Cody Foss, the executive director of Kind Works in Bethel, is teaching a group of children at its after school program, the finer points of kindness.
“Sympathy is when you feel bad for someone. Empathy is when you can actually feel what they're feeling,” Foss said.
Foss speaks next to a dry erase board, the words “ripple effect of kindness,” are near the top. He actually quizzes the kids on what they learned..
Foss and studio volunteers say Kind Works promotes kindness with its mission, creating artwork for organizations from hospitals to municipalities while promoting a sense of community. Through the program children are able to see how their actions positively influence others.
Foss and others say their mission is more important now than ever, as many Americans say people have become increasingly rude since the Covid 19 Pandemic, according to the Pew Research Center.
Research from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office in 2023 revealed communities with greater social interaction and connections tended to be more empathetic.
Guillermo Lopez. is 11 and lives in Danbury. Guillermo showed off a worry stone he made. It’s a charm, with an indentation on it. People with anxiety like using worry stones, because rubbing it distracts them from their anxiety.
He said hanging out at Kind Works feels different from after school programs like sports.
Guillermo remembers showing his mother his worry stone.
“She was proud of me and amazed, because I don't really like doing stuff and then sharing it with other people,” Guillermo said. “And when she saw how good I did it and all the details and everything, she was proud of me.”
Kaitlin Goh , 16, is a mentor from Newtown. Kaitlin helps children with arts and crafts, and acts as a role model .
Kaitlin said she knows how toxic social media, which has been blamed for social ills, from anxiety, social isolation to promoting anti-social behavior, can impact children.
Kaitlin said children seeing how empathy is modeled in everyday life, is critical to promote a sense of altruism at a young age.
“ I think they try to help each other be better,” Kaitlin said. “And I know all the mentors try to be role models for the younger kids.”
Theresa Kelly ,a volunteer, helps children with arts and crafts. The studio makes items including tiles for murals and other artwork, like a windchime.
The windchime has a tag attached to it asking anyone who finds it to share their kindness with others.
“You can pass it along to someone else if you choose, or you can choose to keep it, but if you see one hanging somewhere in the wild, it's yours,” Kelly said.
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