FEBRUARY 2020 Kindness Agents bring mission close to home ... · Kindness Agents bring mission...
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07 FEATURE TITAN LEGACY FEBRUARY 2020 A fter the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, Ferial Pearson wondered if a single act of kindness had the possibility to change the world. She brought her question to her students at Omaha South High School, and though they didn’t have an answer, they wanted to find out. Thus began The Secret Kindness Agents, a group on a mission to change lives. As Pearson shared her mission with others around the country, the project has spread to over 450 schools internationally. In 2016, Jessica Rempe, from Papillion, had the opportunity to attend a presentation of Pearson’s. She left the presentation inspired, and full of ideas. “As a mother of four, I have always had a desire to volunteer, with my children in our community,” Rempe said, “but we have found it difficult to find local organizations that don’t have age or time requirements.” In November of 2016, the Rempe family decided they would do their first “kindness mission.” They invited their friends and family to a Papillion park to paint kindness rocks to be placed throughout the community. When over 60 people joined them, they decided that they wanted to continue doing acts of kindness as a group. “Thus began our version of The Secret Kindness Agents, a family service group [out of St. Columbkille] participating in random acts of kindness in our home, school, and community,” Rempe said. A key part of the group is the secrecy of the agents. To remain secret, members have an agent name. For example, one agent, who plays soccer, goes by “Agent Kicks A Lot”. They use their agent names or just sign off as “A Secret Kindness Agent.” “We don’t do kind acts for recognition,” Rempe said, “but rather just to make someone happy.” Over the past four years, the group has completed over 100 kindness missions, including making cancer chemo kits for the patients at The Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. One of their most recent missions was to ensure that the Gehring family got to celebrate Christmas. A friend of the family reached out to The Secret Kindness Agents with a wish to help the family during the holiday season. They went shopping for presents, and then got together to wrap them. They made Christmas cards, paper snowflake decorations, Christmas ornaments, and Would You Rather books for Emma Gehring and her brothers. “They indirectly gave us the joy of watching our kids on Christmas day, watching their smiles, and not having to stress about the details of running to stores and wrapping,” Mr. Brent Gehring said. Cookie baskets were also assembled and delivered to the schools that have helped to support the Gehring family over the years: Walnut Creek, Carriage Hill and PLSHS. “We love to serve those who serve,” Rempe said. Recently, The Secret Kindness Agents were nominated by community members for the Cheerios One Million Acts of Good Contest with “The Ellen Show.” The contest honors people who are spreading kindness throughout the country. Rempe and The Secret Kindness Agents were selected as 1 of 10 winners nationally. Rempe and a friend were invited to attend a live taping of “The Ellen Show” in February where the acts of kindness are recognized. “I was just honored to be thought of in such a kind and thoughtful way,” Rempe said. Throughout the country there are thousands of Secret Kindness Agents. The project is in K-12 schools, universities, and homeschool co-ops. But how does one start a group? “It’s easy to do kind acts on your own! To start a group, you just grab some friends and let the kindness spread,” Rempe said. In a world where everyone is busy, running from work to soccer games to other obligations, one might ask why they should consider joining The Secret Kindness Agents. Why are they important? “We have to help each other always,” Harper Rempe, kindergartener at St. Columbkille, said. “I like seeing people’s reactions when they receive an act of kindness as a surprise,” Addison Rempe, 6th grader at St. Columbkille, said. “I think our group is important because there is so much negativity in our world today, sometimes it’s hard to see the good,” Jessica Rempe said, “We want to instill in ourselves and our children that we can be the good.” Kindness Agents bring mission close to home for Titan family Secret Kindness Agents make Christmas cards and Would You Rather books for the Gehring family. (photo courtesy of Jessica Rempe) “The gift of being able to focus on what needs to be done and family is at times the greatest gift you can give,” says Mr. Gehring. (photo courtesy of Mr. Gehring) BY MADISON RUSHING STATE CONTEST ENTRANT: Madison Rushing
Transcript of FEBRUARY 2020 Kindness Agents bring mission close to home ... · Kindness Agents bring mission...
07FEATURETITAN LEGACY
FEBRUARY 2020
After the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, Ferial Pearson wondered if a single act of kindness had the possibility to change the world. She
brought her question to her students at Omaha South High School, and though they didn’t have an answer, they wanted to find out. Thus began The Secret Kindness Agents, a group on a mission to change lives. As Pearson shared her mission with others around the country, the project has spread to over 450 schools internationally. In 2016, Jessica Rempe, from Papillion, had the opportunity to attend a presentation of Pearson’s. She left the presentation inspired, and full of ideas. “As a mother of four, I have always had a desire to volunteer, with my children in our community,” Rempe said, “but we have found it difficult to find local organizations that don’t have age or time requirements.” In November of 2016, the Rempe family decided they would do their first “kindness mission.” They invited their friends and family to a Papillion park to paint kindness rocks to be placed throughout the community. When over 60 people joined them, they decided that they wanted to continue doing acts of kindness as a group. “Thus began our version of The Secret Kindness Agents, a family service group [out of St. Columbkille] participating in random acts of kindness in our home, school, and community,” Rempe said. A key part of the group is the secrecy of the agents. To remain secret, members have an agent name. For example, one agent, who plays soccer, goes by “Agent Kicks A Lot”. They use their agent names or just sign off as “A Secret Kindness Agent.” “We don’t do kind acts for recognition,” Rempe said, “but rather just to make someone happy.” Over the past four years, the group has completed over 100 kindness missions, including making cancer chemo kits for the patients at The Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center. One of their most recent missions was to ensure that the Gehring family
got to celebrate Christmas. A friend of the family reached out to The Secret Kindness Agents with a wish to help the family during the holiday season. They went shopping for presents, and then got together to wrap them. They made Christmas cards, paper snowflake decorations, Christmas ornaments, and Would You Rather books for Emma Gehring and her brothers. “They indirectly gave us the joy of watching our kids on Christmas day, watching their smiles, and not having to stress about the details of running to stores and wrapping,” Mr. Brent Gehring said. Cookie baskets were also assembled and delivered to the schools that have helped to support the Gehring family over the years: Walnut Creek, Carriage Hill and PLSHS. “We love to serve those who serve,” Rempe said. Recently, The Secret Kindness Agents were nominated by community members for the Cheerios One Million Acts of Good Contest with “The Ellen
Show.” The contest honors people who are spreading kindness throughout the country. Rempe and The Secret Kindness Agents were selected as 1 of 10 winners nationally. Rempe and a friend were invited to attend a live taping of “The Ellen Show” in February where the acts of kindness are recognized. “I was just honored to be thought of in such a kind and thoughtful way,” Rempe said. Throughout the country there are thousands of Secret Kindness Agents. The project is in K-12 schools, universities, and homeschool co-ops. But how does one start a group? “It’s easy to do kind acts on your own! To start a group, you just grab some friends and let the kindness spread,” Rempe said. In a world where everyone is busy, running from work to soccer games to other obligations, one might ask why they should consider joining The Secret Kindness Agents. Why are they important? “We have to help each other always,” Harper Rempe, kindergartener at St. Columbkille, said. “I like seeing people’s reactions when they receive an act of kindness as a surprise,” Addison Rempe, 6th grader at St. Columbkille, said. “I think our group is important because there is so much negativity in our world today, sometimes it’s hard to see the good,” Jessica Rempe said, “We want to instill in ourselves and our children that we can be the good.”
Kindness Agents bring mission close to home for Titan family
Secret Kindness Agents make Christmas cards and Would You Rather books for the Gehring family. (photo courtesy of Jessica Rempe)
“The gift of being able to focus on what needs to be done and family is at times the greatest gift you can give,” says Mr. Gehring. (photo courtesy of Mr. Gehring)
BY MADISON RUSHING
STATE CONTEST ENTRANT: Madison Rushing
