“Friendships between women, as any woman will tell you, are built of a thousand small kindnesses…swapped back and forth and over again.” - Michelle Obama
Dear :
- Thank you for joining our FREE KINDNESS newsletter. We increased our subscriber base by 150%! We have added a few stories about kindness in action along with new Kindness Recommendations. See below.
- We welcomed Kindness Ambassadors to our Community. All of the Kindness Ambassadors received a Cup of Kindness, handcrafted by Jacqueline Stanford, and a limited edition Kindness bracelet custom designed and created by Laurel Ryan, small business owner of Nautically Northern. To see these gifts and read more about Kindness Ambassadors, visit www.KindnessAdventures.org/Community.
- Last week, Jacqueline helped to complete her second build with One Small House. Read more about that experience and learn about our upcoming Kindness Adventures DESTINATION: Tijuana, Mexico & San Diego, California
- We are busy developing local programs with our Kindness Ambassadors and creating additional Destinations for 2024 -- including Morocco and South Africa!
DESTINATION: Tijuana, Mexico & San Diego, California
At Kindness Adventures, we are committed to fostering a culture of kindness and compassion, and to creating a supportive and inclusive community of like-minded women who are passionate about making a positive impact.
Destinations are chosen to provide a service of KINDNESS + a spark of ADVENTURE. Our non-profit brings together women to donate their skills in service and to enjoy their life more fully through travel and adventure.
KINDNESS: Build One Small House
ADVENTURES: Hiking. Biking. Yoga. Sunset Sail and Lesson. Massage.
The Kindness Build: One Small House
The goal of One Small House is to build homes and community buildings for the poorest families by bringing together determined volunteers and generous donors. They strive to provide the families with security, their volunteers with experiences they will cherish, and their donors the assurance that their funds go directly into the new homes. If you'd like to know more: One Small House.
Recently, with hearts full of compassion, we dedicated five days to constructing a small, yet meaningful, house for Gabby, her daughter, and the soon-to-arrive Emiliano in Tijuana. United by a shared purpose, our team tirelessly worked together for eight hours each day – cutting, nailing, tying, painting, measuring, and more.
This extraordinary endeavor wasn't just about building a physical structure; it was about building hope, love, and support for Gabby and her family. As we saw the walls rise and the roof take shape, we knew we were creating a safe haven.
The culmination of our efforts was marked by a poignant key ceremony. As we handed over the key to their new home, emotions overflowed, and tears of joy streamed down our faces. It was a powerful reminder that acts of kindness can create ripples of positive change that touch lives in profound ways.
Will you help us help them?
ONE SPOT REMAINS! Nov. 8-15 - Learn More
The smallest donation is helpful.
Will you pitch in a few dollars?
DONATE TO HELP THE BUILD
Training Tips for Building a House
While any form of exercise is excellent training, yoga has been shown to build core and upper body strength. those are two very important factors when wielding a hammer! Perhaps Jax's famous four-minute Superman?
Set your timer. BE SUPER!
Kind Recommendations
What to watch
Life as a House (2001) starring Kevin Kline as George
George: " I always thought of myself as a house. I was always what I lived in. It didn't need to be big. It didn't even need to be beautiful. It just needed to be mine. I became what I was meant to be. I built myself a life. I built myself a house."
What to cook
Fresh tomatillo salsa in only 10 minutes (adapted from Feasting at Home)
INGREDIENTS:
· 1 lb Tomatillos, husked, rinsed ( in warm water) and quartered
· 1/2 bunch cilantro- leaves and tender stems OK ( 1 cup, packed)
· 1–2 jalapeno peppers (or use more, for spicier) or 1–2 serrano chilis ( I like 2 serranos)
· 1 small garlic clove
· 1/3 cup diced white or yellow onion
· 3 tablespoons lime juice plus more to taste
· 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
· 1/2 teaspoon honey
· 1 tsp kosher salt
· 1 T olive oil (optional)
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until uniformly combined.
- Taste, then adjust salt, heat, and lime. ( I find it helpful to taste with a chip, or whatever you are serving this with.)
- Refrigerate until serving!
Kindness in Action
We hope these stories of kindness inspire and move you to action. We would love to hear about your stories.
Wriggs and Willoughby
"A few months ago, I was at a routine Vet appointment for 1 of my dogs. While she was examining him, she noticed my other dog wasn’t standing completely on one of his paws. She checked him and discovered he had dislocated one of his toenails and it needed to be removed. She offered to give up her lunch break to fit him in and remove the toenail as did the anesthesiologist, the tech vet, as well as some other staff members needed. While waiting for his surgery to be completed, I took my other dog for a walk and passed a new place I remembered the vet receptionist saying had the best croissants she ever had. It had only opened 2 weeks prior and was owned by 2 women just starting out. One of the women came outside and offered to watch my dog so I could go in. I bought lunch for the veterinary staff; the women watching my dog got lots of slobbery kisses which had her smiling, the vet staff was able to enjoy the food, and my dog in surgery was no longer in pain. All of us were recipients of kindness in action that day! ~ Mardi M., Oregon
Send us your thoughts, ideas, and stories of kindness. Hit reply and send us pictures, videos, and stories of kindness.
Closing Thoughts on Kindness from Jacqueline
In the end, ONE SMALL HOUSE was a testament to the incredible impact we can make when we choose kindness. Let us continue to spread kindness, one act at a time, knowing that with each gesture, we're not just building structures, but also building hope and brighter futures for those in need. Together, we can make the world a more compassionate place. KINDNESS ADVENTURES will be partnering with ONE SMALL HOUSE to build a home for a needy family in November. ONE SPOT OPEN! It will change your life. Just remember, always be kind.
"Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity to make a difference." - Kevin Heath
Travel with us as we combine Kindness + Adventures. Visit DESTINATIONS - and subscribe to our list to learn more as details become available.
Become a Kindness Ambassador to travel along with us -- from wherever you are! Visit COMMUNITY -receive an exclusive "Cup of Kindness", updates on our work, opportunities, and ideas to spread kindness in your communities, and much more!
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