Kindness Starts With One®

I care about helping people in need. One simple way I think someone can add kindness to the world is by giving to the homeless or needy. When you do something like thi,s you get a tingly feeling. That's what I call “the kindness feeling”. The kindness feeling is my favorite feeling ever. I believe the world needs more kindness...

“Mrs. Willis, this is Mr. West from the school.  Do you have a minute to talk?”  Silence.

“Yes,” she finally replied quietly.

“I just called to tell you that Natasha had a great day at school today.”  More silence.

“Really?” she questioned.

So I went on.  “I can tell that Natasha is really proud of...

My name is John M. Sweeney. I’m the founder and Chief Kindness Officer of a worldwide social movement called Suspended Coffees. I’m a misfit, a Kindness Coach, I’m a storyteller and I’m a teacher of kindness. For me, kindness has not only changed my life, it's also saved it. Three years ago I was depressed, alone, thinking...

Mother Nature gives us a lot. Here are 4 fun ways to show appreciation for all she provides.

My daughter, Kathrine, lives in Hillsboro, Oregon. Her neighbor recently had a baby. Kathrine took Izzy (Isabella) into her home for a few days when the new mother and baby came home from the hospital. Kathrine and I also went shopping and bought some much needed items for the new baby: diapers, blankets, a towel and wash cloth set, and a...

When I was little, I lived with my mom and dad until the age of three. My parents' relationship dissolved, which left my sister and I living with my dad on the streets until I was 5 years old. At that time, my dad couldn't take care of us anymore and dropped off my sister and I at my Aunt...

Over the weekend I got my license so my friend Jennie and I got our nails done and went out to dinner. SHe paid for my nails so I offered to drive her 45 minutes away to her grandparents house.

Over the course of my spring break I went to visit some colleges. I stayed in the town of Gettysburg for two days at a bed and breakfast. When eating breakfast there I met a Vietnam veteran and talked with him about how poorly veterans are treated after returning home from war, especially the Vietnam generation. After having this talk,...

My name is Yaneth. My mom was a single mom to six kids. My sister and I were both born in Mexico and were brought to the United States without proper documentation. We have since become legal residents, but growing up we had a lot of challenges because we didn't have proper documentation. We couldn't get Medicaid because that was...

Over my spring break, I decided to take the time to go to New Orleans to volunteer. For me, volunteering isn't just a high school requirement. I didn't even know it was a requirement up until a few weeks ago. To me, volunteering is fun and it makes me feel good about myself. I feel like I'm making an impact on...

So this past weekend I took the ACT, a college readiness test, at a town thirty minutes from my own town. I drove myself to the test. I thought I would be the only student from my school at this testing location, but to my surprise I ran into another kid from my school and grade. We said hi to...

All I was doing that day was selling pastries. College was overwhelming, I missed my family, and I was selling pastries. A couple walked in with smiles and I noticed. I noticed how tightly she held his arm. I imagined each wrinkle on their face as a memory; there were hundreds of beautiful memories. He held her hand and she...

The random act of kindness I chose to do was transport someone who can’t drive. While this was not an act I was planning on doing, it happened out of nowhere. I had been planning on cleaning a friend's house, but a new opportunity presented itself. I was dropping a friend off at home after lacrosse practice when I noticed...

My parents wanted me to clean out my closet over break because I have too many clothes in my closet that I don't wear because they're too small for me. I asked my parents if there's any place we can donate my clothes that were too small for me. They said the SVMS had a drop box for clothes that...

Thank you to the kind man wearing the batman t-shirt for the act of kindness of putting $20 in my tank. It truly was a kind act and I hope you know how much I appreciate it. Thank you so much!

Over spring break, I did an act of kindness for my neighbor. My act was actually completed after my neighbor did an act of kindness for me. On Easter, my sister and I received chocolates and candies from our neighbor. Never before have we received anything from this neighbor and we've lived in the same house for four years. It was truly...

It was Thursday morning of my spring break week during Junior year, and I was late to meet my friends at the nearby Dunkin' Donuts to get breakfast. As I ran downstairs, I noticed my mom in the kitchen getting ready to begin her day as well. She was headed to her business, Chef Loryn’s, where she stands as the...

My younger brother and I are very competitive. He is only a couple of years younger than me so I guess the competition is normal. For reasons I sometimes cannot understand, he at times tries to surpass me in small things around the house. My reaction to his antics are usually negative, but for once I decided to try something new. I...

My 8th Grade Community Service Project Introduction:

Before I began my 8th grade community service project, I thought about what community service is. I realized that it depends on how you define community. I relate community mostly to the community that I am around everyday, my school. Since I can remember, community service has been a part of my family’s...

I take my kiddo to the movies once in a while and use a reward card with a local theater here. We haven't been in a while so they put a free popcorn on the card as enticement for us to return. The little trick worked and I decided we would go see a movie. I checked to see how many...

I take my kiddo the movies once in a while and I have a reward card with a local theater here. We haven't been in a while so they put a free popcorn on the card. Sure, we'll go see a movie... I checked to see how many points we had accumulated on our card and there was a loooot....

On Saturday night, I was babysitting two girls who live on the street next to me. We were watching Barbie when the doorbell rang. I went to answer the door and saw a man, his daughter, and a little dog. When I opened the door they introduced themselves and handed me homemade brownies and a sheet of paper with a...

My grandparents were coming over to my house to have dinner. This was a sort of family get together, with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Now my grandparents had given me their car about a year ago and I was so thankful; I swore to them that I’d take care of it. Well, let’s just say I’m not that good...

Before I began my 8th grade community service project, I thought about what community service is. I realized that it depends on how you define community. I relate community mostly to the community that I am around everyday, my school. Since I can remember, community service has been a part of my family’s values and a guiding principle of the...

After a long college road trip, my mom was exhausted when we came home and she usually prepares dinner everyday. So I took it upon myself to prepare dinner for the whole family and give my mom a day off. I looked in the pantry and saw tomato sauce and pasta. Immediately I knew what I was going to make....

Today I stood in a queue at the supermarket waiting to pay for my groceries. An elderly woman in front of me went to pay for her shopping with a £10.00 note but the shopping came to slightly more than this. She didn't have any other money in her purse or, it seems, a card to put the transaction on. She...

My 20-month-old nephew, Bo, passed away unexpectedly on March 28, 2016. Bo was not just a regular kid; he was truly something special. His entrance into the world started the adventure, when he was born in a car on the way to the hospital! He was born with Down's Syndrome and a heart defect which was later corrected. Bo was...

I worked as a Juvenile Detention Officer for years and I found it difficult to communicate with the kids at first. I learned quickly that they opened up when I shared relevant stories about my life. I shared how I use to put my feelings on paper in a form of a poem to express myself. I eventually wrote a...

A week ago, I called up all the Scouts I could get and, with their leaders, we went to a home that was needing a lot of TLC outside. The family was losing their father to an aggressive form of cancer. It took all of six months for this cancer to ravage this 33-year-old man's body. Because of his struggle, the...

When I was 16-years-old, I saw a picture of a miniature horse in a nursing home and dreamed of providing that type of therapy myself in the future. Some years went by, but I still had this dream. At the age of 24, I found the opportunity to buy two miniature horses, Speedy and Junior. Even though they are small,...