Ben's Bells

Shared by Kristin Friedersdorf, 365 Days of Service, Los Angeles Chapter

Please take a moment to get to know Ben's Bells.

The mission of Ben's Bells is to "inspire, educate and motivate each other to realize the impact of intentional kindness and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby changing our world."

On March 29, 2002, 3-year-old Ben suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. A parent's worst nightmare had come true and his parents say that if it were not for Ben's older brother Matthew, "perhaps we would have died..."

From their pain came this:
"Slowly, we began incorporating coping strategies into our lives. We came up with a design for Ben’s Bells and started making them in our back yard studio with friends. The therapeutic effect of working with clay was amazing as was the power of being surrounded by people talking and working toward a common goal. We decided to make hundreds of the Bells and distribute them randomly in our community to encourage the kindness that we so depended on to get through each day. Since Ben’s death, it had been the kindness of others, strangers and friends, that had helped us begin to heal. We wanted to find a way to pass on that kindness and to help others in the process...The riple effect that followed was wonderful and startling. Individuals finding the Bells had stories to tell - lots of them - about grief and healing and hope."

Please visit the Ben's Bells website to learn more about this admirable organization. Ben's Bells honors a "Bellee" weekly  - someone who spreads kindness to make for a better community. They also established a "Kind Kids Program," offered free of charge to schools, which offers children education and inspiration to recognize and create a culture of kindness in their school.

365 Days of Service salutes Ben's Bells!