Man Pledges to Complete 30 Acts of Kindness Before Turning 30

Man Assembles Self-Care Packages and Donates Them to 118 Animal Shelter Workers

By Regina Sienra on November 16, 2022

Man Pleads to Complete 30 Acts of Kindness Before Turning 30 Years Old

Photo: Screenshot from YouTube

Turning 30 can be daunting. Adulthood has fully kicked in, and societal pressures increase. This particular feeling of dread is echoed in pop culture, informing pieces like Bo Burnham's Inside or the musical film Tick, Tick… Boom! Instead of dwelling on this sentiment, Bryan Tsiliacos, a man from the Bay Area, decided to celebrate this milestone birthday by completing 30 acts of kindness before he turns 30 in February 2023.

After his 29th birthday, the anxiety began to creep in, so he tried to find an uplifting approach. “I pulled out a sheet of paper and started to write down all the things that I was grateful for,” Tsiliacos told ABC7 News. “And at that moment, I realized that every wonderful thing that has happened to me was thanks to the support and generosity of others.”

This inspired him to start the 30 acts by 30 challenge, which hopes to support essential workers across a wide range of fields. His first act was making 400 flan desserts for firefighters in San Jose, who were ultimately delighted by his creations. Hoping to take his paying-it-forward endeavor further, he asked principals from schools in the Oakland area for a supply wishlist to help teachers. Using his charisma to get companies to chime in, he was able to donate $12,000 worth of goods, featuring paper, markers, disinfecting wipes, among other things.

His latest endeavor put the spotlight on animal shelter workers, to whom he wanted to give care packages. In the end, he handed out 118 bundles around San Francisco. “Nothing like this has happened in the four years that I’ve been here so it is really nice to see,” Riley Smith, an SFSPCA Animal Trainer, told KRON4. After learning shelter workers are five times more likely to develop PTSD, he knew a token of appreciation would go a long way.

Although he has been able to carry on with his mission with both donations from private entities and his own savings, his next endeavors could use an extra boost, so he launched a GoFundMe campaign. “I realized that I could have a more significant impact by including others in this journey,” he admits. “As they say, ‘if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'”

Despite the origin of his project, he's not in a rush to finish. “I'm going to complete my goal no matter how long it takes,” he told People, after announcing that he is aware that the acts themselves are more important than doing it before his self-imposed deadline.

If you want to support Tsiliacos' mission, you can donate to his GoFundMe. You can also stay up to date with his acts of kindness by following him on Instagram.