The Kindness Matters Podcast
So. Much. Division. Let's talk about how to change that. Re-engage as neighbors, friends, co-workers and family. Let's set out to change the world. Strike that. Change A World. One person at a time, make someone's life a little better and then do it again tomorrow and the day after that, through kindness.
Kindness is a Super-Power that each of us has within us. It is so powerful it has the potential to change not only your life but those around you, too. Let's talk about kindness.
The Kindness Matters Podcast
Spreading Kindness, One Sign at a Time
In a world filled with negativity and division, it's refreshing to hear an inspiring story about kindness and connection. This episode features Jennifer Hunsinger, the founder of Project Happiness LSMO, who has dedicated herself to spreading joy through uplifting signs in her neighborhood. Faced with the challenges of social discord, Jennifer and her community replaced political signs with messages of positivity. Their grassroots campaign captures how small actions can create significant ripples of joy, ultimately fostering connection and happiness.
Throughout the conversation, we explore how Jennifer's vision transformed into a movement that not only united neighbors but also sparked curiosity and positivity throughout their community. Her journey illustrates the power of one idea and the importance of engaging with those around us, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic, when interactions are crucial yet often limited.
Jennifer's insights serve as motivational fuel, encouraging listeners to recognize the potential within themselves to bring about change and inspire kindness. This episode ultimately reinforces that even in moments when we may feel powerless or uncertain, there's always an opportunity to spread joy. Tune in to uncover the heartwarming impact of community-driven kindness and how you, too, can embark on your own journey to create a wave of positivity. Don't miss out—share this episode and connect with your loved ones to create a brighter tomorrow! You can connect with Project Happiness LSMO on Facebook and Instagram
This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network. If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance or have a podcast and are looking for a supportive network to join, check out maydaymedianetwork.com.
Like what you hear on the podcast? Follow our social media for more uplifting, inspirational and feel-good content.
It's one thing to highlight the kindness that we see in the world, but it's another to, as I put in many of my social media posts, #bethechange. I am donating all of my royalties from the sale of my book, Change A World; In Order to Change The World to local and national non-profits. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Well, hello there and welcome. You are listening to the Kindness Matters podcast and I am your host, mike Rathbun. What is this podcast all about? It's about kindness. It's a pushback against everything negative that we see in the news and on social media today, and it's a way to highlight people, organizations, that are simply striving to make their little corner of the world a little better place. If you want to join in on the conversation, feel free, Go ahead and follow us on all of your social media feeds. We're on Facebook, instagram, tiktok. We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun. Check us out. We're even on LinkedIn under Mike Rathbun. Check us out and, in the meantime, so sit back, relax, enjoy and we'll get into the Kindness Matters podcast.
Speaker 1:Hey, hello and welcome everybody to the show. Thank you so much for joining in, thank you for taking the time to listen. If you hear anything in this show that is motivational or inspirational or uplifting, I do hope that you will share it with your friends and family maybe some work colleagues, whatever the case may be and spread the happiness, spread the love, spread the joy, spread all the good things, because the world needs it more than ever right now. Right, let's get into the show today. Have you ever looked around, particularly in the last nine years or so, and just whether it's your city or your town or even your neighborhood, just kind of looked at it and thought, gosh, we're all so divided, we're all so angry. I really wish there was something we could do about it. Well, my guest today had the same thought and decided to do something about it. Jennifer Hunsinger is the. What do you call?
Speaker 2:yourself the CEO.
Speaker 1:The founder. The founder I like that the founder of Project Happiness L-S-M-O. I had to enunciate there and it's a 501c3 nonprofit and welcome to the show, jennifer. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Oh gosh, it's so great. And this whole group, this whole organization. It just started with frustration for you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just concern. Concern, I would say concern about okay but when we started back in 2016, it was we were in the middle of a real heated presidential election and I just was very concerned I would begin to see divide in the neighborhood that I had really invested in I mean my home where I was raising my children and I didn't. I didn't want to see that, so I thought I'd um, put a movement, you know, start a happiness, kindness movement yeah, and, and now you have a a connection to another one of my guests.
Speaker 1:Uh, you're both from the same area, um yeah, karen Hou is my neighbor. Karen Houck from Alyssa's Wishes. Yeah, wow, so much kindness in one little tiny town, one small town. Yeah, it's really fun, she's just a couple streets over, so people come visit us and then come visit her, or vice versa.
Speaker 2:So they get a big burst of joy in their day when they enter into our neighborhood.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what was your first thought?
Speaker 2:How did you see combating this negativity process best and well, with there being an election upcoming, I knew that signs would be like political signs would be placed in people's yards, like they would put a sign I'm for him, I'm for her.
Speaker 2:And I just knew that really I never had a time in my life where I didn't feel like I could speak to people, even loved ones, about politics. I felt like there was such divide, and I'd never experienced that in my life before, and so I certainly didn't want signs showing up in people's yards, because then you would automatically think, oh, they have different views or they're different than me, they believe different things, they're on the opposite side, if you will. And I thought that is horrible, and I was the mom that always had block parties and always created connection, and so I thought why don't we put signs in people's yards that just say happy sayings, like be kind, you know, smile, have the best day ever, things like that? And so I had this idea and I took it to my family and they thought it was really neat. So I went to the neighbors and they were all about it. So it got started with signs in people's yards to replace the, maybe the negativity of what political signs would bring.
Speaker 1:Right For sure. Now was this just like poster board and some sticks, or how did you go about?
Speaker 2:that it started out with poster board and sticks and we quickly realized that if it rained, our signs would be gone and so we just put. It was really kind of crazy. We put packing tape. We just stripped packing tape over these poster board signs to make them sturdy. I kept a few of them in my garage just for nostalgia, that first year that we put the signs out in 2016,. They were those old fashion signs and then that sign campaign was a huge hit. Once we put those signs in people's yards, we started with just a few, just our block, and you wouldn't believe cars were stopping saying what is this? Why are you? You doing this? They were amazed that someone would go to such lengths to make people smile, I mean yeah it was crazy and the news stations came out and we were in the newspaper.
Speaker 2:People couldn't believe what we did with these small 36 signs that neighbors made to make other people smile wow, wow.
Speaker 1:So you got like the news and the newspapers come out and cover it. How amazing.
Speaker 2:It was so amazing because the signs impacted people's day so positively. We live on a main street, like a thoroughfare, you know, so a lot of traffic. It's a really heavily driven area and so we were creating kindness. But then also we connected our little community because people once they heard of the idea they wanted to help make signs, so we had neighbors making signs and so really the grassroots effort to create kindness, I mean it just really worked. I mean it was just firing on all cylinders. Everyone was thrilled about it and just shocked that we were able to pull it off. It was really worked. I mean it was just firing on all cylinders, everyone was thrilled about it and just shocked that we were able to pull it off. It was really cool.
Speaker 1:Did you? I mean, this probably went beyond your wildest dreams, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was pretty big. I mean, we were shocked. People were letting us know that the news story was airing in other cities. You know, sister news stations were picking it up and it was really cool. We realized it was really needed and so we didn't it didn't. I mean, it wasn't just a one-time thing. We thought we'd do it that election season in 2016 and then people really just wanted the signs to continue. So we we decided to continue doing it.
Speaker 1:I. I was going to ask so what was the initial reaction from the neighbors when you started putting up these signs? You said the neighbors were in on it. Is that right?
Speaker 2:They were in on it. Because you can't just put a sign in someone's yard. Just because I want a happy sign in your yard, I can't come to your yard and put a sign there.
Speaker 1:Don't put a happy sign in my yard. There's always that guy.
Speaker 2:It's true, we had to go door to door to ask the neighbors if they wanted the signs, and everyone wanted a sign, and so we were able, which really, I think, helped the impact of the project, because it wasn't just one sign here or there. They were literally in every home on the block. So in one block there was 37 signs, and so that was huge. And then we decided to continue doing it, and so we did it twice a year for several years until COVID hit.
Speaker 2:And then when COVID hit the need for the signs and we, you know we weren't supposed to be connecting during COVID. You know distancing and um, and that was put a wrench in things as well, cause our whole point was to connect people and then hear everyone saying don't connect distance, stay away from people, and that that threw a wrench in things for a minute.
Speaker 1:Oh boy, yeah, I'll bet. So I mean, were you getting together to make the signs?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so some of our neighbors.
Speaker 1:So you'd have like sign making parties.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, we did so, we'd have them. It started just in my house and then, once it grew, churches would donate spaces for us to come to use their area, their big um commons area, to help, and so we had neighbors that were really good at making the signs and we graduated from the cardboard sign with the wooden stakes to coroplast and good heavy duty sharpies and some h-frame metal stakes, and so we we got a nice.
Speaker 1:Now you're in the, and so we got a little smarter Nice. Now you're in the big leagues.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we got a little smarter with the signs, so they uphold the weather and people can keep them out longer, which is really nice.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic, and so so you were just twice a year. Did you say you were putting these out?
Speaker 2:Yeah, twice a year, until COVID hit.
Speaker 1:Until.
Speaker 2:And then, when COVID hit, we realized we can't go to these people's doors because people wouldn't answer the door. It was just, everyone was scared. I mean, we didn't know what was happening in the world. And so I decided to put a cooler at the end of my driveway with signs Me and my two teenage daughters well, at that time, yeah, they were teenagers Me and my two teenage daughters and my husband were home. You know, they sent everyone home. We were at home with a lot of time on our hands, a lot, and so we decided just to make the signs, put them at the end of the driveway and anyone who wanted to come get them could come get them.
Speaker 2:And that summer, mike, we made 1, made 1500 signs out of our living room, people just kept coming to get the signs and the street filled up with signs, neighborhoods around us, different cities outside of our city filled up with signs. People just were craving that positivity, the messages of kindness, encouragement, hope. They just wanted it. Positivity, the messages of kindness, encouragement, hope. They just wanted it. And it was incredible. And people started donating, giving us money for the signs, and so we were able to. We had become a 501c3 in 2019, but in 2020, we had a huge year because people wanted to help out and they wanted to continue with our mission of spreading those messages, and it was something all I mean. Just I'll always look back on that year with our family as just a very unique moment in time where we were able to really create something awesome and do it together as a family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, and that's a whole other thing too, because this was something that you could all do together as a family, and it was positive and it was upbeat and these days, of course, they're talking about how everybody's noses are in their phones or their tablets. This was something that you guys could get around the kitchen table or what have you and just have fun and make up signs and connect with yourselves, and it probably helped your family as much or more than it did the neighborhood, right.
Speaker 2:I have always thought that these messages that we put on these signs are as much for me, just affirmations, and as much messages that I need. When I'm making the signs, I think about what does Jennifer need to hear today? What messages do I need to hear when my girls make them? It's the same thing. So the message uplift us before they even head out into the community.
Speaker 2:And then to know, that they go out there and they uplift other people and we hear the difference they make. It's huge and it's been fabulous for my girls to see that if you have an idea, you can go out into the world and make a difference. I mean, one person with one idea can go out and make an impact. And I loved showing that to my daughters because I think a lot of people think, well, there's nothing I can do and everything's out of whack. Well, that's not true. If you have an idea and you have intention and you're willing to let the rubber meet the road, you can change things. And it might be on a very small scale, but it makes me feel better to know that I've made a difference and I've shown my girls that they can make a difference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, and I think you're absolutely right. People oftentimes they look around and they look and they see these things and they go. I'm just one person. What can I do? And you are living, breathing, walking proof that one idea can make a positive difference in the world and that is such an important takeaway from this episode? I think so. Okay, I lost my train of thought. It left the station without me, jennifer, so why? Why decide to become a nonprofit?
Speaker 2:Well, people were giving us money for the signs and I didn't feel comfortable just taking the money and you know, just my family going out to eat, or you know I didn't feel like yeah, I didn't feel comfortable putting in my own bank account per se. I thought this money can give back and so we started the 501c3 we. I did not know what I was doing when I started oh my gosh, I've heard that such a horrible, terrifying venture.
Speaker 2:There's a lot that goes into it. It's not just okay now I'm a charity, it's okay. You have to have bylaws, you need a board of directors, you have some reporting to do there's a lot that goes into it. I just wanted to spread kindness, and so I had to really figure out how do I do this and stay legal and use this money for good. I knew what I wanted to use the money for. There's so much need in our community, right here in our own community, that I knew we could help, and so I had to find some great people to circle around me that understood the nonprofit world, and I have. We've been really blessed, and so we've been able to do quite a bit with the funds that we get from the, from our supporters.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, and people are just like throwing money at you. Make more signs.
Speaker 2:Make more signs and continue to connect the community. We have fun. We plan fun events. Now we even have a scholarship program for high school seniors that are interested in giving back to the community and that's been so fun to hear from our youth in this world that is trying to make a difference themselves and love serving, and so we're able to help support them and I really love hearing their stories on their scholarship applications as to how they want to make a difference. I mean, sometimes you can listen to the news and think this world is going all wrong and you may have to look a little bit, but you can realize quickly that's not the truth.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we often hear the whole thing about. You know, gen Zers, and they might be lazy or they might be this or that, and if there's a problem in the country then it's partly their fault, whatever. But that's not the case, is it? They really do care and they really do want to make a difference.
Speaker 2:Yes, one of my favorite events that we do is coming up this week where we go to work with the National Honor Society at a local high school where all the kids gather and they make signs. And they're making signs to uplift the kids that are coming into their school. So, like the feeder schools, the elementariesaries and the middle schools that will begin testing this spring, they'll make fun signs to uplift them and then they take the signs to those feeder schools and put them out. So they'll create 100 signs and they'll go to different elementaries and different middle schools in our community. And I don't make the signs.
Speaker 2:The kids make the signs. They come up with their own words, their own encouraging phrases and, like you said, they're not on their phones. They're sitting in a big art room with their fellow students with big markers and they're trying to think of fun sayings and they're really connecting. It's really so great to see them lay their screens down and just connect. I love that so much. I love just how inclusive this project has become because people from all ages can create the signs. We work with Girl Scouts, we work in nursing homes, I mean it's just a wide range. It really includes everyone and does like you said, they get to unplug for a bit and connect with other people and create something awesome.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's so cool. So nursing homes, huh.
Speaker 2:Yes, john, knox Village is a retirement community, not a nursing home, but a retirement community around here and they. We have a little pocket of big supporters there that love what we do and they're kind of our biggest cheerleaders. They're really fun people and they love it and I love that. It can be all the way. You know all opposite ends of the spectrum, you know all different people can really get behind this grassroots effort to create kindness.
Speaker 1:That's so cool. So now different organizations or groups heard about your signs and they're like we want in on that.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, oh. You know we have worked with different organizations who want some kind of something like a team building activity for their staff, and so we've helped with team building for staffs, which is really fun, yeah. And then we work with the Girl Scouts and, like I said, the local high school. Yes, it's been really eye-opening to me.
Speaker 1:I had no idea you had such a reach.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, right here in our little area it's really. I mean, we get, I guess we get the message out through social media and we have a website, so people hear about us and just word of mouth. I think a lot of people also just see the signs out and about and are curious what's this all about?
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure. Oh, that is so cool, so, but do you do other things in the community?
Speaker 2:I mean, what type of Well, we help our Downtown Lee Summit. They have events like their Fourth Friday Art Walk and we attend those. And we have our downtown Lee Summit. They have events like their Fourth Friday Art Walk and we attend those. And we have not just signs there, we'll do other fun crafts to create, you know, just to get people together. Oh, we do stuff like that. So mainly we do sign events, we do a parade, we do a neighborhood parade just to connect people. So you know, we just kind of play it by ear. If something fun comes up, it sounds like it's our cup of tea and it has to do with the community, then we're all about it.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic, it's. It's just so cool because when and we've already talked about that but how you were able to, nine years ago, look at the world and go, dang, this sucks, we need to do better. And then you made it happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's really fun. It's just every day that we get to do it and that people support us and keep us going is just a real gift, so I love it. I'll do it as long as we have supporters, as long as there's a need out there, and I feel like that's going to be ongoing. Every year, I feel like, oh, we need this more than we did the last year.
Speaker 1:Has it changed? You know, have you ever seen years where you go oh, I, we're making a difference.
Speaker 2:And then in other years you go not so much so maybe not necessarily years, but there are seasons where you can get in your own head and feel like, well, maybe I'm doing this and it isn't making a difference and that's just really what you know. I have to get out of my own head about it. I do notice, probably, one thing as the years have progressed We've always been a door-to-door. We go door-to-door to ask people if they want the signs when we put the signs up in the whole neighborhood and I did notice this past fall maybe I have noticed the past couple of falls people opening the door less to us or just being inside and not coming to the door. I have noticed that and that can be a little discouraging, but I think it's just the time we live in.
Speaker 2:I'm not certain anybody, you know, I think people are just more cautious, you know, and so I haven't noticed that and that is sad to me Because I'm just real personable and I really I really crave connection and so that makes me sad, but I but I know that there's more people that do open the door and more people that want to participate, and so I have to just focus on the good, and I have to focus on the positive and not get discouraged.
Speaker 2:It is it's always easy to look at the negativity around and let that get to you, so you have to have a piece of you that's always willing to look on the bright side, and that's how I was raised, you know, that's how my parents raised me, and so that's something that I've instilled in my kids. And it's always important when you start to get down and feel like maybe you're not making a difference, to really um all the good you've done, and look at um how you can keep going and continue making a difference.
Speaker 1:And you are making such an amazing difference, Jennifer, you and the whole group there at Project Happiness LSMO. Is that the actual LSMO that stands for Lee's Summit, Missouri, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, lee's Summit Missouri.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that's yeah. I suppose you probably couldn't go just Project Happiness, because maybe somebody's already taken that one.
Speaker 2:Yeah there's another, Project Happiness, and so maybe when picking the name we could have done something a little bit easier, but Project Happiness LSM. We're proud of the town we live in and we love Lee's Summit, Missouri, so I like that they're connected with us in the name and that they allow us to do some work with them.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, and it perfectly. That's a perfect descriptor of who you guys are. Project Happiness, lead Summit Missouri. Yes, that's so fantastic and I think you guys are doing such an amazing job, jennifer. You guys are, in fact, making a positive difference in the world, in fact making a positive difference in the world.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Because somebody in Australia could hear about you and go oh, I need to do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That was a horrible Australian accent, but you know what I meant, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. We've talked to people in different cities that have tried to do sign campaigns or have done sign campaigns successfully with their groups and their neighborhoods and it's been so fun. I've never heard that they're kind of an ongoing thing, but I've heard it's been like a one time let's get together and let's do this and I have enjoyed hearing that. I love when it gets back to me that it is been duplicated somewhere else, that is. I think that's really great.
Speaker 1:That's fantastic, and our listeners can follow you guys on social media, right? You're on Facebook, you're on Instagram.
Speaker 2:Yep Project Happiness LSMO, and then we have a website, projecthappinesslsmoorg, and you can we have fun t-shirts on there. We have a really fun have the best day ever t-shirt. That's kind of my favorite phrase. It's really, really cute and I work at a school so a lot of teachers have it and you can just you can watch news stories. It's really fun.
Speaker 1:It's fantastic and and bless you guys, bless your hearts for in a non-Southern kind of way, bless your hearts really seriously for everything you do. You um again, I, I, I, I just am amazed. And if my listeners, I'll have all of um, all of Jennifer's and project happiness is links in the show notes. Go and check them out. I hope you're inspired. You know what? Start a campaign in your own neighborhood.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And if you need any help, I'm sure if you reach out to Jennifer she'll probably give you a hand too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that would be awesome. I would love it. And thanks for taking time to talk to me just to learn about our project, because I enjoy. I just love to see what it's done and I love to see you know that it's going to go further. And thanks for spreading the word.
Speaker 1:You're absolutely welcome, very welcome. Thank you for taking some time to be on with me today. I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. You take care and we will talk again soon, thank you. I want to thank you for taking this time to listen to this episode with my guest, jennifer Hunsinger from Project Happiness LSMO. I had to get it all in there. I hope you're able to take something positive from the time that you spent with us. Maybe you'll be inspired, maybe you'll be motivated, maybe you'll be moved. If you experienced any of those positive feelings, please consider sharing this podcast with your friends and family. I'm always striving to offer you a better podcast, so give me some feedback. Let me know how you think I'm doing. Email me, leave me a message on socials. It would mean the world. Also feel free to follow us on our socials like Facebook, instagram, linkedin and TikTok.
Speaker 1:This podcast is part of the Mayday Media Network. If you have an idea for a podcast and need some production assistance, or if you have a podcast and are looking for a supportive network to join, please check out maydaymedediaNetworkcom and check out the many different shows like Afrocentric Spoil, my Movie Generation Mixtape In a Pickle Radio Show. Wake Up and Dream with D'Anthony Palin, staxopax and the Time Pals. We'll be back again next week with a new episode and we would be honored if you would join us. You've been listening to the Kindness Matters podcast. I am your host, mike Rathbun. Have a fantastic week.
