Losing my wallet on Good Friday morning 2023 only to have a young Good Samaritan woman return it to my home within moments after I realized it was lost, changed my life. 

My effort to identify this woman, thank her in a more meaningful way, and pay it forward led to a fascinating unexpected adventure of a lifetime impossible to put into words. It inspired me to launch my own nonprofit Kindness Worldwide with a vision “to create a culture of kindness in communities throughout the world.” 

Among its initiatives is formal recognition of Kindness Week by governing bodies. Last November we had 1 city (York) 2 counties (York/Adams) and 1 state (PA) officially proclaim Kindness Week. Police departments were issuing kindness citations, schools were actively engaged, blood drives occurred…it was absolutely magical, and arguably the best week of my life. 

I’ve never attempted or been a part of anything so meaningful. And it all happened by accident simply by losing my wallet. It completely changed my paradigm of the world and gave me a renewed sense of purpose. Instead of feeling powerless, I now feel empowered to be the change I wish for and bring much needed change into the world! 

I will not relent until every city in every county, every county in the state, every state in the country, and every country in the world officially get on board in recognizing humanity’s greatest asset – Kindness. There is a path.  My story is proof that no act of kindness is too small to change a life, and that no one is too inconsequential to make a lasting impact and change the world through kind actions.