The Kindness Campaign Scales Back Asheville Operation

The Kindness Campaign closed its Asheville office May 31, though it will continue to operate as a national web-based organization to serve the needs of interested communities on a consulting and advisory basis.

Retiring Executive Director Barry Weinhold said that a number of factors led to the change in the organization\’s operations. “Most of the staff, including myself, were fairly new in town and faced a steep learning curve to understand the best way to build the campaign here. Other considerations included my health problems, insufficient funds to hire a replacement for me, and the lack of a large enough volunteer base to adequately support our effort.”

During its year and a half operating in Asheville, the Campaign held two Kindness Weeks and two Interfaith Celebrations of Kindness, distributed 15,000 Kindness buttons, bestowed fifty Community of Kindness Awards, and hosted such community-building events as World Kindness Day and Make a Difference Day. Three area schools implemented the Kind and Safe Schools Initiative, and the Police and Community Team (PACT), formed last year, drafted recommendations that are currently under review by the Police Department.

The organization will maintain its web site, www.thekindnesscampaign.org, offering products and materials to support the Kind & Safe Schools Initiative and community-based efforts in other cities. “Kindness: the Ultimate Renewable Resource” bumper stickers will be available through The Asheville Homeless Network, Instant Karma, Cosmic Visions, and Mystic Journeys. Remaining funds will be administered by the Carolina Institute for Conflict Resolution and Creative Leadership (CICRCL), the non-profit, tax-exempt organization that has operated the Kindness Campaign in Asheville since its inception.

Weinhold expressed gratitude for broad-based community support. Among the organizations and businesses that supported the campaign are St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, Jubilee, the Unitarian Universalist Church, Playback Theatre, Spirit in the Smokies magazine, the Asheville Citizen Times, Ashley Furniture, Ingles Markets, and Wachovia.