Comedian Ricky Smith to talk #RAKE at SWCC

It doesn’t take much to help others.

Comedian Ricky Smith lives by this statement. He dreams of helping others as a full-time job and has begun to make a name for himself through the use of comedy and social media.

While Smith is still in the midst of a project with rapper Machine Gun Kelly (they drive a food truck around and give out free ice cream), he is also touring to promote his nonprofit organization: Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere (#RAKE).

At noon Tuesday, the Cleveland, Ohio, comedian will perform his #RAKE act at Southwestern Community College (SWCC) in the Student Center. Though it is geared toward students, the free event will be open to the public.

“The way I was raised, when you do good, you don’t talk about it,” said Smith, 35. “But with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and all these avenues, why not show yourself doing good to motivate and inspire other people?”

It all started when a group of his friends began making lunches for homeless people and posting about it online using the hashtag “lunchbag.” Smith tried it for himself; he handed out pizzas to homeless people in Los Angeles and posted about it on social media.

From there, Smith decided to travel the country with nothing but his cell phone and photo ID, simply relying on mutual kindness to get him from one place to the next.

“I did 17 cities in 17 days,” he said. “A gentleman actually gave me his car, and a young lady gave me an (airline) buddy pass to fly and go get the car. It was crazy.”

Smith's acts of kindness and trips across the country have substantially increased his following on social media (@rickonia and @rakenow are his Twitter feeds), and he has gained attention from Comedy Central and Cartoon Network executives. He is now a writer for "Black Dynamite," a TV series on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Smith launched the #RAKE organization and charity fund with the goal of enriching others’ lives and encouraging people to “pay it forward.” The charity fund has enabled him to finance a nationwide blanket drive and put together kits of essentials for people in need. The #RAKE movement has begun to spread internationally, too.

While Smith enjoys helping those in need, he believes it is important to do nice things for all people and that any act of kindness, large or small, can make a difference.

“It sounds cheesy, but I see how small acts can get bigger through the trickle-down of helping people,” he said.

Recently, one of Smith’s friends pointed out he hasn’t visited Iowa enough, so Smith has dedicated five of his tour days to Iowa. Creston will be his third stop.

“In the world we live in, the more respect and kindness we can show each other, the better off we all are,” said Terri Higgins, SWCC director of marketing and enrollment management. “#RAKE is a good reminder of how we should treat others, and he (Smith) presents it in a humorous manner, which might be a good way for it to sink in for students.”