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Margaret Raker, founder of Temperance-based God's Emergency Response Team (GERT) Ministries, was sitting at a gas station when she saw two older women struggling to put gas in their car.

After getting out to help them, she got the idea of setting aside an entire day to performing random acts of kindness.

On Feb. 17, GERT Ministries held its first Random Acts of Kindness Day. More than 30 volunteers dedicated part or all of the day to performing acts of kindness in Toledo, Monroe and Bedford Township.

The volunteers had a schedule, but the places where they volunteered were chosen at random.

"I just started calling random places and asking them if we could come in and serve," Ms. Raker said.

The group had a full day. They arrived at the Cherry Street Mission in Toledo before 7 Saturday morning to serve breakfast to the homeless at the shelter.

After serving the meal, cleaning up and singing to the people there, they traveled to the Humane Society of Monroe County, where volunteers cleaned out animal cages.

They grabbed a quick lunch and then finished out the day at Aspen Grove Assisted Living in Lambertville, where they handed out balloons, did crafts and ministered to the residents.

The volunteers came from all over. Some were family and friends of Ms. Raker's, and others were fellow church members who she barely knew.

Brian and Lori Matthews heard about the event from an announcement at Bedford Christian Community Church. The couple is new to the area and thought the day would be a good opportunity to meet people.

"We wanted to get out of the house and do something for someone else," Mr. Matthews said. "We wanted to meet people who want to help the same way we do."

Cherrise Gayle, chairman of the University of Toledo's Association for the Advancement of African American Women, spent her afternoon at Aspen Grove with four other members of her association.

She had met Ms. Raker just days before when she noticed her wearing a sweatshirt advertising GERT Ministries.

"I checked out the Web site, and when I found out about today, I thought it would be neat to do acts of kindness," she said. "I talked it over with our co-chair, and some of our other members wanted to come out, too."

Ms. Raker was overwhelmed by how many people turned out to volunteer.

"For all those people to show up — that was all God," she said.

GERT ministries was formed when Hurricane Charlie hit Florida. Ms. Raker felt called to take supplies and minister to some of the victims.

Since that day, she has made trips to other disaster areas, taking supplies and praying and ministering to victims.

But she wants people to see that GERT doesn't just minister on the national level.

"This helps get that view back that we're local," she said. "There are just as many needs here as there are everywhere else in the world."

Ms. Raker's daughter, Precious Wagner, also participated in the day and took her three children to Aspen Grove to pass out balloons. The two older children dressed up as clowns.

"I just know that elderly people enjoy seeing kids," she said. "It's so neat to see them light up when they see a kid."

Mrs. Wagner remembers when GERT Ministries was only a vision of her mother.

"It's amazing to see what we were — me, my mom and my immediate family — and to see it bloom into so much," she said. "It's really cool to see her just follow what God has laid on her heart."

Instead of looking at the day as a sacrifice, the group of volunteers viewed the opportunity to serve as a privilege.

"Just being able to feel used by God is such a beautiful thing," said Johnnie Patterson, a volunteer from Bedford Christian Community Church.

"It just seemed so awesome to serve people in need."

"It's exciting to be the hands and feet of Jesus," said Kathy Trombley, another volunteer.

Ms. Raker was amazed by the response she received.

"What an awesome day. To watch the vision come around full circle, it was huge," she said.

The day was such a success that GERT Ministries plans to hold a Random Acts of Kindness Day once a month. The next day is planned for March 17.

"I'd like to have enough people to spread across the cities," Ms. Raker said. "That's the big picture: to reach the cities for Christ."

For more information on GERT, visit www.gertministries.com or contact Margaret Raker at (419) 356-3700.