Sedona AZ (November 1, 2017) – A conspiracy in Sedona aims to change the world–slowly, but surely. It’s a group of local residents dedicated to fomenting outbreaks of kindness everywhere. They started small, making “Kindness” charms out of broken, recycled and surplus donated jewelry and dispersing them, anonymously, around Sedona–then across the nation and around the world.
Each charm has a clever tag, saying “Take me home and spread kindness.” Members have already planted over 6,000 charms (on benches, in hospitals, from tree branches), in every state in the USA and in more than three dozen countries, to remind people they are loved.
The group has gone on to initiate a wide range of projects, as they expanded to become SedonaKind. They work with schools, Veteran groups, the Yavapai Food Council, hospice groups, Big Brothers/Big Sisters to name just a few.
The identities of Sedona Kind members and the group’s other activities will be fully revealed on Wednesday, November 8, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s (OLLI’s) Lunch and Learn program, in room 34 of Yavapai College’s Sedona Center (on Cultural Park Place, across Rte 89A from Red Rock High School).
Bring your lunch (or come for complimentary coffee, tea, water, and a snack) and join the conversation at 12:30, or come from 1:00 – 2:00 to hear the full story of SedonaKind, and share your own stories and ideas about kindness with SedonaKind Members. They’ll tell you why they asked the Sedona City Council to declare Monday, November 13th, “Sedona Kindness Day.” And they will describe a full week of activities that will spread kindness throughout our community.
(Here’s a preview: On Nov.13, the film, “Perfume War” at the Mary Fisher theater will raise funds for Veterans and PTSD programs. This movie won audience choice favorite at last years Film Festival. On Tuesday, November 14th the group will be installing Gratitude Trees around the city of Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek. The whole week they will be encouraging Sedonans to Pay It Forward in their own special ways. And you’ll hear about how every school child in the area has been involved in an amazing national program called ThinkKIndness.)
They also will explain why they believe that every act of kindness, no matter how small, can make a difference, and even change lives. They call what they do ‘the pebble in the pond’. On Valentine’s Day 2016, they delighted in creating Operation Special Delivery, sending handcrafted cards to 200 unsung heroes in our community.
Find out about their 2017 project–distributing to 200 caregivers and patients across our community mysterious Boxes of Love, beautifully wrapped and decorated small gift boxes, each one of a kind, with an inspiring poem attached.
What’s their motive? Here’s a hint from their web site: “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it for themselves.”
What’s their message? Another quote: “Be kind whenever possible.– It is always possible.”
What’s their goal? It’s ambitious: “What the world needs now is a new kind of army-the army of the kind.”
Get the full behind-the-scenes story of Sedona Kind at OLLI’s Lunch & Learn, an enjoyable, informative, weekly community event that is free and open to all! You’ll even be able to take home a special kindness surprise!
OLLI is a local, volunteer, peer-to-peer, adult education program (part of Yavapai College) that offers many learning groups and workshops each term for a nominal fee. Its Fall term is ending and the Winter term catalog will be available on line at ollisedonaverde.org.
For more information about OLLI or the Lunch & Learn program, please call: 928-649-4275.
