growingkindnessproject

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Introducing the 2023 Growing Kindness Ambassador Team

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead

A few weeks ago, we had the immense pleasure of introducing you to our 2023 Ambassador scholarship recipients - the first members of this year’s Ambassador team, and today we are thrilled to share the whole team with you!

You may recall, from the previous post, that some words that came to mind, as we reflected on that first group of applications we reviewed, were brave, generous, resilient, inspiring. Friends, these words soar as a banner over the entire 2023 team. This group, after heartbreak, loss, and so much unknown, are not only ready for change - they have already begun. In their small (big!) ways, in their homes & communities, in their mindsets, choices, and actions, they have begun to make & be the change they want to see ripple out…and they want to do it together with others.

“As we give, share, and spread kindness, one of the most powerful things we can do is to fight against stagnancy and apathy by inviting others to join in this with us!” - Emily K

“I want to be part of a community of service and giving. I want to be part of bringing light to the world.” - Jodi L

“Up unto this point, I have traveled this gardening path mostly alone. … As a full time teacher, coach, wife, & mother of three, it is hard to find connection with those who share my passions. I am excited at the potential opportunity to be part of such a community.” - Brittany S

The eyes and hearts that these amazing people have for their communities reflects the deep desire they have to bring beauty and connection. They are inspired by their own healing, by family legacies, by being the recipients of kindness and intentionality. When they see brokenness, hurt, and pain, they honor it and are moved to act. Not as a quick fix or fast answer but as a way of saying, “I see you; you’re not alone.”

Here are a few of the things they shared and inspiration they are nurturing:

“Having my hands in the dirt and watching things grow kept me moving forward. It allowed joy and color in, when everything seemed grey.  I know how much it meant to me when people brought me flowers in a super tough time. I want to bring others joy by giving flowers.” - Shana C

“Teaching my sons the art of growing, patience and giving back is what I aim to do.” - Francesca N

“I believe flowers are a simple yet profound way to make someone feel loved and cared for and can even be used as a step towards building relationship.” - Heidi R

“Even the smallest act of kindness from a loved one or a stranger can have a momentous effect on our mental health. I would love to be the reason someone smiles or feels better about the world, even if it just lasts a minute.” - Tiffany B

“I love my city, yet there are spaces where the light doesn't always reach. Those spaces are in the most need of kindness.” - Terra P

“When I was a child, my mother had a small sign hanging at the entrance to the garden that read “when she grew tired of the world she found peace in her garden.” Like many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic left me feeling weary and my heart heavy.” -Sam L

“My daily goal is to be in the business of restoration - to restore goodness - for myself and for others.” - Jessica K

“I want giving to be the forethought not the afterthought.” - Nicole C

“My heart aches for how our world is viewed these days and the pain and suffering that is witnessed. Flowers truly are Love, I've known this forever and know too that they can't fix problems but they can make someone feel happy and special. It's self-motivated too, I love teaching about flowers and growing them and selfishly, the smile that people get when seeing and then receiving them is worth every minute it took to grow them -Marian L

We learned early on to have a fresh box of tissues nearby as we read applications, and this year was no different. But also…this year felt like the swell of a rally cry of sorts - a choir of voices, one applicant’s voice at a time, rising up. From the loss of loved ones and longing for babies; as teachers, artists, activists, scientists; overcoming trauma, navigating cancer treatment, celebrating new life; from 15 to 78 years young (!!), this year’s ambassador team has the softest, most generous hearts. Together, with voices quiet and bold and brave and sometimes-quivering-but-oh-so-brave, their resounding message is, “We are better together.”

In 32 states and provinces across Canada and the United States, seeds have already been started, and beauty, kindness, and connection will continue to radiate. With each seed sown, plant nurtured, and bloom shared, this team is committed to using flowers as a catalyst to bring hope, build bridges, and harness the goodness in their communities. The kindness they’ll share this year will reach across the United States...and inspiring and encouraging kind hearts around the world.

So, without further ado, it is our great honor to introduce you to the 2023 Growing Kindness Ambassador team!

Click on each Ambassador’s image below to:
follow along (on Instagram), learn how they’re growing
and giving flowers, and cheer them on in kindness this year!

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Introducing the 2023 Growing Kindness Ambassador Scholarship Recipients

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“…the most important things in life are your connections to other people.”
— Tom Ford

Each year, the end of January arrives and can feel a little…dreary. Holiday decorations are packed up and stored away. Days are still dark for longer than they are light. The cold somehow feels colder minus the twinkle lights.

And then that day comes along. You catch the golden-pink glow of the sunrise on your way to work. Warm sunlight pours in as you wash dishes. The familiar sounds and sights of birds playfully flitting about and singing their songs fills the air. Without a thought, you breathe in a deep, cleansing breath. Spring will return; it’s on its way.

That fresh, hopeful, excited anticipation is the feeling we get as we read through Ambassador applications around this time every year.

We open Ambassador applications once a year, gathering together a team of big-hearted, kind people who commit to a year of growing and giving flowers in their local communities to create and nurture kindness and connection right where they are. No big, fancy gestures or established flower farm or major investments required…simply using what they have to grow what they can, reach out to those around them, and share. No strings attached.

As they grow and give alongside each other, the Ambassador team spends the year connecting with, supporting, and encouraging each other. They have a shared heart for the project’s mission, share ideas about where and how to give flowers, ask each other how to grow “this” flower and each others’ favorite seed supplier, and encourage and cheer each other on as they try new things.

But…that’s just the beginning. The deepest, most beautiful, amazing part is that – without fail – every year this new group of 100 strangers creates a safe, welcoming, healing place of belonging for each other. Over the years, this team has walked through and supported each other through heartbreaking loss and grief and celebrated the littlest and biggest moments for and with each other. 

The path to gathering such a unique group of people each year is as un-plannable and organic as you may imagine. When Ambassador applications open, we have no idea what the outcome will be. Like planting bulbs in the fall, it’s an exercise in patience and trust. We head outside, bundled in layers of warm clothes, to tuck beautiful, fresh bulbs deep in the dirt. We trust that while they lay underground, hidden for months in the cold, dark (sometimes deeply snow-covered) ground, they are doing their work and, at just the right time, will push those first fresh, green shoots up. We know it will happen – it does every year. And yet, it’s no less miraculous and delightful each year when the first tiny tip appears. And then another…and another.

It's the same with applications. One brave, heart-filled submission comes in. Then another…and another.

This year, we are thrilled to begin introducing you to the 2023 Ambassador team. First up, we have the tender, joyful honor of introducing you to this year’s scholarship recipients. Brave, generous, resilient, inspiring – these are some of the words that rise up as we reflect on these incredible people.

  • A scientist & first-time GK Gardener last year who, “used Growing Kindness bouquets as a way to develop friendship with my elderly neighbors some of whom are shut in due to health problems” and “would be deeply honored to follow in [her] grandmother's footsteps to share in strengthening community through sharing kindness, flowers, friendship and hope.”

  • Healing from debilitating physical injuries and deep trauma, gathering up the pieces of the life they knew to create something new – with generous giving at the heart of their healing. “…to share my stories of grief and hardships, and show that you can endure a lot of pain, loss, and heartbreak, but you can turn it into something meaningful by spreading kindness instead of anger. Being courageous instead of fearful. Showing empathy instead of hate.”

  • Volunteering at a women’s center to bring new life to overgrown gardens to share, “…with as many women inside and outside of the center as possible to encourage kindness and healing with fellow women.”

  • An educator for whom gardening is a significant stress-reliever who, after always growing vegetables, heard about the Growing Kindness Project. “…it completely resonated with my soul to share gorgeous flowers with others in an effort to bring joy and beauty into their lives”, and she spent the last year sharing, “…dozens and dozens of bouquets with neighbors, friends, strangers and, this past fall, with so many stressed-out teachers who bravely keep educating students each day.”

  • A young mom…a woman longing to be a mom…a widow…partners navigating excruciating medical journeys with their spouses.

The tender, brave, beautiful things shared with us are nothing short of a gift…a trust that we will never, never take for granted. We read each application over and over again – our only response a resounding, tearful, “how brave.” We find ourselves at the final stack of applications, and each year there is an undeniable thread of connection. A common theme woven through the stories, longings, hopes of a group of people that don’t know one another and are scattered across the country and globe (it’s true - Ambassadorship is open internationally this year!).

These incredible humans are doing amazing things and have overcome heartbreaking things – and the thing they want most is a community to journey with. As they start over again or take their next steps into the new thing they have begun, they know they want to do those things connected to others…to the Earth…to goodness and beauty.

With this amazing team leading the way (along with the rest of the team), it’s going to be another year full of awe, wonder, and kindness rippling out from community to community, building bridges and connecting us all.

Click on each Ambassador’s image below to:
follow along (on Instagram), learn how they’re growing
and giving flowers, and cheer them on in kindness this year!

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Introducing the 2022 Growing Kindness Ambassador Team

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“No one becomes poor by giving. ”
— Anne Frank

She wrote those words in hiding while WWII raged on around her. In danger and depravation, she knew and understood deeply: in giving, we always receive.

In helping, we not only heal another’s hurt, but so often our own.

As we reviewed this year’s ambassador applications, we were moved to tears time and again.  Perhaps there has never been a group who, collectively, more fully understand the hope and healing power of kindness.  

Because, perhaps, there has never been another Ambassador team who has experienced so much loss and heartache.  It’s hard to imagine growing up in an orphanage or experiencing extreme poverty. Our hearts break at the thought of losing a child or saying goodbye to loved ones because of Covid, or working to heal from PTSD, or caring for loved ones as they fight addiction.  

Those kinds of experiences can harden us to the point of breaking.  And yet, those are the very fires that some of our 2022 Ambassadors have journeyed through and chosen to come out softer, not harder.  Instead of choosing to retreat, they’re choosing to march forward, with flowers in their hands and hope in their hearts, knowing that every small act of kindness has the power to change a life; including their own. 

These past two years, we’ve all journeyed through trials and tribulations we could have never imagined: a worldwide pandemic, the isolation of lockdowns, a nation reeling from social injustice, and now a terrifying war unfolding in Ukraine.  

We’ve experienced heartache and loss we couldn’t have imagined. What the world needs now, what we each need now, is more kindness. 

The 2022 Ambassador team is ready to lead.  From tiny towns to big cities, across 32 states, they’re preparing to plant seeds of hope and change.

Their desire and commitment to use flowers as a catalyst to brighten days, foster connection and bridge divides is going to change the world, one stem at a time.  We've seen it time and time again: the ripples of the kindness they’ll share this year will reach across the United States...and inspire and encourage kind hearts around the world.

Over and over again, we were inspired and encouraged by applicants’ desires and commitments to use flowers as a catalyst to brighten days and bridge divides. Without a doubt, this incredible team is going to change the world, one stem at a time.


It is our great honor to introduce you to our 2021 Growing Kindness Ambassador Team!

Click on each Ambassador’s image below to:
follow along (on Instagram), learn how they’re growing
and giving flowers, and cheer them on in kindness this year!

, ,

Introducing the 2021 Growing Kindness Ambassador Team

, ,
“‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’”
— Margaret Mead

They hail from big cities and tiny rural towns all across the United States.

They are therapists, social workers, teachers, coaches, principals, sisters, aunts, moms, dads, grandmas, farmers, grad students, lawyers, doctors, nurses.

Some are master gardeners while others will be planting their very first seeds this spring. Some are just starting out, with the fresh and innovative perspective of 18 years, and others carry 70 years of life experience and wisdom.  

Some are seeking to carry on a legacy of growing and gifting flowers handed down to them from parents or grandparents. Some have found solace and healing from terrible heartache and tragedy in the simple act of giving flowers. Some feel called to step forward in service after watching their communities suffer this past year. 

Each of them brings to the team a huge heart and love for serving their community and a tremendous hope and faith in the power of kindness. And it will start in their gardens.

Each Ambassador will plant a flower garden this spring - in pots on balconies in the city; in backyards, tucked beside the swing set; in a parcel of land on a flower farm with a section dedicated to giving freely - with one shared goal: the intention of sharing flowers in goodwill and kindness.

Growing and giving flowers is a simple act. We know it isn’t novel, yet we also know that, oftentimes, the simplest acts are the most significant. We’ve seen - time and time again - that the beauty and simplicity of flowers is something that everyone can connect with. As Jennifer Howard says, “Flowers are universal and connect people when words aren't quite right. Nature unites us and our town needs the beauty and healing flowers provide! ... Our community needs to be reminded that nice people are the norm and are everywhere!”

The pandemic has taught and is teaching us how precious community and real, meaningful connection are. How clear it is that we all yearn for connection. 2020 helped us clearly see that we can all choose to slow our pace to look around and care for one another. As Marianna Sparks put it, “I live in an area where people are often frenzied and filled with stress. Even taking the time to smile at a passerby is rare. This is not because we are a community of bad people...just people on a mission to tackle daily duties until we can relax. I would love to help all of us remember that kindness does not throw us off track. That if our days are going to be filled with obligations, we might as well find beauty in the daily grind and in the people around us. I think the growing kindness project provides a beautiful opportunity to soften the walls that have been erected. I can't think of any words that could do that.”

As we read through Ambassador applications, we were brought to tears over and over again at applicants’ abilities to truly see the unique needs of their neighbors and communities. 

  • Collectively, there’s a longing to give back to those who’ve given so much this past year: first responders, frontline medical workers, and hospital gardens; teachers and school staffs.

  • Many also listed their mission as finding ways to give flowers to isolated seniors and especially seniors in long term care: adding flowers to meal delivery programs, visiting isolated neighbors, delivering buckets of flowers to local senior living homes, and more. As Emily Saxon so beautifully noted, “Assisted and long-term living facilities have had an unprecedented year. In our area, they are not allowed to have visitors. Many haven't seen their family in nearly a year. That is devastating to me. Flowers are so personal and everyone has a memory with them. I want to share what I grow with those who are living in assisted and long-term facilities to let them know they are loved - even still, even by a perfect stranger.”

  • Over and over again, we read of the desire to connect underserved children and youth to flowers: school and neighborhood gardens, children creating bouquets to share, and after-school clubs, to name just a few ideas shared.

  • Heart-longings were courageously shared with a hope to truly see and remind others how much they matter: widows, widowers, those going through infertility, Special Olympics athletes, women’s shelters, domestic violence shelters, homeless centers, mental health patients, those considering placing their babies with adoptive families.

Over and over again, we were inspired and encouraged by applicants’ desires and commitments to use flowers as a catalyst to brighten days and bridge divides. Without a doubt, this incredible team is going to change the world, one stem at a time.

Their commitment to carrying the Growing Kindness project and mission forward will encourage you, and the beauty of their hearts and their vision for Growing Kindness in the coming year will inspire you, too.

It is my great honor to introduce you to our 2021 Growing Kindness Ambassador Team!

Click on each Ambassador’s image below to:
follow along (on Instagram), learn how they’re growing
and giving flowers, and cheer them on in kindness this year!