In October of 2014, I received the worst news of my life: My only sibling, Kate, had died in a car accident. At the accident scene, all I could think to do was ask the police officer to retrieve her belongings from her car. Her wallet was filled with cash—tips from the part-time waitressing job I had once worked and helped her get when I was a new teacher, a job she continued long after I left. I didn’t know what to do with the money, but I knew it had to go toward helping others.
Kate had always been deeply concerned with those less fortunate. Before she died, she had decided to become an EMT so she could help people in their most vulnerable moments, and suddenly, she wouldn’t be here to do that work.
Four years later, I finally had an idea—one that could help fill the void left by her absence while teaching my students an important lesson. I exchanged the money for $20 bills and gave each student $20 to do an act of kindness.
The response from my students, initially stunned, unfolded into a beautiful cascade of kindness. They donated canned goods to food pantries, purchased toys for underprivileged children, knitted hats for premature babies, sewed bookmarks to hide in library books, and passed out donuts to strangers. Their acts culminated in thoughtful video diary reflections, where they shared how the experience had changed them.
Word spread, bringing media coverage and generous donations that allowed me to continue offering the kindness challenge. Seven years later, more than 400 acts of kindness have been carried out in my sister’s memory, leaving a lasting impact on my students, my community, and me. Even more meaningful, former students carry these lessons forward, choosing to spread kindness on their own.
This past year, we received enough support to start a foundation in hopes of helping other teachers offer the $20 Kindness Challenge—ensuring that my sister Kate is honored not just in memory, but forever through the kindness she continues to inspire.
Kate had always been deeply concerned with those less fortunate. Before she died, she had decided to become an EMT so she could help people in their most vulnerable moments, and suddenly, she wouldn’t be here to do that work.
Four years later, I finally had an idea—one that could help fill the void left by her absence while teaching my students an important lesson. I exchanged the money for $20 bills and gave each student $20 to do an act of kindness.
The response from my students, initially stunned, unfolded into a beautiful cascade of kindness. They donated canned goods to food pantries, purchased toys for underprivileged children, knitted hats for premature babies, sewed bookmarks to hide in library books, and passed out donuts to strangers. Their acts culminated in thoughtful video diary reflections, where they shared how the experience had changed them.
Word spread, bringing media coverage and generous donations that allowed me to continue offering the kindness challenge. Seven years later, more than 400 acts of kindness have been carried out in my sister’s memory, leaving a lasting impact on my students, my community, and me. Even more meaningful, former students carry these lessons forward, choosing to spread kindness on their own.
This past year, we received enough support to start a foundation in hopes of helping other teachers offer the $20 Kindness Challenge—ensuring that my sister Kate is honored not just in memory, but forever through the kindness she continues to inspire.
