Aerie Created a Hotline You Can Call During the Holidays When You Need a Little Kindness

Let's be real: 2020 has been a year, and with COVID-19 cases continuing to rise across the country, holiday merriment is bound to look a little different this season.

To help spread some much-needed (and much-deserved!) kindness, Aerie's new #AerieREAL Kind Campaign features the brand's first-ever Kind Hotline, a number you can call from anywhere in the world for a hefty dose of — you guessed it — kindness to give to yourself, your loved ones, and pretty much the entire world.

Simply call 1-844-KIND-365 any time between now and December 25th, and you'll enjoy customized voice messages in both English and Spanish by Aerie friends and kindness advocates including Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, model Iskra Lawrence, A Wrinkle in Time star Storm Reid, fitness guru Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, actress Katherine Schwarzenegger, disability activist Jillian Mercado, sustainable artist Manuela Barón, scientist and entrepreneur Keiana Cavé, DJ Tiff McFierce, Smile On Me founder Dre Thomas, and other surprise guests.

When you dial the number, you'll get to choose from four available menu options: 1 for a little self-love, 2 for some kindness toward those around you, 3 for some tips on how to be kinder to the world, and 4 for advice on how to make screen time more meaningful (and, of course, a bit kinder). Each call is free, so you can give the hotline a ring any time you need some extra lovin' this holiday season. (

Launched in honor of World Kindness Day earlier this month, the campaign is celebrating kindness by paying it forward in ways both big and small. Not only did Aerie help donate up to 1 million meals to Feeding America to help fight hunger this holiday season, but the brand also accepted nominees to receive their own surprise acts of kindness. Winners were given sweet prizes like financial support to help pay a bill, the opportunity to treat themselves and a friend to dinner, and the chance to speak to one of the brand's aforementioned kindness advocates live.

But even if you missed out on a shot at chatting one-on-one with one of Aerie's kindness advocates, lucky for you, they're still finding ways to offer some self-love advice for the masses. In a recent Q&A session during Aerie's World Kindness Day Event, Lawrence shared some of her top tips for taking care of yourself, especially in times when you feel "lost" or "overwhelmed" (basically 2020 in a nutshell, right?). In her own day-to-day as a new mom, she said she's been practicing self-love by asking for help, meditating, and carving out time for exercise — whether it's a home workout to get her blood pumping or a stroll around the block to enjoy nature.

"Movement is medicine," said Lawrence. "It empowers me and reminds me how capable [I am] and how grateful I should be for my body."

Want more words of wisdom on kindness from women like Lawrence? Be sure to call 1-844-KIND-365 the next time you need a little boost of positivity this holiday season.