint, help reforest Hawaii and give back to the earth. We worked with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative who have dedicated many hours and resources to reverse the trend of deforestation on the Big Island of Hawaii. A forest is more than a bunch of trees. The entire ecosystem, microbe rich soil, biodiversity and bird life all create a healthier planet and help store carbon and give off oxygen. With global warming creating extreme weather shifts worldwide this is something the planet desperately needs. We plan to plant another 50 trees when students attend the 2019 Advanced Aromatherapy Workshop in Kona November 11-14. On the home front I plan to do some spring decluttering of clothes, crockery items and knick-knacks that I will gift, donate and give-away. I’m also making a commitment to buy less, buy local when possible, oh! except for my love for out-of-season fresh certified organic raspberries and blueberries.”
-Dorene Petersen, ACHS Founding President.
You can read more about The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative https://legacytrees.org/ and to learn more about the fresh water wells in Nepal go to https://www.thelundreport.org/news-source/american-college-healthcare-sciences
About American College of Healthcare Sciences
Founded in 1978, ACHS.edu is a Portland, Ore.-based, accredited college offering online, on-campus, and study abroad integrative health education. With undergraduate and graduate degrees, diplomas, certificates, and continuing education units in integrative health, ACHS makes holistic health and wellness education accessible to a diverse community, including healthcare professionals, military students, stay-at-home parents, and lifelong learners. Specializations include aromatherapy, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition, and wellness. ACHS is a Certified B Corporation® and was named two of 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon 2017 by Oregon Business magazine. ACHS is also accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Visit achs.edu.