I am extremely fortunate to be part of The Pollination Project’s Global Kindness Team.
The Pollination Project makes daily seed grants to inspiring social change-makers who are committed to a world that works for all. The Pollination Project works in many cause spaces – from human rights and dignity to schools and education. The Global Kindness Program, which launched earlier this year is looking for Kindness-centric projects. That’s where myself and the Global Kindness Team come in.
Working with this group has been nothing short of amazing. My fellow teammates, Chris, Greg, and Laura are so inspiring in their own right and I consider myself very lucky to work with such kind people.
When I told them about the trip, they immediately jumped in, offering support, guidance, and a place to stay. The first person I would visit is Chris McGilvery of Give More HUGS in Temple, Texas.
During our time in Temple, we visited Doree Collins of the Un-Included Club at their community garden, brought coffee and cake pops to doctors at the local hospital, decorated the staff room with inspirational sticky notes, and brought confetti party poppers to bring the 4th of July celebrations to those who couldn’t leave the hospital. We also serendipitously ended up in the 4th of July parade, riding on a float and waving at the community in their patriotic garb.
It was a whirlwind adventure from the very beginning and when I finally collected myself, I realized how fortunate I was to have someone like Chris on my team. From the very start, he believed in this road trip. More than that, though, he went out of his way on multiple occasions to provide advice, feedback, and connections.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how amazing people like Chris are when I decided that everyone needs that cheerleader. Everyone needs that active collaborator who can see the best in people and force them to see it too. Everyone needs someone who has their back and pushes them to pursue even bigger and bolder dreams. Today, I am grateful for finding that in Chris.
Happy fourth of July from Temple, Texas.
Love always,
Liz
