Photo of the Week #29: “Let Me Help You!”
Photo and Text by Ingrid Haddock
“This photograph was taken in the hallway while a preschooler was helping another child zip their coat. At our elementary school one of our key character traits that we teach is kindness. He is showing kindness to his fellow student!”
This image was submitted to Envision’s 2018 Our World is Kind Photography Contest.
Photo of the Week #28: “Read and Share”
Photo and Text by Emman Foronda
“These less-fortunate children who live near the Cemetery Angono Rizal, Philippines show their eagerness to learn despite all the challenges in their daily lives.”
This image was submitted to Envision’s 2018 Our World is Kind Photography Contest.
Photo of the Week #22: “Help Spread”
Photo and Text by Somenath Mukhopadhyay
“A little boy is helping his handicap father spread the clothes to dry beside a river on a summer day.”
This image was submitted to our 2017 Our World is Kind Photography Contest.
Photo of the Week #21: “Made for Each Other”
Photo and Text by Sudipto Das
“A little girl helps an elderly ill person cross a canal at a remote village in West Bengal, India.”
This image was submitted to our 2017 Our World is Kind Photography Contest.
#NiceWork! In Sarasota Florida, a kind teacher is on a mission to promote both child literacy and good fashion. Kaitlin Lambert, teacher Alta Vista Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, is working to provide books for children who need them the most. In order to fund her operations, she’s utilizing her fashion sense to sell inspiring t-shirts online. Together, her business is called Kind Cotton.
Kaitlin has always made it her mission to help individual students grow as readers. “There is nothing in the world that compares to watching 18 kids’ eyes light up with curiosity as the pages of a book turn.” she explains in Kind Cotton’s blog. Still, though many of her students enjoy reading at school, they haven’t always been able to read at home. At Alta Vista Elementary, 97% of students fall below the poverty line. According to the Children’s Literacy Foundation, 61% of low-income families do not have any age appropriate books in the home. “Parents [in poverty] are stretched to work three jobs simply to ensure their kids have a place to live and a meal to eat,” Kaitlin explained to Envision Kindness.
A 20-year international study found that access to books in the home is a huge indicator of academic success. In fact, books play an even larger role in predicting future academic success than parent education level. So, Kaitlin started buying books for students on holidays or special occasions. She would even give books to students when they showed a particular interest in a book in her classroom. But Kaitlin wanted to do more. The 2010 U.S. census found that about 1 in every 5 children in the United States are living in poverty. So, funded by an Indiegogo campaign, Kaitlin founded Kind Cotton. The company uses a 1-to-1 model; for every item purchased on the Kind Cotton website, a book will be donated to a child in need.
Kind Cotton cares about making lasting impact on children’s lives. Kaitlin and the team want to make sure that the books they give stay in the households that need them most. In order to address this need, Kind Cotton has recently partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Newtown Estates Park. Every month (starting this November), Kaitlin will spend time reading with Kindergarten and First Grade students. Each month will focus on a new book. At the end of every event, each child will get to go home with a copy of the book. Kaitlin purchases the books from Scholastic for a great discount. In the future, Kaitlin hopes that Kind Cotton will be able to broaden its reach by working with other groups such as the Sarasota Housing Authority. Kind Cotton is also working on developing parent information nights to help parents support their children become successful readers.
The young company is even getting involved in the community in other ways. Kind Cotton has already given $400 to Irma relief efforts at Lake Trafford Elementary School.
Inspired by Kaitlin and Kind Cotton’s work? Support child literacy and check out their online store. Your life and experiences are unique and valuable. Leverage your skills to help those in need around you.
Kind Business Number: 14
#NiceWork! Dr. Yugal Behl, an orthodontist in Hampton Roads, VA wants all of his patients to have a beautiful spirit and smile. To do so, Dr. Behl recently launched “Smile it Forward,” a creative and generous program designed to give kids who do good in their communities a life changing reward: free braces.
Even after insurance, braces can cost between $3,000 – $7,000. For most families, any financial assistance helps. “I want to pay it forward with this initiative and give deserving kids, no matter their financial circumstances, the opportunity to enjoy the benefits that orthodontics can provide,” explained Dr. Behl.
Dr. Behl has been involved with a similar program called Smiles Change Lives. This wonderful organization helps provide braces for young people who cannot otherwise afford them. Inspired by their work and by the transformations he observes in his patients every day, Dr. Behl decided to create a similar program. “One of my favorite things about being an orthodontist is watching the confidence grow from non-existent before braces to beaming after braces,” says Dr. Behl.
As part of the financial coverage, Behl’s program requires patients to be active members in their schools and communities. Recipients of the award are chosen based on financial need as well as community involvement. Staff reviews patients’ stories and chooses a winner based on a combination of these factors. Because Dr. Behl helps his patients feel confident with their smiles, it’s only natural for him to encourage them to smile it forward. Behl encourages young people to get involved with local nonprofits, food banks, animal shelters, or any other community organization that works to help others. “The stories that are coming in are so heartwarming,” Brittany Graff of Behl’s marketing team explained to Envision Kindness.
Dr. Behl has been involved with the community since the beginning of his first practice back in 2010 after completing his degree at Boston University. He has always been focused on creating a practice that values compassion. Behl Orthodontics continuously donates and sponsors community events, drives, and school functions. In fact, they encourage community members to reach out to them to request sponsorship on their website for causes that are important to them. They’ve been especially involved with helping military families. By getting involved with Military Bridge, the practice was able to give those who have been involved with the military $1,000 off braces this May. Because the promotion was so popular, they extended through June. Today, Dr. Behl has 8 practices in Hampton Roads, from Yorktown to Chesapeake.
We hope Behl Orthodontics continues to grow, helping kids gain confidence and Hampton Roads communities flourish. Dr. Behl and his incredible staff show us that when businesses give back to their communities, everyone benefits. Thank you, Behl Orthodontics for doing such kind work!
SECOND ANNUAL EASTERN CT WALK AGAINST HUNGER
A remarkable moment occurred during the pledge of allegiance before the fundraising walk began. Kids learn from a very young age about supporting important causes, feeding the hungry and helping others. As they pledge allegiance to the United States, they are also pledging to keep our country strong through kindness and volunteerism.
Over 350 walkers on almost 50 teams participated in this fundraising walk to support the United Way/Gemma Moran food pantry in New London, CT. Together they raised over $25,000 to support the food pantry.
Enthusiasm and smiles are the most common thing that I see in kind people while they volunteer! It is amazing how happy they are, just from the simple act of giving!
Some walkers at the Walk against hunger dressed for the occasion!
For more information, please see below: http://www.uwsect.org/walk
A cool video worth watching. What we give today can come back tomorrow, or much later.
Christopher is 9 years old and one of several children help out at a 2014 Thanksgiving Food Drive to support the Connecticut Food Bank an Gemma Moran Food Pantry. This is his fourth year doing so and has been making announcements about the Food Drive every Sunday to let people know of the need. With other boys and girls from the neighborhood, the Food Drive is a great community partnership started 7 years ago by Fountain-Timmons Realty and Tri-Town Foods, and has grown to include the Niantic Rotary, a local car (mustang) club, and radio station 98.7 FM. At this drive, adults, teens, and children collected over 100 turkeys, 7500 pounds of food, $14,000, and more than 2,000 jars of peanut butter! Wow. The slogan on their shirts? Hunger is Curable.
Like humans, animals clearly can show empathy and caring for others, including humans. These are images from Waterford Country School, a unique school in Connecticut that, as part its mission, takes in injured or disabled animals to give them shelter and rehabilitation. Linda, one of the caretakers, clearly has an intimate relationship with the horse “Rusty Bucket” an abandoned horse taken in by WCS. Not only does she actively love Rusty Bucket, but it is clear he loves her back. As does Stormy the squirrel who Linda healed to get ready to go back into the wild. Rick McPherson, the director of experiential education, came to Waterford Country School because “I was feeling a need to work with people instead of doing engineering work, I had no previous experience with animals, my love of animals developed here while working on the schools farm. ”
A cool aspect of WCS is that the rehabilitation of these animals is done by youngsters from the area who have significant social problems. So while the animals get help, so do these kids. For more info about WCS, please visit their site.