Covid19 has made 2020-21 a tough time for everyone, but thanks to the efforts of the Kindness Community, the world is a kinder place despite the pandemic.
The Kindness Community was started by Laura Cordell, a disabled lady living in Dartford who wanted to use her experience of unkindness in the world to turn things around for others. She wants to improve the future for people experiencing physical and mental health issues by giving them an understanding and inspiring community to belong to and a sense of purpose by sharing kindness to other people having a tough time.
The community group is hosted on Facebook and has even been endorsed and shared by the Facebook App themselves in recognition of the work they are doing to make the world a kinder place. We now have Kindness Community members around the world from Kindness HQ in Kent to most counties in UK, a massive 82% of the US states and a whopping 75 different countries around the world!
We promote kindness and positivity every day through uplifting quotes and suggested actions. We encourage our members to get involved in their communities and do acts of kindness that benefit others and in turn benefit their own well-being. Many of our community are chronically ill, disabled, carers or just having a tough time whether financially, emotionally, or socially. We focus on the small steps that everyone can take to make the world a kinder place, be that by donating a can to the food bank (or many hundreds in our case), litter picking on the school run, leaving messages of hope and support for people in tough times, giving out flowers as acts of kindness, and sharing online charity campaigns etc. “It’s about those little acts of kindness that can have a ripple effect and share kindness from person to person, building connections and making the world a kinder place”,
At the start of lockdown, Kindness Community directors, Laura & Andrea, set up a huge balloon rainbow thanking keyworkers. It was filled with messages of hope and support for the community. It was featured in The Express.
The Kindness Community has a shop on Kindshop.co.uk that sells kindness and positivity themed, eco-friendly merchandise. (As seen in The Times). The sales raise money to run the community and post free Kindness Kits to people struggling with their physical or mental health or having a tough time.
Local Key worker, Nargis who nominated her sister for a Kindness Kit said, “What the Kindness Community are doing is exactly what the community needs, it made me really emotional to know that people care.”
We are fundraising again as part of our first birthday celebration. We’ll be running a fundraising marketplace to support small businesses, and individuals who want to declutter for a good cause. Anyone, anywhere can take part as it will be hosted as an event in our facebook group, they just need to click here to donate £5 and they post as much for sale as they like. We welcome all donations here:
justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kindnesscommunityis1
In addition to raising vital funds, this event will give a boost to businesses that may have been impacted by Covid and be kind to the environment by keeping things out of landfill. The community will also be able to get a second hand bargain without leaving the safety of home and see some lovely creative offerings from small businesses, many run by members of the community.
The Kindness Community will continue working together to help each other and the wider community and share kindness around the world. They would love to spread this mission further by being featured in the media. Even a share from our page would be immensely helpful.
Contact: Laura Cordell, Director of the Kindness Community
kindnesscommunity@gmail.com
07828397510
www.facebook.com/groups/kindcommunity
www.instagram.com/kindness.community
www.twitter.com/AKindCommunity
