Choose Kindness Foundation

TO SPREAD KINDNESS AND TO INCREASE THE WELL-BEING AND HAPPINESS OF INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING KINDNESS GRANTS AND SUPPORTING THIS WORK IN SCHOOLS, WORKPLACES, SOCIAL SERVICES, AND PUBLIC SAFETY. TO SUPPORT SOCIAL JUSTICE, POVERTY ALLEVIATION, CHARITABLE ASSISTANCE, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABLITY, AND PROJECTS THAT MAKE A MORE KIND, JUST, AND COMPASSIONATE WORLD.

SOCIAL SERVICES:DEVELOPED COURSE FOR STAFF TRAINING AND SUPPORT OF FACILITATORS WHO WERE TEACHING THE LASTING HAPPINESS CURRICULUM.FUNDED 18 COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS THROUGH LOCAL NGOS REACHING OVER A 1000 DISADVANTAGED YOUTH WHO WERE PREDOMINATELY BLACK, HISPANIC, NATIVE AMERICAN AND OTHER PEOPLES OF COLOR. IN EACH OF THESE PROJECTS THE AVERAGE PARTICIPANT HAD EXPERIENCED A HIGH NUMBER OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACES) THAT PLACE THEM IN THE AT-RISK OR HIGHLY AT-RISK CATEGORY.CONTINUED FUNDING OF BREAKTHROUGH MIAMI KINDNESS PROJECT (YR 2 OF A 5 YR GRANT)COMPLETED THE FIRST COHORT (45 STUDENTS) AND SECOND COHORT (92 STUDENTS) OF THE REPEATED MEASURES, MULTIPLE BASELINE STUDY IMPLEMENTED IN AN ALTERNATIVE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL IN LAKELAND, FL. RESEARCH WITH YOUTH FROM THIS ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL FOUND THAT: 1) LH STUDENTS CONTINUED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION WITH FEWER DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL AS COMPARED TO THE CONTROL GROUP. 2) LH STUDENTS REPORTED A DECLINE IN THE FREQUENCY OF THEIR NEGATIVE MENTAL THOUGHTS.PROJECTS WERE LOCATED IN BRADENTON (MANATEE COUNTY), LAKELAND (POLK COUNTY), PALMETTO/ST. PETERSBURG (PINELLAS COUNTY), WINTER HAVEN, LAKE WALES, BARTOW AND HAINES CITY (ALL IN POLK COUNTY), ORLANDO (SEMINOLE COUNTY) AND MIAMI (DADE COUNTY). TWO AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROJECTS IN TITLE 1 MIDDLE SCHOOLS SERVED STUDENTS IN LAKELAND AND WINTER HAVEN.COLLABORATED WITH A COMMUNITY-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM THAT WORKS TO SUPPORT FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE ATTENDANCE FOR HIGH-RISK STUDENTS OF COLOR. MONEY EARNED BY STUDENTS THROUGH PARTICIPATION IN LASTING HAPPINESS GROUPS WAS USED TO PARTICIPATE IN A SPRING BREAK TRIP TO VISIT HBCUS AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES IN GEORGIA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA. COLLABORATED WITH 5 COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT COMBINE MENTORING PROGRAMS WITH ACADEMIC ADVISING/TUTORING AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY LEAGUE SPORTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. MONIES EARNED THROUGH THE STUDY GROUPS HELPED FUND THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATION IN TRAVEL LEAGUES BY PAYING TOURNAMENT FEES, MEALS, LODGING, AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, KEEPING THE STUDENTS INVOLVED IN POSITIVE ACTIVITIES AND OFF THE STREETS. TWO PROJECTS WITH THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS IN POLK COUNTYANOTHER PROJECT SERVED BOYS IN A GROUP FOSTER CARE HOME WHO HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE CUSTODY OF THEIR FAMILIES OF ORIGIN.ONE PROJECT SERVED TEENS OF SINGLE MOTHERS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY DISTRESSED AND RESIDING IN A SPECIAL HOUSING PROGRAM OPERATED THROUGH ONE MORE CHILD.FUNDED 2 PROJECTS WITH ANOTHER CHANCE MENTORING, HAINES CITY, WITH THE MIAMI NON-STOP DANCE GROUP IN INNER CITY MIAMI.90% OF THE STUDENTS SERVED WERE STUDENTS OF COLOR.CREATED AN AUDIO-BOOK VERSION OF LASTING HAPPINESS: A GUIDE FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS, DOWNLOADABLE FROM OUR THINKIFIC PLATFORM

SCHOOLS: FUNDED EVERYBODY BELONGS KINDNESS PROJECTS IN THE OHIO SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND, RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOLS IN AUGUSTA, GA, AND ARLINGTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, TX (10 SCHOOLS). FUNDED 25 NEW SCHOOLS TO IMPLEMENT PBIS SCHOOL KINDNESS PROJECTS DURING THE SCHOOLYEAR FUNDED CONTINUATION GRANTS FOR 81 SCHOOLS IN 14 STATES TO IMPLEMENT PBIS SCHOOL KINDNESS PROJECTS DURING THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR ENGAGING 43,000 STUDENTS IN LEARNING KINDNESS.DEVELOPED A TOOLKIT FOR PBIS SCHOOLS TO USE WHEN DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING THEIR SCHOOL WIDE CHOOSE KINDNESS PROJECTS FOR TIER 1 INTERVENTIONS.

PUBLIC SAFETYOVER 5000 INCARCERATED PERSONS FROM 14 STATES HAVE ENROLLED IN A MINDFUL KINDNESS PROGRAM FOR ADULTS, USING THE CKF BOOK HOW LOVE WINS. THE PROGRAM HAS SPREAD THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH. FOUR OF THE INMATES IN CALIFORNIA RECRUITED OVER 640 OTHER INMATES TO TAKE THE MINDFUL KINDNESS PROGRAMALMOST 200 INDIVIDUALS HAVE COMPLETED THE INSIGHT PROGRAM THAT GUIDES INMATES TO PREPARE FOR THEIR PAROLE BOARD HEARING BY DEVELOPING INSIGHT INTO THEIR PRIOR BEHAVIORS THAT RESULTED IN LIFESTYLE CHOICES WHICH LED TO THEIR INCARCERATION. REVISED THE BOOK "HOW LOVE WINSX AND PUBLISHED IT AS "THE MINDFUL KINDNESS PROGRAM: HOW LOVE WINS." DEVELOPED A FACILITATORS GUIDE FOR THE MINDFUL KINDNESS PROGRAM TO TRAIN AMLS TO CONDUCT INMATE LED GROUPS.