Compassion It, a non-for-profit group based in random acts of kindness, was brought to the community this summer following the deaths of GBN students Billy Garrity and Kyle Caraher and alumnus Ryan McCarthy.
Compassion It sells bracelets that are black on one side and white on the other. Both sides read “Compassion It.” According to Casey Tanner, 2009 GBN graduate who brought Compassion It to Northbrook, the bracelet is a visual reminder to do acts of kindness daily, because the bracelet is supposed to be worn on the black side every day until the person donning the bracelet has done a compassionate act.
The idea stemmed from an assignment Tanner had as a member of the Movement 121 Fellowship in the fall of 2011. Tanner and a group of people were assigned to come up with an idea of a social business or non-for-profit organization that had the potential to change the world as a part of her fellowship.
“[My group member Sara Schairer] had this idea that you could spread compassion and change the world that way, and everyone on the team…all really loved the idea,” Tanner said. “So kind of the basis of the idea is compassion, instead of being a noun like it normally is, becomes a verb.”
However, according to Tanner, Compassion It was just an idea until the tragedies occurred this summer. After the tragedies, Tanner realized how Compassion It could unite the community to honor the memories of Garrity, McCarthy and Caraher.
“I went to [Billy’s] funeral to support [his sister] Molly and there was a point during the funeral, where I don’t remember who was speaking, but…they said the Garrity family is just asking that you perform random acts of kindness in Billy’s name,” Tanner said. “I took that seriously and was thinking about it and kind of just had this epiphany that the mission of Compassion It and what the Garrity family was asking for from the community really went hand in hand.”
Garrity’s aforementioned sister, Molly Garrity, also said that the goal of the Compassion It bracelets was fitting with what her family was asking for and what Billy would have wanted from the community.
“I think you don’t know…who’s hurting so just doing these acts of compassion to people, it really does make a difference in that person’s day,” Molly said. “Even doing the acts of compassion makes me feel better about how I [have] spent my day.”
After checking with her teammates from the fellowship and the Garrity family, Tanner ordered the bracelets, which are sold at the boutique La De Da in Northbrook. So far, over $4,000 has been raised and over 1,000 bracelets have been sold.
The proceeds from the bracelets, which cost $5 but were raised to $10 in September, go to Garrity, McCarthy and Caraher’s families. Each family can donate a third of the proceeds towards any charity. According to Tanner, the Garrity family is donating the money to their scholarship fund, the McCarthy family to the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and the Caraher family has not yet informed Tanner of where they are donating their portion.
According to GBN senior Christina Salonikas, the bracelets have made an impact on her life. The common experience has additionally allowed the GBN community to become closer.
“Every day when I put it on, it’s on the black side and I look at it and try to actually find one thing I can do that’s compassionate to flip it to the white side,” Salonikas said. “I do think about it every single day. Not only has it affected my life, but the kids in my grade will see someone have it on the white side and be like, ‘Oh, what did you do today?’”
According to Tanner, many people have been posting their different acts of compassion on the Compassion It Facebook page. GBN senior Kathryn Schmidt said she uses her bracelet as a constant, positive reminder to be compassionate in memory of her friends.
“Two of the boys that passed [this summer] I knew almost my whole life, so keeping their presence with me is something I really care about,” Schmidt said. “These bracelets are a great way to do that.”
According to Schmidt, she tries to make the bracelets accessible to anyone who is interested in having one. Schmidt also believes that the bracelets are beneficial to the community as whole, in addition to individual lives.
“The reaction… has been very positive,” Schmidt said. “The series of events that happened [this summer] were unexpected and difficult to react to. The idea of doing these bracelets is wonderful, and a positive way of coping.”
Additionally, the bracelets have allowed the community to find a way to support the families going through the tragedies, according to Tanner. Molly said that Compassion It means a lot to her and her family, and she is thankful for the organization.
“I just hope that people keep wearing their bracelets and keep remembering to do these things,” Molly said. “I think it’s a really beautiful idea, and I think a lot of these kids in high school and anyone who’s suffered a lot of losses, it does make such an impact on you that I’m hoping [Compassion It] will stay with them and that they’ll continue to do these acts of compassion.”
According to Tanner, the exciting aspect of Compassion It is that it has spread beyond the Northbrook community.
“People all over the world have Compassion It bracelets now,” Tanner said. “We’ve been giving women in very poor countries bracelets for free….It sprouted out from these tragedies in Northbrook, IL. Who knew that in just a couple months, this would be changing the world?”
