Four days after a gunman took the lives of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school, local kindergarten teacher Julie Berro received a handwritten note from a parent of one of her students.

The note said, “Just a little note to you. It could’ve happened anywhere to anyone, and the feeling of being a parent outside of the school makes me THAT much more appreciative of the job you do. My heart hurts so bad for the parents, teachers, and students in that situation, that I felt it would only be right for me to say Thank You. It doesn’t have to be TOO LATE for me to know you’re doing something right. We love and appreciate you soooo much. Thank You.”

That note is now posted at the entrance of Berro’s classroom at World of Wonder PreK-8 School at Residence Park in Dayton.

“It’s a little scrap of paper that meant the world to me,” Berro said. “It will stand there as a memorial for the victims (of Sandy Hook Elementary School).”

People across the country, from all walks of life, are paying tribute to the victims of the Newtown, Conn., massacre. Many of them are reaching out by participating in the “26 Acts of Kindness” campaign.

The pay-it-forward initiative made popular by Facebook users urges strangers to show generosity to other strangers by performing 26 acts of kindness. Some are doing 27 acts, recognizing the mother of the gunman, who also was killed by her son.

Some local residents are participating in the movement and are encouraging others to join them.

Rebecca Johnson of RJ Photography in Clayton is offering her photography skills free of charge to individuals who cannot afford the services or have experienced a catastrophe. She is taking nominations from the public via her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RJPhotography4313 or by calling 902-7913 until Dec.31.

“It kind of saddens me that the tragedy had to happen for people to go ‘Wait a minute, what can I do to help someone out?’ ” said Johnson. “Don’t wait for something to happen to do something kind for someone else.”

Amanda Kees, general manager of Anytime Fitness in Monroe, said she is not sure if her clients had the 26 Acts movement in mind when they donated items to the gym’s Adopt-a-Family program, but noticed that donations were still pouring in after the gym’s deadline. The program takes place around the holiday season and the gym staff partners with Butler County Jobs and Family Services to provide gifts and furniture to 20 families in need.

“People are searching for community and there is a lack of community out there,” Kees said, referring to why she thinks people want to do good deeds for strangers. She added that she likes the idea of the 26 Acts movement because it shows “there is still a huge amount of generosity in the world and people just need to find the right place to give.”

Some have been recipients of recent acts of kindness. Cameron Tobey of Beavercreek said she was at Mike’s Car Wash in Beavercreek on Wednesday and the clerk told her that someone had paid for her vehicle to be washed.

Tobey said she thought she really didn’t need charity, but now realizes that doing a kind deed has nothing to do with your socioeconomic status.

“This isn’t about giving to needy people. Everybody needs a hug,” she said, adding that everyone can appreciate a good deed.

That is why Tobey decided to participate in the pay-it-forward movement by visiting a local school and donating money to one of its programs. She told school officials that she wanted to remain anonymous.

“The idea is that you don’t want anything in return. You don’t want the receiver to feel like they owe you anything,” she said.

The Salvation Army’s Springfield-Clark County Corps received four large blessings in the midst of its Red Kettle Campaign. Two of the Salvation Army’s kettle collection sites have received two visits each from someone who dropped two large rolls of $100 bills into the kettles. Those large rolls totaled $4,000, according to Capt. Stephen Carroll, the SA’s commanding officer.

Since the donations are anonymous, it’s unclear if the donor is participating in “26 Acts,” but whatever the reason for the large lump sum, SA officials are grateful.

“It’s exciting for us because that person made it possible for us to keep our goal within reach,” Carroll said. The goal of the campaign is $160,000.

Carroll also is grateful for the generousity of those who have given smaller donations.

“Most people are not going to drop $100 in the kettle. Instead, the bulk of our money comes in the singles and the change,” he said.

Carroll also said he likes the idea of the “26 Acts” movement.

“The more people we can get to do good stuff for other people, the better off we’ll be,” he said.

Though Berro wasn’t officially participating in the 26 Acts movement last week, she said she wanted to honor the Sandy Hook victims by having more outreach programs that target children who live in poverty. Last Thursday, Berro and other staff at her elementary school gave away 500 hats and pairs of gloves to students at the school. This was the sixth year that Berro has organized the winter gear drive that has her partnering with local churches and organizations.

“This was a tragedy that was monumental. It was like an earthquake on a richter scale of 10, we all felt this one,” Berro said. “From coast to coast, it was an earthquake that touched America.”