It's likely that if we understood how good it makes people feel to receive a kind act, we'd do it more often, Kumar said. Their results show that a person who extends a hand of kindness feels good, but the person who receives that kindness has a long-lasting feeling of warmth from the interaction. Kumar and Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago have spent the past five years researching how small acts of generosity, like a stranger buying another person a cup of coffee, affect our mood and well being. 'We also know that people who do something kind don't fully understand the impact and tend to systematically undervalue pro-social acts.' 'We know being kind to others improves our well-being,' said Amit Kumar, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Texas who recently conducted a study on the impact of kindness. Doing something kind for someone makes us all feel better. It's worth finding inspiration in her vision. Khloe learned the magic of kindness at a young age. 'When I see little kids grab a book and it makes them feel really good, my heart smiles,' she said. Now at age 10 and in the 5th grade, Khloe has donated books more than 21,000 books to organizations such as the Star of Hope Mission, DePelchin Children's Center and Texas Children's Hospital, as well as elementary schools across the city. She took her $150 in change, which she had been saving for a trip to Disneyland, and bought 350 books for the Missouri City Police Department officers to pass out to children they meet. And she wanted other kids to see how cool cops are. The two exchanged hugs, and Khloe told Berry she loved her red hair.

But her grandmother, Billye Moutra, a former school administrator, didn't want her grandchild to fear the police, so she to set up a meeting between Khloe and Berry. At some point in her young life, Khloe had seen or heard about police violence against Black people. Khloe's idea was sparked when she spotted Missouri City police officer Jessica Berry on a motorcycle one day. MORE FROM JOY SEWING: Houston leader Clarice Freeman marks 102nd birthday: 'I still have a story to tell' It sounds simple, but in a world teetering off balance from mass shootings, racial injustice, attacks on women's reproductive rights and rising inflation, there has to be something that can make someone smile.Ī random act of kindness, like giving a book to another child, can do that and turn a gray sky blue. Since then, she has started a project called A Book and a Smile, in which she donates books to other children. When Khloe Joiner was 4, she stumbled onto a big idea to help make the world, or at least Houston, a kinder place. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Show More Show Less She has given more than 25,000 books to children and her goal is 1 million. The Missouri City girl started a project called A Book and a Smile with money she was saving for a trip to Disneyland.

Khloe Joiner, 10, a fifth grader at Palmer Elementary School, has been donating books since she was 4. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of3 Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of3

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