The Origin of Be Kind
When I graduated college and came back to Rochester, I had a lot of big dreams. I was going to bring my band, A Girl Named Genny, to the next level, dive into the music industry, and become famous. I started to work for a radio conglomerate and wrote more music, striving each day to be better at my craft. My plan was simple. Find a job in the industry, flex my hours so I can play shows when I want, and eventually ditch the job and go to music full time.
My plan didn’t work.
Turns out I hated working for a corporate radio company. Not to bash on the folks I know in this field, I respect and love all of them for what they do for the communities they work in. Unfortunately, at this particular job my co-workers were competitive and harsh, and the work environment became too toxic for me to stay. In four weeks of working there I knew I had to leave. I had never quit a job before, and I was stressed to say the least.
During those four weeks I was lucky enough on one off day to volunteer at Foodlink, a local food-hub dedicated to leveraging the power of food to end hunger and build community. What I saw here were people from different communities working together to give back to a city they loved. The Foodlink staff didn’t just work, they busted their ass (can I say ass?) everyday to get the job done. And I wanted that, I craved that work culture.
So I joined up with Foodlink, more specifically the Curbside Market, a mobile farmers market program trying to offer fresh produce in areas with less access to proper grocery stores. I spent almost two years driving around the city of Rochester in a giant food truck, selling fruits and vegetables to single mothers, senior citizens, folks with SNAP, and more. I realized outside of music, there was something else I wanted to dedicate myself too. I saw people who were suffering, living in poverty, and struggled to find work. As I drove that truck, I saw injustice at face value. I realized it was my personal responsibility to create change in the city I lived in, and I had to act.
In March of 2019, I left Foodlink, to work for Stomping Ground as our first Community Engagement Director. I had never spent time learning about development, donor relations, or event planning, but my head was full of ideas and I struggle to take my time with things. I spent my first three years out of school driving a food truck and playing music around the country. Needless to say on my first day I was feeling a little intimidated. But in those three years, I made a lot of friends. A former co-worker was now the Executive Director for NAMI Rochester, I volunteered at the Bivona Child Advocacy Center, and even though I left, Foodlink’s team was behind Stomping Ground 110%. And during my time playing almost every bar in Rochester, I met someone who took these relationships to the next level.
Meet Geoff Dale, self-proclaimed Minister of Mayhem, co-owner of Three Heads Brewing, and elected Music Mayor of Rochester. I met Geoff when I was 22 years old. Anyone who knows Geoff will tell you from the beginning you are overwhelmed by the largeness of his heart and his ability to make your wild dreams come true. He works tirelessly to give our arts community more opportunity to showcase their talent. Geoff believes in the kindness of people, and our relationship now is one I treasure dearly. And one day I pitched Geoff on another wacky idea I had…
The Be Kind Movement. It started with the Be Kind Festival. We were going to host an all day long benefit concert at Three Heads, bringing together several non profits in the city of Rochester, and celebrating the work they do. Music would span multiple genres, and raise a little bit of money for the organizations. And in 2019, we almost sold out the venue. It blew all of our expectations, and we knew it could be something bigger.
From there we launched the first year of Be Kind Tuesdays, a monthly showcase highlighting a different organization. We brought in all of our partners, and gave them a chance to share their work, progress, and success. And from each Be Kind event, we meet people from more groups and nonprofits. We are growing a community that believes in a world where more is possible, and the people who attend these events are full of empathy. Come join us for a Tuesday night, you won’t regret it.
The ability to form partnerships and build community is the foundation for our progress as an organization. We strive each year to meet more like minded folks so we can engage with new families, supporters, and campers. Stomping Ground started small, and we only grow our capacity when we collaborate with others. These events went far beyond what any of us imagined them to be. Now we have welcomed in Foodlink, NAMI, Camp Good Days, ROC Restorative, Gandhi Institute, Bivona Child Advocacy Center, PIRI, Catholic Family Center, Isaiah House, Parenting Village, UUU Art Collective, and more. The Be Kind family just gets bigger and bigger, and we cannot wait to grow these events with other groups and organizations that work day in and day out to lift our city up.
It has been a wild ride to get here, and I know I don’t regret any of the past experiences I had. Whether at the radio station, or working for the Curbside Market, everything played a part making me into the person I am today. That’s why I am so excited to continue this movement. Soon camp will run its first summer in Saratoga Springs. We will meet new families, business owners, teachers, executive directors, and more. I know our success is dependent on building community. It is something we strive for at camp, and in the off season. I hope we can continue to make more friendships in Saratoga.
Making friends is something we are good at.