Meet Kindness Activists
“Kindness isn’t gaged by how old or young you are but by the contribution you have made. When you are seven years old you can participate in the same kindness movement as a seventy year old. Kindness acts are easy for kids to complete because you don’t need to be a certain age. I hope that more people participate in acts of kindness at young ages.”
– Jaden Winn
3 years ago, Jaden Winn was given a 3rd grade writing assignment where he was asked to consider what he might like to do when he grew up. He asked his mom, “What’s it called when you find money for people who need it and get it to them?” His mom responded, “Go look up the word, ‘philanthropist’. Jaden returned enthusiastically informing his mom, “I’m going to be a philanthropist when I grow up.”
Since Jaden’s mighty declaration, he assisted in raising funding to help preserve his teacher’s job, danced in a Flash mob right along-side his mom to bring awareness to ending violence against women and launched his own giving program to raise money for the ONE Campaign.
When Jaden’s not involved with community service programs, he’s a pretty normal 12 year old boy and has a variety of interests. He has a love for dance, is a competitive soccer player, is crazy for the drums, and enjoys the outdoors, especially sailing and hiking. Jaden is also an enthusiastic student, loves to cook and enjoys learning about what being a caring and effective leader really means. Above all, Jaden is a big-spirited boy, full of light and life whose smile you can’t help but return.
Jaden is thrilled to be setting out on this Kindness Journey, which he sees in three parts: one, the physical journey and adventure of traveling throughout the United States, two, the experience of contributing to an organization that he thinks is cool #kindnessiscool and three, the personal spiritual journey for himself and what he imagines will happen for him by giving to others – and how that will likely help him to be even more conscious of his actions. Jaden is also looking forward to experiencing more joy in his already close relationship with his mother, Amanda.
Jaden believes “kindness is a whole other language”; that you can speak through kind actions. Receiving kindness makes him want to give back to others because “it feels so good”. He is beyond excited to be making this journey in honor of Life Vest Inside and hopes his work will help replenish the big pool of kindness that we all create with our actions.
“Kindness isn’t always comfortable. Often times it’s not our first inclination. Sometimes it can even be a real stretch for us, but what’s profound to me is that any act of kindness we choose to initiate or participate in, we are changed for the better. Even through our smallest gestures, “we” as in you + me can leave love and goodness in our wake. Kindness ripples and boomerangs.”
– Amanda Winn
Amanda Winn is a Wholehearted Business Development professional, a passionate parent, an at-times shy creative, a heart-on-her-sleeve Humanitarian and a committed and loyal friend.
In her professional life, she is the founder of Wholehearted Business Development: a boutique agency of dedicated marketing, PR, design and operations professionals who care about holding the space for businesses to become all they are meant to be. WBD specializes in people using their life and their work for good.
In her free time, you might find her dancing in a flash mob she organized to raise awareness for a cause she believes in, cooking up a storm with Jaden or enjoying an evening of deep connection with her closest friends. What she most loves to do is share the goodness, build enduring bridges, connect people to resources that open doors wide open, and hold a quiet space in her heart for the path of healing to love.
She is honored to be a part of Life Vest Inside and beyond grateful to be providing her son with this amazing experience to follow his instincts of bringing kindness everywhere he goes. She is so proud to be Jaden’s mom and learns from him every day. She hopes to meet you in one of their stops along the way and is overwhelmingly happy to be part of The Kindness Journey.