Q: What is Kindness?

A question posed to children at St. Jude the Apostle.

A: A Special Collaboration

In August a project was initiated by A Child’s Place, which has a classroom located at St. Jude’s, and St. Jude’s Summer Camp children, a program led by teacher Mr. G.

The collaboration was an opportunity to combine art and social skills to make unique handprints on fabric, to create Kindness Quilts, along with a book to be shared with residents of a local nursing home. The fabric and quilting materials were generously donated by a kind individual. The children then paid that kindness forward by making the quilts for nursing home residents. For the book, children were asked, What is Kindness? After hearing their responses and seeing the pride they took in their work, the answer is clearly that kindness is the hearts and minds of these children.

Special Thanks

It did not go unnoticed by long-time staff at Unity House that one of Unity House’s founders, Mary Jane Smith, was once the principal of St. Jude the Apostle School.  Before she was CEO of Unity House, the late Mary Jane Smith was a sister of St. Joseph, teaching and managing area schools in the diocese. Later, she was dispensed of her vows and devoted her career to Unity House. It’s nice to think that this project would have earned Mary Jane’s stamp of approval since she was loving kindness in action.

With gratitude for the help of Brenda Alonzo, Diane Hayes, Lacie Holzer, Heather Hill, and Sara Brandenburg with A Child’s Place, as well as the staff and families at St. Jude’s. Additional thanks to Ann Louden, a talented Troy seamstress who donated her time to sew together the beautiful quilt pieces.