Grow some flowers. Give them away. That’s it. It’s humble. It’s simple. It’s powerful.
Our Mission
In a world where loneliness is widespread and unexpected kindness is rare, the Growing Kindness Project is bringing back meaningful connections, strengthening communities, and spreading goodwill.
The Growing Kindness Project, a 501(c)(3) organization with a worldwide team of backyard gardeners and flower farmers, is literally growing a solution to loneliness by cultivating flowers and freely sharing them with those who need a little extra kindness—patients in hospitals, residents in nursing homes, neighbors in need and so many more.
Growing a cut flower garden is easier than you think. All you need is a little bit of dirt and a big heart. We’re here to help you with the rest!
The Growing Kindness Project is working to support thousands, just like you, who want to share kindness by growing and giving flowers.
We provide support, education, and resources to help you both garden and give. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or have never grown a single plant, whether you’re tending a pot of flowers on your city balcony or acres of blooms on a farm, we’re here to help you grow kindness in your community. Join us and let’s get growing in your neighborhood or community!
History
Fourteen years ago, Growing Kindness Founder Deanna Kitchen found herself in the midst of a difficult season. She had just left her teaching job to stay home with her toddler and newborn. It was exactly where she wanted to be… but the joy of that season was clouded by loneliness. Isolated from her community and struggling under the weight of postpartum depression, Deanna felt unmoored. Without her role as an educator, she wrestled with how to create meaningful connections and give back. Social media was just emerging, but despite having hundreds of friends online, she had never felt more disconnected.
That summer, hope began to take root in her garden. With a baby monitor hooked on her hip, Deanna spent nap times digging her hands into the soil and turning her face to the sun. Behind the swing, she planted a row of sweet peas, and to her surprise, they bloomed abundantly. Cutting handful after handful of the fragrant blossoms, Deanna realized she was holding the key to reconnecting: flowers. She tucked the blooms into baby jars, loaded them into a shoebox, and, with a rolly-polly baby on her hip and a toddler clutching her purse, walked into a local care home. She left with an empty box and a bursting heart. Flowers had given her the courage to reach out, and each visit filled her life with joy and meaningful connection.
Every year, Deanna planted more flowers. Her garden grew into a flower farm, her family grew to include three little boys, and her acts of kindness grew too—sharing flowers with care home residents, delivery drivers, postal clerks, and neighbors. One day, a care home resident expressed his wish that more people like him, isolated in care facilities, could experience the joy of receiving flowers and a visitor. Deanna began to dream of sharing the joy she’d found in growing and giving flowers more broadly.
The key came one spring day as she divided dahlia tubers. With hundreds of extra tubers, Deanna and her family opened their farm and invited others to pick up free tubers to help them grow and give flowers as acts of kindness. The Growing Kindness Project was born.
That first year, hundreds of dahlias were shared across Washington state. Today, Growing Kindness has reached communities on every continent (except Antarctica!) and has trained nearly 500 Ambassadors across the U.S., Canada, and England. Together, they’ve shared over 14,800 bouquets, distributed 9,500 dahlia tubers, and provided countless moments of connection and joy through flowers. Never in a million years would Deanna have guessed that those first blooms and dahlia tubers would grow into the sweetest, kindest community of like-hearted, like-minded women who, just like her, are searching for meaningful connection and a way to give back.
Now a 501(c)(3) organization, Growing Kindness has already helped spread kindness worldwide—but this is just the beginning. With the support of donors and sponsors, we dream of having a Growing Kindness gardener in every community, bringing connection and joy to those who need it most. Are you ready to join us? Become a Growing Kindness Gardener or make a gift today to help grow kindness and make the world a brighter, kinder place.