THERE is never enough love or kindness to go around.
Well that's the belief of Merewether's Michelle Boundy who is making it her mission to bring back kindness.
Michelle was Newcastle's community kindness champion for the Stay Kind Foundation for two years before it closed in August.
Now she has created a new vehicle, Be Kind Newcastle, to continue promoting kindness, with a focus on young people in the Hunter.
Kindness!
Isn't it exactly what we all need more of?
Random acts of kindness driven by compassion, empathy and good will towards others, lifts communities and people, and brings light in the gloom.
According to the latest Census data, the Hunter Region has a population of almost 700,000. One act of kindness by each of us in the Hunter every day would result in more than 250 million acts of kindness a year.
Topics thinks it's a beautiful idea. And what's more beautiful than a wedding?
Michelle plans to kick-off her awareness and fundraising activities on Saturday when she celebrates her engagement to Newcastle solicitor Anthony Foate, the principal of Catalyst Legal.
The couple will celebrate their engagement by hosting a red carpet event called The Elephant in the Room, to raise awareness about mental health and much needed funds for Lifeline Hunter.
They have invited 30 extra people to the party who are passionate about making the region kinder and will host a silent auction run by auctioneer and former Screaming Jets drummer Craig 'Rosie' Rosevear,
"Being kind can be a lot of fun and is good for you too," Michelle said.
Speakers including Lifeline Hunter CEO Rob Sams and experts from NewPysch Psychology who will join Michelle on the lounge to shine a light on the mental health crisis in our region and provide stories of hope, connection and promote services that are showing kindness.
Michelle said demand for Lifeline's services had increased 30 per cent in the past two years.
"I was devastated to hear Stay Kind had to close and was determined to continue to run local projects that promote the power of kindness and how an act of kindness changes lives and our communities," she said.
"I've been promoting my community projects through social media recently and how Newcastle is the kindest community in Australia. There are so many examples I have witnessed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Through Be Kind Newcastle we will undertake community projects each year to make our communities kinder and reduce bullying, violence, self-harm, and suicide among young Australians and the wider community."
Time to get started Newcastle.
Lets all do one random act of kindness today.
For more information about Be Kind Newcastle or to donate to The Elephant in the Room visit bekindnewcastle.com.au
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