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Announcing our 2023 Kid Kindness Grant Winners!
Kindness Grows Here Partners with Anne Arundel County Public Library to Encourage Reading and Spread Kindness
Spend each day of the month spreading kindness in your community, within your home, and to yourself. We will put a new calendar up each month!
Celebrate differences all year long!
Kindness Grows Here (KGH) commits to doing its part to address gun violence in America. Kindness Grows Here (KGH) started because our founder, Kristen, looked around at a world full of so much hate, and she wanted to do something to make a difference. While she didn’t set out to start a nonprofit–initially she just sought to spread kindness as far and wide as she could with her kids–KGH has grown into something with tremendous impact. The simple acts of Kindness that Kristen, her husband Matt, and their children carried out inspired people and eventually grew into what is now Kindness Grows Here–a non-profit organization that has impacted 26 states and 4 countries and has empowered thousands of children throughout the United States with the knowledge and resources to be KINDER (kind, inclusive, noble, dependable, empathic, & resilient) human beings. In light of the recent mass shootings in this country it is clear that we need kindness more than ever. We need to raise people who would never ever think of hurting anyone else. And we need to raise sensitive, caring individuals who will grow to be leaders and politicians who will unequivocally put children and people before guns. Solving the problem of violence in America will take an “all hands on deck approach.” We need more comprehensive gun control. We need to better care for people living in poverty. We need to address racism head on. We need better mental health care. We need to address the epidemic of substance use disorders. We need to speak out against toxic masculinity. And we need to instill in children, all children, a determination and desire to be kind. No single organization can do it alone. We commit to doing our part. We stand united with all of the individuals and organizations working together to address the multipronged problem of gun violence in America.
We want to regularly spotlight students and schools who are demonstrating exceptional kindness. In order to do this, we need your help! Please complete each of the following forms to nominate a child or a school to be recognized by Kindness Grows Here for the ways they are helping to spread kindness. Each time we choose a child or a school to be recognized, we will mail them a small token of congratulations. Click the images below to submit your nomination:
Check back here regularly for the latest edition of our newsletter. Click the date to view each of our newsletters (in order from newest to oldest): 2023 Newsletters: May: Celebrate Educators, Mental Health Awareness March: Special Edition, How to Celebrate Awareness Days February 2022 Newsletters: November March And to make sure you’re on our mailing so you always receive the latest news from KGH, please be sure to fill out this form .
As the founder of an organization dedicated to fostering kindness in children, this is a topic about which I have thought A LOT. When I decided that spreading kindness as far and wide as possible would be my mission, I did not embark on that mission without doing a lot of soul searching about what it really means to be kind. When I give presentations to students, parents, or teachers, I talk about the difference between being “kind” and being “nice.”
Studies have shown that helping children develop empathy is one of the greatest tools in raising them to be kind, good citizens of the world. To this aim, Kindness Grows Here has created the “What I Wish They Knew” project to help others learn how people have triumphed in the face of adversity. We are looking for personal stories from those who faced and overcame adversity with the goal of sharing these stories so others can learn from and be inspired by them. Triumph is not merely defined as a grand accomplishment. Triumph can be as simple as being able to move forward, being able to love oneself despite adversity, being able to stand firm in what you believe, and being willing to bravely share your story with others. We are looking for stories from those who have experienced racism, discrimination, bullying, or some other form of intolerance by others. We would like to know: What happened? What was the difficulty you faced? How did this make you feel? Was there a lasting impact? What advice do you have for others who have faced similar difficulties? What do you wish kids knew? We will be combining the stories into a document that will be available online for parents, teachers, coaches, and other adults to utilize in working with children to teach empathy and understanding, and to help children understand the impact their words and actions have on others. As funds become available, we also plan to print hard copies of this resource that we will donate to schools and other organizations supporting children. If you are willing to share your story, please complete the form below. Thank you in advance for your bravery. This project is nothing without YOU! Please go to this link to complete our submission form.