In addition to making and delivering 400 desserts to firefighters thus far, he has also given away $12,000 worth of donated school supplies to Oakland middle schools.
The thought of turning 30 carries a weight that can frequently be a significant source of anxiety for many. One may experience a sudden unease about relationships and a career as they purport to move from their carefree and youthful 20s to a more mature and responsible 30s (or lack thereof). Some people use the start of their 30s to reflect on their life accomplishments and the influence they have had on the world. When Bryan Tsiliacos turned 29 in February of this year, he also went through this phenomenon. He made the decision to focus his worries about turning 30 on doing good rather than plunging headfirst into an existential crisis.
“There are expectations to being 30. The family, the house, the career,” Tsiliacos explained to PEOPLE. The tech company project manager dealt with his feeling of anxiety by writing down everything he was grateful for in an effort to remind him how much he owes to the generosity of others. “I pulled out a sheet of paper and started to write down all the things that I was grateful for,” Tsiliacos told KGO-TV. “And at that moment, I realized that every wonderful thing that has happened to me was thanks to the support and generosity of others.”
Tsiliacos started the 30 Acts by 30 initiative and set a goal for himself to perform at least 30 significant acts of kindness before he turns 30 the following year in order to put his “gratitude in action.” “I decided to put my gratitude into action by doing 30 acts of kindness before turning 30. And who better to show my appreciation than essential workers? They have gone above and beyond to keep our communities moving during these difficult times,” he wrote on his GoFundMe page. “Yet, essential workers are often overlooked and underappreciated. So rather than helping one person at a time, I wanted to see how many I could impact with one act of kindness at a time.”
Tsiliacos has created and delivered 400 desserts to San Jose firefighters thus far, and she has also given away $12,000 in donated school supplies to Oakland middle schools. Westlake Middle School principal Maya Taylor said, “Acts of kindness like this let us know that we are not invisible, that there are folks out there who really care about our community,” said Principal Maya Taylor of Westlake Middle School in Oakland. “Just seeing their reactions is the reason why I’m doing this,” explained Tsiliacos. “And the goal here is to put a smile on their faces and inspire others to give back in their own way.”
He is currently putting together care packages for 118 employees of animal shelters in San Francisco, California. Tsiliacos has set a goal for himself to perform 30 deeds of kindness by the time he turns 30 in February 2022, but he also acknowledges that the success of his initiative lies in completing the task at hand, not in meeting a self-imposed deadline. No matter how long it takes, he vowed to finish his task.