Kindness is the sincere and voluntary use of one’s time, talent and resources to better the lives of others, one’s own life and the world through genuine acts of love, compassion, generosity and service. The ways to be kind are limitless. Kindness can be anything from a simple smile to a major gift. Every act can create an endless ripple of kindness that leads to a better community and better world.
At Owensboro Parent, we wanted to spotlight the kindness in our community. We asked our readers to submit stories of kids being kind — no matter how big or how small.
We were overwhelmed with the stories and can’t wait for you to read them all!
Kind To All Kinds
OLIVE HARRISON
Olive Harrison, 12 year-old vet-aspiring, Owensboro Innovation Academy student, has been volunteering since she was 8, to save the lives of local animals.
She makes videos showcasing the adaptability of dogs and cats and publishes them on social media. Her parents say that to date they know that she has made the connection for over 15 adoptions.
Due to the economy, animals are being surrendered at alarming rates. She would like to share how volunteering, fostering and sharing information can make a big difference!
Olive said she thinks everyone can make a difference.
“Be kind to all kinds, not just mankind,” she said.
Olive started volunteering with the Owensboro Humane Society when she was 8 years old and for the past year and a half, she has been at the Daviess County Animal Shelter making a difference through fostering dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and more. She also volunteers to bathe and walk dogs, clean cages and organize items around the shelter.
Forget The Gifts, Let’s Be KIND!
SYDNEY MAY
Instead of toys and gifts, Sydney May asked for donations for the Daviess County Animal Shelter instead of presents for her 8th birthday. Each of her party guests brought toys or food for the animals at the shelter.
Anytime the family has yard sales or extra money for giving, Sydney takes her part down to the animal shelter.
When asked what kindness means to her, Sydney said, ”helping others that are in need.”
The May family has a Giving Bank that holds their collected money for donating. Once it’s full, Sydney gets to decide where to give her money. Sometimes she’ll take money out for change drives at school or to take to the Salvation Army kettle, but when it’s really full she usually decides to take it to the animal shelter, which usually happens twice a year.
Sydney said she likes donating to the animal shelter because animals can’t protect themselves.
Her goal for next year is to spread kindness at the animal shelter by walking the dogs.
Spreading Kindness for Christmas
ARROH YAMADA
Arroh Yamada, a 5-year-old student at Audubon Elementary School, was in a very unique position as her father, who is a Marine Corps veteran, organizes the collection of toys for Toys-for-Tots.
Arroh would help unbox and sort all the toys from infants all the way to 14 and 15-year-olds from October until Christmas.
Helping Santa do his job was important to Arroh and she really wanted to make sure other kids had a wonderful Christmas.
Arroh’s mother, Madison, said she spent so many hours lending a helping hand alongside her father and many Marines and she got so much joy out of spreading Christmas kindness to others.
Little Girls, Big Mission
MADELINE AND SAVANNAH JONES
After learning about the mission at Isaiah 117 House that is being built for children in Spencer and Perry Counties, two St. Bernard Catholic School students wanted to take action and help others.
The Isaiah 117 House provides physical and emotional support in a safe and loving home for children awaiting foster care placement.
After learning more about the support they give, Madeline Jones, 8, and Savannah Jones, 5, joined forces with their family and hosted a yard sale and lemonade stand to raise money for the Isaiah 117 House.
In one day, the girls raised more than $100.
A HEART FOR OTHERS
RYLAN PAYNE
Rylan Payne loves helping others and has been volunteering to serve others in need once a month at his church community meal for the last couple of years.
Rylan’s mom Misty said, “he loves helping others.”
Rylan is 10 years old and has been helping for over 2 years now at Church Alive on the third Wednesday of every month. He helps prepare the meals, serve the meals, and also helps to box them up.
“I am so proud of Rylan and his heart for others and would love to share that with everyone,” Rylan’s mom said.
Honoring His Brother By Paying It Forward
GREYSON BROOKS
Greyson Brooks recently delivered $350 worth of crayons, markers, and writing paper to Estes Elementary School in Owensboro.
He did this act of kindness in honor of his baby brother, Wyatt, who passed away in 2017 from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Greyson started carrying a framed photo of Wyatt after he passed away.
The third-grader asked that the supplies be used by incoming kindergartners because that’s the class his brother would have been in.
Greyson’s mom, Destiny Hayes, said that it was Greyson’s idea to start a fundraiser for kindergarten school supplies in Wyatt’s memory.
“We are so proud of him,” she said. “He went and picked out all the stuff himself.”
Greyson’s selfless act of kindness earned him Owensboro Public Schools’ first-ever Inspiration Award and his story went well beyond the walls of Estes as word spread about his act.
He was featured in Southern Living magazine and made an appearance on the TODAY Show. The exposure led to one individual in Virginia donating $4,200 to the OPS Foundation. The $4,200 will be split into $350 each year for the next 12 years, with all of the funds going to Estes.
Family First
STEVEN BLAN
Steven Blan, 12, his brother and his friends made a lemonade stand and sold lemonade and snacks to make money of their own.
Instead of spending the money on himself, Steven gifted the funds he raised to his parents to help with travel expenses. Steven’s little brother, Rowan, sees a neurologist and developmental delay specialist in Louisville.
Always Looking To Give Back
NOAH ABBOTT
Last year, Noah Abbott raised money for North Hancock Elementary School’s Family Resource and Youth Services Center during Christmas with a typing challenge. He types around 80 words per minute and used his skills to raise money to donate.
The primary goal school FRYSC centers is to remove non-academic barriers to learning as a means to enhance student academic success.
Recently, 11-year-old Noah used those same skills to raise money to buy backpacks for Borrowed Hearts.
The Borrowed Hearts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting kids in foster care and their families. With locations in Evansville and Owensboro, their mission is to lead the efforts in which every foster family attains the rights to clothing, hygiene, development, and a loving support system.
With a heart for giving back to others, Noah is always looking for ways to serve his community.
Two years ago, Noah took candy to local police stations and fire departments on Halloween in a project he called “Halloween for Heroes.” His current kindness project is to help the Eastern Kentucky flood victims.
Baking Up Kindness
ANNESLEIGH MELTON
Annesleigh Melton has always been helpful in the kitchen.
“She has had her hands in whatever I’m making or making since she was 2-years-old,” her mother Andrea said.
The Calhoun Elementary School fifth grader started asking how she could do things to help other people and her mother talked to her about using her gifts, talents, and interests to do something that she enjoyed doing to make a difference for others.
“Since she loves baking, it seemed like a logical fit,” she said. “She started making chocolate chip cookies and selling them to earn money that she would donate to several charitable groups. During the lock-down time period of the COVID pandemic, she decided to expand her skills and began to bake other cookies, brownies, sweet breads, and other baked goods.”
Annesleigh decided that she wanted to support St. Jude’s Research Hospital after reading about them in a magazine.
“She was concerned that young children could be so sick and need treatment and wanted to help them and their families,” Andrea said.
She has done four bake sales specifically for St. Jude’s.
Annesleigh said showing kindness to others involves helping them, but showing kindness to sick children through St. Jude feels like a little bit more.
“I got to do something I love to do and help people who really need it during a hard time,” she said.