The Kindness Project

It's hard to believe that December is just around the corner, but we're getting excited for ???? SNOW! ???? Our snow boot inventory is scarily low right now, so if you can help in any way, please know it matters. We've added a bunch of boots to our Essentials Amazon Wish List - most of which are on a big Black Friday Sale right now! https://lnkd.in/dhCn7c2 We also need to fill up our snow pants and snow bibs if you happen to have some gently used ones to pass along. These seasonal items allow us to support hundreds of kids and save their foster families extra costs. ???????????? Share this post like you're throwing a snowball! ?????????????? . . #fostercare #wednesdaywish #letitsnow #winteriscoming #donate #snowboots #share

Giving Tuesday is a critical fundraising period for nonprofits like The Kindness Project. We understand that there are so many wonderful causes to consider giving to, and we LOVE that! Some of our best friends and collaborative partners are the nonprofits in our community who are doing the hard work right alongside us. Today, we ask that you consider The Kindness Project for your end-of-year giving. We are 100% donation-based and receive no government funds for the free support we provide to over 2,500 youth impacted by foster care. Monetary donations allow us to sustain our facility which is essential to provide these free resources every week, sometimes every day of the week to kids coming from hard places. ?? SAVE THE DATES ?? From Thanksgiving through Sunday, December 8 every dollar you donate to TKP will be DOUBLED thanks to an incredibly generous donor who is willing to match up to $20,000! ???????? Every dollar matters!! ???? $5 becomes $10! ???? $50 becomes $100! ???? $500 … yes, becomes $1,000!! Over the next couple of weeks, you will see 'WHY' your support matters so much to our foster care community. Here’s what you can do for now: ?? Follow/like our TKP page, watch for our posts, share them with your online network, and let us know if you'd like to help in any other way this wonderful holiday season! ?? If you'd like to mail a check earlier than Thanksgiving, we will count it toward the goal. Checks can be sent to "The Kindness Project" at 4752 Mill Rd., Emmaus, PA 18049. ?? Check ut our TKP Annual Impact Report at www.mykindnessproject.org. Giving back feels so good. ?? Let's start a radical movement for kids experiencing foster care by meeting that $20,000 matching goal by December 8!! . . #fostercare #donate #adoption #givingtuesday #tuesdaywish #kidsmatter #dogoodfeelgood #charity #nonprofit #giveback #givingtuesday #GivingTuesdaycampaign #share #everydollarcounts #tkpfundraiser

?? November is National Adoption Month. Although our primary mission is to support kids and teens impacted by foster care, many of these kids have the opportunity to be adopted by their foster families. Did you know that we continue to support them for one year after their adoption date as they settle into being a permanent part of their adoptive family? One of our newest TKP Board Members, Stacie Cuda offered to share her personal adoption story as we celebrate this special month. Here is her statement on what National Adoption Month means to her: “It is no coincidence that Thanksgiving falls during National Adoption Month. This is a very special month, a time for reflection, full of gratitude for the incredible journey that adoption represents. To say that we are grateful for our son would be quite the understatement. There are no words to truly express how blessed I feel that I get to be Nathan's mother. When I think about adoption, a few words come to mind.... Belonging, Permanency, Purpose, and of course … Love. Nathan joining our family was the biggest blessing, far exceeding any hopes and dreams we had as we moved through our journey to start our family. He is my whole heart. ?? I would move mountains to ensure he has every opportunity in life. Every child deserves that. To have someone in their lives who makes them feel loved, valued and safe. Someone they know will always be there. Many children in Foster Care haven't met "their person" or their forever family. The transitional parts of their young lives are beyond difficult. It is our responsibility to show them love and provide them with the chance they need to shine in all areas of life. That is why I chose to get involved and join the Board of Directors for The Kindness Project. I want to help further the mission of providing a brighter future for children in foster care.” We’ll officially introduce Stacie in one of our upcoming “Meet the Board Monday” posts, so make sure to check back! ???? . . #NationalAdoptionMonth #fostercare #mondaymotivation #fostertoadopt #fostercareadoption #adopt #family #foreverfamily #adoption #adoptiveparents #adopted

The clock is ticking and we have a lot more wishes coming in this week as more kids enter foster care. ?? If you haven't had a chance to check it out, here's our most updated Amazon Wish List for our TKP Holiday Wish Drive - a virtual angel tree that allows anyone from ANYWHERE to shop and ship special requests from the kids we serve. https://lnkd.in/edTyK3M9 The sooner we get these wishes, the sooner we can connect with the foster families so they're all set to give these special friends a nice Christmas. Many of TKP kids are having lots of big feelings this time of year as they are away from their biological families. A new toy, game, or other neat gift that they got to pick out can really bring a smile to their face! ?? Keep spreading the word! We'd love to have this all 'wrapped up' by the first weekend in December! ?? . . #fostercare #amazon #tkpholidaywishdrive #kids #christmas #christmaswishlist #charity #giveback #share

Did you know that the weekends are the busiest time for service at The Kindness Project? Every weekend, approximately 20 dedicated TKP Volunteers offer their time, talent, and genuine kindness to families from across eastern PA who come for free, essential support for the kids they foster. Here are just a *few* of the people and the special moments from the past couple of months. They smile, they carry, they play, they listen, they organize, they guide, and yes, they sometimes even cry. ?? What happens at The Kindness Exchange is pretty unique. ?? We are so thankful for every person who stays committed to the cause so we can continue to serve thousands of youth who are experiencing foster care. ???? If you’re considering getting involved, visit https://lnkd.in/eijdymXm! Please let our team of 100 TKP Volunteers know who much they matter with a #yourkindnessshines in the comments! ???? . . #fostercare #tkpvolunteers #shinebright #kindnessinaction #volunteer #charity #nonprofit #thekindnessexchange #dosomething #dogoodfeelgood #tkpfamily #tkpdistribution #fostercareboutique #fostercloset

What a fantastic afternoon we had this past Tuesday at The Kindness Exchange! ???? About 20 Olympus Corporation of the Americas volunteers joined us for a tour of the boutique and helped rake leaves, trim flowers, organize diapers, sort clothes, clean the shop, and make fun treat bags for kids in foster care!! Special thanks to Hannah Votta Coleman for her collaboration in joining us to make adorable holiday treat bags for the kids through Joyful Giving. ???? Team work makes the dream work! Thanks to all who joined us this week. ???? Krista Ortwein . . #thekindnessproject #fostercare #charity #yourkindnessshines #kindnessinaction #volunteer #olympus #fridayvibes #adoption #fostercaresupport #fostercareawareness #community #dogood #giveback #collaboration

A few weeks ago the beautiful ladies from the Emmaus Lioness Club stopped by with ALLLL these new pjs! ?? It’s always wonderful to connect with groups in our local Emmaus community to serve kids in foster care. These essentials are an ongoing need. As we often say, we can’t do what we do each and every day without the kindness of people like you! Thank you for everything, Emmaus Lioness Club! ???????? . . #thankfulthursday #fostercare #tkpdonation #yourkindnessshines #donate #thankyou #pajamadrive #dogood

On Sunday, we had close to 70 wishes to fulfill. Now we only need 17! Amazing! ???? We have a few days left until we start matching gifts to the kids! Can you continue to spread the word so every kid’s wish comes true this year? Holiday Wish List: https://lnkd.in/edTyK3M9 If you see a message that the item is from a 3rd party vendor and can’t ship to wish list addresses, please text 484-232-9674 for our address! If you already sent a holiday item but want to help with some essentials, here’s that list! Curly hair products, size 14/16 PJs, and preemie and size 2 & 4 diapers are still greatly needed. Essentials Wish List: https://lnkd.in/dhCn7c2 We love the love we’re seeing this holiday season! ?????? . . #fostercare #tkpholidaywishdrive #wednesdaywish #share #charity #happyholidays #christmas #kids

On Monday, TKP’s Executive Director, Jenae Holtzhafer had the special opportunity to spend time with Jenna Monley, Chief Outreach Officer of Family and Community Engagement for the Allentown School District. They first met at the Communities In Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania Awards ceremony last month and Jenna was eager to come for a visit of the boutique! ???? We are excited to plan another special visit with more of ASD’s staff during their upcoming Professional Learning Day so foster families in that district are fully informed about our free resources. It’s always so nice to share about the work we’re doing for kids and families across the Lehigh Valley! This is the good stuff! Thanks for being with us, Jenna! ?? . . #tkpschoolpartner #fostercare #community #allentownschooldistrict #collaboration #connection #lehighvalley #thankfultuesday #kids #family

Last month our board member, Gabriella Toedter, presented about TKP to the wonderful people of St. James Lutheran Church in Coopersburg. They had their Blessing of the Quilts, of which they handmade hundreds! For 10 years, through their Project Comfort ministry, they’ve made over 1,100 quilts for those in need, which is just incredible! ???????? TKP was blessed to receive 50 of these this fall! And in the last month we were able to give away all but two which are still available at the boutique. Amazing! ?? They also sent a generous financial donation which is always greatly appreciated. ???? We really love partnering with our faith-based community and look forward to connecting with some new friends in 2025! ???? . . #tkpchurchpartner #fostercare #community #fostercaresupport #quilt #projectcomfort #coopersburg #pennsylvaniaquilts #thankyou #mondaymotivation #homemadequilt #tkpdonation