The History of the Kindness Campaign – Barry K. Weinhold, PhD LP
The Kindness Campaign grew out of the passage of an anti-gay amendment to the Colorado Constitution voted on by the voters in the fall of 1992. This initiative was spearheaded by a group in Colorado Springs called Colorado For Family Values and opposed by another Colorado Springs organization Calle The Citizen’s Project. We were living in Czechoslovakia at the time working as consultants to the United Nations and their International Year of the Family. While living in Bratislava, Slovakia, we were asked, “Where are you from in the U. S.?”
When we replied that we were from Colorado, we were met with, “Oh, that’s the hate state.” If they asked where in Colorado we lived, they would say, “Isn’t that where all that hate started?” The U. S. Supreme Court eventually ruled this law unconstitutional.
When we returned to Colorado in the spring of 1993, there still was a battle in the local media about who was “right” on this issue. As a trained mediator, I approached the leaders of each group and offered my services to help mediate the conflict. Neither side was interested, so the two groups continued to fight with each through the media. I believed that their reactions were fear-based and contributing to an increase in community violence.
I finally approached the local CBS television affiliate and asked if they would become a media sponsor for the Kindness Campaign. My hypothesis about the Campaign was that getting 20 percent of the people in our community to look for positive rather than negative things, the consciousness of the community would change. The Campaign in Colorado Springs was highly effective, and was subsequently implemented in 13 U. S. towns and cities. See more about the history of the Campaign below.
Welcome to the Kindness Campaign!
The Kindness Campaign is a bullying and violence prevention program for schools and communities founded by Barry K. Weinhold, Ph.D. Barry developed The Kindness Campaign in 1994 during his tenure at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs where he directed the Counseling and Human Services Program in the School of Education. The Kindness Campaign began as an […]
Building a Community of Kindness: A Community Organizer’s Guide to the Kindness Campaign
Barry K. Weinhold. (2000). $25.00 – 103p. This downloadable ebook is for community-organizers who are interested in setting up a community-based violence prevention program. It is a step-by-step description of how a community-based Kindness Campaign was organized in Colorado Springs as a model for other cities.
Kind Beginnings: A Program Guide for Promoting Kindness in Pre-schools
Barry K. Weinhold. (2000). $20.00 – 60p. The guide, available in downloadable ebook format,contains over 45 field-tested activities for promoting kindness and respect among pre-schoolers. Designed to shift the classroom atmosphere from negative to positive.
Barry’s WWNC Interview: Preventing Youth & Family Violence
You can listen to Barry’s interview on The Tank Spencer Show at WWNC in Asheville, NC. He talks about his work over the past 15 years on the prevention of youth and family violence. The hour-long interview was played on all six of the Asheville radio stations owned by Clear Channel Radio. In this interview, […]
The Science of Kindness
“Only a life lived for others is worth living.” – Albert Einstein By Janae Weinhold, Ph.D. Kindness isnt just a fluffy, feel-good, warm-fuzzy concept. It is a powerful, energetic experience that transforms both the giver and recipient at such deep levels that some say it can work miracles. You can read accounts of these miracles […]
Take the Kindness Challenge!
Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses." – Confucius Kind acts can transform your body, mind, spirit and your experience of life! Science proves it (read The Science of Kindness). But dont take our word for it. Conduct your own experiment and try it for yourself for a day or two or even a week. Make performing […]
Success Indicators for the Kindness Campaign
Barry K. Weinhold The following are the success indicators in Colorado Springs where the Kindness Campaign operated from 1994-2003: Participating neighborhood selected for All-American Cities award. Colorado Springs one of three U. S. cities named as A Community of Kindness. Started the Kind and Safe Schools Initiative, a project of the Kindness Campaign, in 125 […]
Kindness Suggestions
The ideas that have lighted my way have been kindness, beauty, and truth. Albert Einstein Here are some suggestions for acts of kindness that you might consider doing. 1. When another driver is trying to enter traffic, smile and wave him/her to go ahead of you. 2. As you walk through your neighborhood, pick up […]
Kinder Police / Community Relations
I recently got a call from a Kindness Campaign (KC) volunteer, Robert Wilson, who told me that his friend, Kyle Ross, had been tazered and arrested by the police. He asked if I would be willing to help her. I asked Robert to have Kyle contact me and describe what happened. I received a 12-page, […]
The Community of Kindness Index
"We must be the change we wish to see in the world." – Mahatma Gandhi Below is a set of criteria for assessing the inclusion of the various elements of a community-wide Kindness CAmpaign. To be effective, a community-based Kindness Campaign Program should include all of the elements listed below. Included under each element are […]
The Kindness Campaign in America – Kindness as action for change
By: Grant MillinWe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The Declaration of IndependenceThe good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for […]
The Community of Kindness Awards in Asheville NC
Deeds of kindness are equal in weight to all the commandments." – the Talmud The Community of Kindness Award was created to recognize the exemplary acts of kindness by individuals and organizations. We are committed to identifying the people and organizations that are helping to create a community of kindness.
Kindness Week 2006
Servers at Valentine’s Day Dinner at ABCCM Women’s Shelter -(from left) Julie Profita, Cathy Holt, Annie Mitchell,Jenny Howard, and Lynn Brooks. From Goodwill Industries Kindness Week 2006 was Feb. 13-17 and we wanted to participate in our community and thought of several options. The clients in the art classes made over 300 valentines; primarily from […]
Kindness Connects All Faiths, All Hearts
There are all these religions, so everyone can sing along. And all these people singing together make just one song. – Rumi Why would Christians, Buddhists, Baha’is, Muslims, Jews, and Earth religions come together To celebrate kindness! The Kindness Campaign sponsored its second Interfaith Celebration of Kindness on February 13 along with co-sponsors WNC Interfaith […]
Kindness to Our Fellow Creatures
On Thursday, Dec 14, 2005, a female humpback whale became entangled in a web of crab traps and lines. She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, binding her tail, her torso, […]
The Kindness Revolution in Asheville: An Invitation to Conversation
Hungry for meaningful dialogue On June 8, you can satisfy more than your appetite for Mexican food when you go out to dinner at Los Volcanes Restaurant. The Kindness Campaign is hosting a special Kindness Conversation evening, starting with a talk by Barry Weinhold, the campaign’s founder, called “The Kindness Revolution is Happening in Asheville.” […]
A Dog Incident Turns Around with Kindness
This is a story that was told to me by Pete Gignac, Owner of Ashley Furniture in Asheville. We were meeting for coffee at Starbucks and talking about the Kindness Campaign when Pete suddenly said to me, My wife, Brenda, is one of the kindest people I know. Let me tell you a story of […]
Kindness Campaign Initiates Interfaith Dialogue Dinners
Following our very successful Interfaith Celebration of Kindness February 15, 2005, the Kindness Campaign is launching a series of Interfaith Dialogue Dinners in the community. The dialogue dinners provide an opportunity for people to explore together similarities and differences in their religious and spiritual beliefs. Groups of 6-8 people will meet with trained facilitators for […]
2005 Goals of the Kindness Campaign in Asheville
"Deeds of kindness are equal in weight to all the commandments." – the Talmud 1. Recruit one hundred volunteers 2. Increase hours for the Volunteer Coordinator (Cathy Holt hired in October 2004 as part-time Volunteer Coordinator) 3. Circulate a minimum of 57,000 Kindness buttons 4. Hold annual Kindness Week (Scheduled for February 13-20, 2005)