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Kindness Is Free In Life And At The Rose Parade With The Boys & Girls Club! · The iHeart SoCal Show

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hi, Lisa Fox, and this is the iHeart So Cal Show.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: I hope you had a very nice happy holidays. Hope
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: ay your holidays. We're wonderful as we get ready for
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the new year, We're always ready to be kind now
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: more than ever. Being kind is so important and needed
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: now more than ever. And some really great news is
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: at the Boys and Girls Club. They're all about it.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: They spread kindness, they even teach it to their kids
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: with their Kindness is Free program. We're going to dive
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: into all of that. They have a very special appearance
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: at the Rose Parade this coming Thursday for New Year's
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Day and on to tell us all about their program
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: and what they do to teach people to be kind.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Is their chief kind of strategist. Scott Eller's my friend, Scott.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Hi Scott, how are you.
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: Hi, Lisa, Lisa. I'm doing so good and it's.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Already almost time to say it, but happy almost new.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Year, Happy almost new with you too. I know, I
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: can't believe it's almost twenty twenty six. The year just
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: flew by.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: We survived twenty twenty five and now we're ready to
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: appreciate it. Keep doing what you guys do so well.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: This program started by your sweet mom, who I love
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: so much, who's been on the show many times, Your mom,
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: Laurie Millguard and our Boys and Girls Club of Western
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Gabriel Valley in east Side, our ceo there, Jr. Zubac,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: the two of them together over five years ago kind
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: of brainstormed this crazy thing called kindness, but made it
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: an actual program. They gave it a curriculum and the way,
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: when I first heard about this from our good friend
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: Curtis there at the club, I was like, wait, you're
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: teaching kindness? How does this all work? And now we're
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: five years later and it's become such a movement and
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: the kids have embraced this, and you're wanting to take
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: this to more and more boys and Girls clubs and
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: schools and just people in general. We have Kindness Hall
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: of Famers, We've got mentors. So it's just spreading, spreading,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: spreading and asking people to commit to being kind is
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: a beautiful thing. So let's go back to five years
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: ago when your mom and jar started this whole thing.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: We're like, wait, it's so simple, but wow, we're going
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: to actually teach kids and young people and everybody's best
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: can to be kind this is our new program. We
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: get to teach people the importance of being kind.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Well, first of all, I want to say, you know,
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: we're so grateful to have our fearless kind leaders in
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: Lauri and Jr. They have been the visionaries for this
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: whole thing, and it's been so wonderful and to watch
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: it evolve of these past five years really is truly special.
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: And to know that back in twenty twenty is I
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: think most of your listeners and all of us, you know,
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: as a community can can probably attest to, is that
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: there was a lot of negativity in the world, and
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: you know, a lot of civil unrest and there were
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: some lockdowns and COVID was happening, and just a whole
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: bunch of negative stuff going on. So Lauri and Jr.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: They were they lived close to each other and they
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: would go on weekly walks and like most people on
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: their walks, they would just talk about the current state
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: of the world, and they, you know, we're like, man,
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: there's just so many negative things going on, and you know,
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: what can we do for our kids at the Western
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: Gabriel Valley Boys and Girls Club to kind of give
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: them a positive outlet or like just something to look like,
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: look forward to rather than all this negative like negative
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: energy or just just negative things that are going on.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: And they, you know, they Laurie kind of just said
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: in passing and you know what, kindness is free? Can
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: can we do something around kindness? Can we you know,
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: do some kindness programming for the kids. And immediately, I,
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: you know, Jr's wheels start turning like they do, and
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: he implemented this program Kindness is free, which I think
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: is actually at the very beginning, we call that kindness
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: maybe kindness matters, kind of matters what the original name was.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: And they we were basically once a week we were
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: having a program for our kiddos at the club where
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: we would let them kind of come in and we'd
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: teach them the importance of being kind of themselves and
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: kind of each other, and you know, just simple things
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: please and thank you, holding the door open for someone,
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: writing a little note, acknowledging someone when they do something nice,
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: or helping someone out when they're in need. And you know,
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: it really kind of caught fire in our club, and
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: you know, the kids really rallied around it. Our s Skyrock.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: The kids were really curious and interested and they really
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: wanted to learn more about this kindness program, and that's
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: when the community of LA kind of took notice of
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: it because we've expanded and we're obviously in Monterey Park,
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: and that community really rallied around it because we were
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: hosting events where our kindness we call them kind of
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: ambassador's kids in our program. And when they started, you know,
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: doing volunteer things in the park right across the street,
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: and the cuty started getting getting kind of getting notice
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: of this, and it grew, and so it spread to
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: the local clubs in the area, and then we actually
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: were fortunate enough to have i think the Wall Street
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: Journal came out to do an article on something else
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  Speaker 2: that was going on in our club, and they were
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: actually like, wait, what's this kindness is free thing? What's
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: what's this all about? Yeah, And so when that article
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: was written and then published in the in the Wall
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: Street Journal, that's when the program really kind of took
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: off and we kind of became more of a kind
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: of known for it exactly. Yeah. So then you know,
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: we started getting some calls from clubs in Malibu and
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Aux Nart and you know, we're getting calls in a
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: greater Los Angeles area. And it's just kind of every
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: year now, over the past five years has kind of
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: grown and we even have a couple of kindness clubs.
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: We have one in Connecticut, we have one in we
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: have one in Florida, we have one in Lake Tahoe,
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: we have one in Arizona, and in Texas. North Carolina
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: our newest ones in North Carolina is exciting. It's crazy
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: how how this is just a conversation that's now evolved
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: into clubs across the country.
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: But what a beautiful thing to focus on. What a
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: beautiful thing to focus on being kind and kind of
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: giving kids because we don't know what's happening at kids
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: homes these days, we don't know what's happening in their home.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: But what a beautiful thing to focus on and like
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: what I know from your kids because you know, also, look,
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: we spread this on TV, we spread on radio, and
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: we spread word of mouth. And the more we grow
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: our network of kindness right kind of kind of ambassadors
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: and people exercising the the art of being kind and
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: just on a day to day basis and committing to
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: being kind because I know we're gonna do the pledge
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: a little bit, pledging to be kind is key, but
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: just what a beautiful thing to focus on, not knowing
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: what's going on at a kid's home or at school
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: or in the world. It's a beautiful and very important
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: thing to focus on and to embrace and to exercise.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: To choose to be kind and spread that every day
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: is key.
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, you know, I think I don't think I
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: know this when we teach our kids that kindness really
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: has a ripple effect and when you are kind of someone,
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: it inspires them to be kind of someone else, and
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: then someone else and someone else and so on and
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: so on, and you you really it's we like to
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: call it a superpower because kindness is it's easy to
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: say we'll be kind, but to choose to actively choose
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: to be kind to someone or do an active kindness,
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  Speaker 2: it's a choice. And you're choosing to be kind to
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: someone and then that person, whether they like that person,
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: whether they actively you know, consciously acknowledged acknowledge it or not,
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: they feel better, Like they're like, oh, wow, that person
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: was just kind to me. They know it, We all
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: inherently know it. Yeah, and it makes you feel good.
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: So with someone kind of you, you're like, well, you
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: know what next time that that situation comes up, I'm
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: going to do that for someone else. And then it's
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: just going to create this massive ripple effect. And you know,
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: we just hope that enough people do it and kind
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: of make it part of their daily lives that it
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: just affects a larger change in this not only in
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: Los Angeles but in our country.
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: Kindness is Free dot org is the website for all
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: the information Kindness is Free dot org, which also has
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: the phone number for the Kindness is Free Hotline. That's
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: really great.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, the kind of hot line. You know, it's
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: something that we started really early on. It's something where
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: if you are in need to you want to share
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: something kind that you've done, We're always there to take
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: stories or if you need someone to talk to you,
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: if you need some help around kindness. But there's always
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: there's someone there to talk to you about about kindness
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: and kind of help you through what a situation you
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: might be dealing with.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Also on the website, you can download the Kindness is
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: Free startup Kit, which was developed for teachers, instructors and
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: leaders of student groups to resources about a five session
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: guide on teaching kindness principles to kids. Ages six to ten.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: The curriculum is based on the Kindness Pledge and includes
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: lessons and worksheets on respect, equality and can passion. You
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: can download the free Kindness is Free startup kit now
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: to start teaching and promoting kindness wherever you are. Again
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: it kindness isfree dot org. So if you're listening going, oh,
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: I want this from my school, I want this from
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: my church, I want this from my I mean you
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: can do. You can essentially reach out to you guys
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: and request a kindness pop up event.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's great, great, I'm glad you WoT that of Lisa.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: So we don't want our program. Yes, was born in
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: a boys and girls club, but we like to believe,
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: we believe at Kindness is Free, that we are not
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: bound to the boys and girls clubs. We will go
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: to like you said, your church, your other youth serving
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: organization everywhere YMCA. We'll go to businesses, We'll go to
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: you know, we were in the talks about going to
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: a news station to pledge a news station to become
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: an official Kindness news station. So like we will literally
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: go anywhere because we really do believe in just you know,
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: inspiring people to take the pledge join our program and
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: become an official Kindness whatever you know, organization or business
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: you might be. We want you to join us.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: And Scott with the Boys and Girls Club of wes
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: Sanga Ravelli and east Side. Kindness is free program. What
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: happens at these Kindnesses Free pop up events?
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, So at these pop up events we'll come to
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: your business. We have a little sprinter van that we
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: have taken literally all over the country, and we have
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: all of our stuff. We have a tent, we'll have
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: our pledge cards. So we'll come obviously and speak to
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: your organization or business or school or church, and we'll
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: talk to your population and say, you know why it's
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: important to be kind and why you know what we're
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: doing is important hopefully inspire some people to lead with
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: kindness in their lives. And then we'll pledge everybody and
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: we'll have them take our Highness Pledge, which Lisa you
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: mentioned earlier. We will take in a little bit yeah yeah,
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: and then we give them a pledge cards and you
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: know we have we have other things like you know,
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: we'll give away those stickers little reminders. But I want
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: I want to make sure that your listeners know that
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: you know, there isn't a kind of a one size
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: fits all we we we will adapt to whatever needs
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: that your organization is. Like, it's like, oh, you know,
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: we only have time for you guys at our lunch time,
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: Like we'll come for the lunch and do a little
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: pop up there. Or if you guys have an assembly
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: or you guys want to do a whole event around,
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: kindness will come and dedicate the day to be there
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: and and do whatever works best for your organization.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: And it doesn't cost anything. It's all free, right.
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: It costs nothing. No, no, we'll come right out. And
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: because why kindness is.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: Free, Because kindness is free, and the kindness is free.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: Pop up events are free. So that's a beautiful thing
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: to see. Spreading kindness doesn't cost a darn thing. And
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: these folks will come to your your work, your church group,
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: whatever group you want to get and have this be
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: an emphasis kids you know, or your neighborhood, whomever where
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: you feel needs this messaging. They are a phone call
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: away or just a super easy email via their website
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: Kindnesssfree dot org. And then I know, so this Thursday
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: almost Happy New Year, and it's the third year the
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: boys and Girls Club of Westinghopa Valley and East Side
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: and the Kindness's Free Float will be in the world
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: famous Rose Parade on New Year's Day. So exciting. I
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: was so grateful to be part of it last year.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: Just what a awe moment to be on that and
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: such a huge stage to display the importance of kindness.
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: So Scott talked about, Oh yeah, you and I were
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: sitting on the float together. We were right next to
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: each other.
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: We're our first times on that float.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: It was exciting and let me just tell you, waving
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: for two and a half hours that is an arm workout.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: But it was so worth it to see so many
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: sweet people and to have the kids walk alongside and
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: be out there together, and to see people reacting to
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: our float. Kindness is free. And then we've got our
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: little cheerleaders out there. Kindness is what free. We're cheering,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: we're chanting, we're spreading kindness literally to millions of people, millions,
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: So we get thousands and thousands out there in person
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: at the Rose Parade and on TV and all the
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: coverage again radio, TV. It just spreading the message making
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: even bigger and bigger. Talk about the theme of this
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: year's float. How we're going to show visibly show that
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: kindness is Free on our Boys and Girls Club Kindness
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: is Free Rose Parade float this year.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, So, first of all, I want to say
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: thank you so much for you know, taking part in
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: our float last year. We were so fortunate and very
• 12:36
  Speaker 2: grateful to have you along with us as one of
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: our Kindness Hall of Famers, which I'm sure we can
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: talk about in a little bit. But the float this year,
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: so this is our thirty year again, Like you know,
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: we're very fortunate to have a float and it's generously
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: provided by the Skylight Foundation. We're very fortunate to have
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: them as a as a donor to help us cover
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: the costs floats sure cover the cause. Yeah exactly, We're
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: We're very grateful for them. But the float. So every year,
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: for those who may not know, the Rose Parade has
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: a theme, the whole parade has a theme. And this
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: year the theme is the Magic of Teamwork or magic
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: in teamwork. And this year our float, which we have
• 13:14
  Speaker 2: on our website, so I think you are our Instagram
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: which is at Kindness is Free Org. You can go
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: on and see our float. It's it is a play
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: on the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf,
• 13:25
  Speaker 2: the Children's Child, the Children's Tale, and this instance, what
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: we did is we made it the three Little Pigs
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: and the Big kind Wolf, because you'll see on our
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: float if you get a look at the picture of it,
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: it's the three little pigs that are and the big
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: bubble for helping to build a home. So they're working
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: together to build a home and are the theme of
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: our of our floats called building Kinder Communities because you know,
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: we want to build kind of communities in general. That's
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: what we've been doing. But I think also this year
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: is specifically for Los Angeles. You know, we were all
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: very affected by the Altadena eaten and fires. Yeah, so
• 14:03
  Speaker 2: we you know, we want to honor the people that
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: were affected in that and we want to show that,
• 14:10
  Speaker 2: you know, there's magic and teamwork and we can all
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: build kind of communities together. And so I think we
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: did a really good job. And as or Artistic Entertainment Services,
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: the company that builds the flow that they did a
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: wonderful job kind of coming up with the concept that
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: that we had and putting it on paper and putting
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: it design. So it's it's we're really excited about it
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: and like I said, very honored and fortunate and grateful
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: to be in it for a third year in a row.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: Do we know which which number we are so when
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: people are watching on TV the Rose Pardue last year
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: we were third or fourth, so we were pretty early.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: So yeah, don't don't blink and miss us. But definitely
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: do we know? We know. I want to make sure
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: people are looking out for the Boys and Girls Club
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: and the kindness is free float in the prey on
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: Thursday morning. Do we know the position yet?
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so I we don't. Last year we had a
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: we had a source within the oh got it that
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: was able to give us kind of a little insider information,
• 15:05
  Speaker 2: not to get us to the front of get us
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: that spot, but they reveal that they told what the
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: number was. We knew going in what number we would
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: beat right before we showed up. But that person's the
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: one worth the organizations though we don't know, so it's
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: a big surprise.
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: Fine, fine, we'll have to watch the whole Rose Parade
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: look it for our float now an honored, an honored
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: annual tradition for sure to watch the whole thing and
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: to finally go Last year was just the highlight of
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: my life to be a part of it, to go
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: to help decorate the float, to be out there waving
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: people in person, and to see all the people in
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: the stands who like camp out overnight just to be
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: there to witness it, and they love it and they stay,
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: you know, afterwards and visit the float just to smell
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: and see all the beautiful flowers and all the hard
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: work that goes into every single Rose Parade float. So
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: definitely be looking for the three Little Pigs and the
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: big kind of ull for this year's Boys and Girls
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: Club Western Gabol Valley and east Side. Kindness is free
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: float in the parade this coming Thursday, and we also
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: once again have some special Hall of Famer guests that'll
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: be on the float.
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: Yes, so this is our second annual Hall of Fame event,
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: which Lisa, you were part of the inaugural class, where
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: we take anywhere from five to ten professionals across all
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: sorts of different professions like education, arts, entertainment, nonprofit fashion,
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: even music, and we want to recognize them for their
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: work in around kindness. They do kind things, and we
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: thought it'd be really great for us because you know,
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: we are you serving organization, and we serve primarily kids,
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: but we want to recognize the leaders in professions that
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: are really doing things around kindness, and you know, we
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: want to give examples to our up and coming kindness
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: under Leader Kindness Ambassadors to kind of be like, hey,
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: look at these people who are you know, accomplished and
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: they're in their professional lives and they're still leading with
• 16:54
  Speaker 2: kindness and look at where it's taking them, you know,
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: and so we wanted to have an event where we
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: could you know, recognize those professionals. So anyway, we had
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: that event in November on World Kindness Day and it
• 17:06
  Speaker 2: was wonderful. Again, we offer all of our Hall of
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: famers a spot on to ride on the Kindness is
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: Free Float. So this year we actually have I think
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: three or four. We have the cad California necativement to Caslon,
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: he's the president, Ken Scarborough. We have the Alhambra Superintendent
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: Denise Harmelo, and the podcast Aoka Robert, Peter Paul, and
• 17:32
  Speaker 2: miss Eden Albert four confirmed and we love Eden, so
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: we're so happy she was yeah there for us and
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: so she'll be on the flow.
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: Our very good friend Eden Albert is now an official
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Kindness is free Hall of Famer and this woman displays
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: kindness every single moment of every day. I've been friends
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: with her for over twenty five years. She's why I
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: know these wonderful people in this chapter of the Boys
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: and Girls Club West and Gabo Valley and East Side.
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: And she leads with love, she leads with kindness, and
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: she's a perfect person that you'll see waving on the
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: side of the Kindness's Free Float in the Rose Parade
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: this coming Thursday. So all of the ambassadors, all the
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: kids out there, you know, cheering for kindness, waving and
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: spraying that love and spraying that kindness and the messaging
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: of kindness super super important. Always ways to find out more,
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: get involved, and you know what, you guys are also
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: always looking for volunteers at the club as well, too, right,
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's a kind thing to do and be
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: around these these kids. I mean, gosh, these kids have
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: gotten nicer since they've been with your club. Not that
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: I ever, you know, met them when they were not nice.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: I'm just saying, every time I do any event with
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: the Boys and Girls Clubs, gosh, these kids are just
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: a bunch of sweethearts. They're just such good kids, and
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: what you do with all of your programs essentially offers
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: them not only just a whole other family outside of
• 18:49
  Speaker 1: their family and outside of the school, but offers them
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: this whole other support system and helping to shape them
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: into being great people. I mean, sure you help them
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: with their homework, but you know you're after school program,
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: your sports programs, your programs involving giving back and of
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: course kindness. You know, again not knowing what these kids
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: are going through at home or what they're going through
• 19:08
  Speaker 1: at school, but to have the boys and Girls Club
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: family and to have this kindness as free initiative, as
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: just positive, positive, positive and so formative for the years
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: and years to come, it helps shape them to be
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: good people. And that's what we need more of.
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Yeah, Like, just to
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: go back to the beginning, you know, we are very
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: we love volunteers and we love to partner with organizations.
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: If if if you think of something that can be
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: around kindness please you know, has to reach out like
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: a like Lisa mentioned, you can find up on a
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: website at Kindness is Free dot org or if you
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: go to our instagram at kindness is free org. There's
• 19:44
  Speaker 2: a link tree at the top and it has all
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: the things you can pledge. You can voluntar, you can volunteer,
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: you can sign up for the curriculum which we have,
• 19:52
  Speaker 2: you can you can do all the things. It's all
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: your one stop shop right down the website. And then
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: one thing else I want to touch on is about
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: the kids being kinder or you know, I think this program,
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: I really do believe that the kids that go through
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: our program, especially our teams, they really take ownership of
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: this and they really run with it and they make
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: the program that they make it the program, you know,
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: what they want out of it. And so by that,
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: by them being willing to say yes to us to
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: go volunteer or go help with us support an event,
• 20:23
  Speaker 2: we give them the opportunity. And you know, we have
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: a hard time finding enough things because these kids are
• 20:28
  Speaker 2: always willing to volunteer. And so to watch these kids
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: say yes to things and feel the power of kindness
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: and volunteering and helping out and leading you know, whatever
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: event that we might be we might we might have
• 20:39
  Speaker 2: for them is really inspiring. So I really love that
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: aspect of the program. And yeah, I just you know,
• 20:47
  Speaker 2: I hope whoever's listening out there and maybe wants to
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: sign up or learn more about the program because their
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: kids could also be like our ambassadors. I would just
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: really encourage you guys to reach out and we'd love
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: to hear from you.
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: Absolutely, absolutely, it's a beautiful thing to be a part of.
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: Kindness is Free, the Kindness is Free program with the
• 21:04
  Speaker 1: Boys and Girls Club and against spreading and spreading and
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: spreading more clubs, more schools, more churches, more neighborhoods, more people,
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: people in general, all of us. More more, the more,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: more people that practice kindness on a daily basis. You know,
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: we're gonna you know, watching the news, watching the news
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: stuff on the news every day can be really tough,
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: and I feel like I I cry every day the
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: bad things happening in the world. But kindness really makes
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: you feel good again. And kindness is healing, and kindness
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: is powerful when you when you use it and exercise
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: it and do it for all the right reasons. So
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: the power of kindness is super important, and that's the
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: focus of this program, the Kindness is Free Program, And
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: we just wanted to get out to more and more
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: people focus on kindness and spraying that love, showing that love.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: And on that note, Scott, we got to do we
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: got to take the kindness pledge. Are you ready?
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: Okay? I've been waiting. I've been reading patiently. Okay, all right.
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: So for those of you listening at home or wherever
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: you may be listening, i'd ask you to kindly please
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: raise your right hand and repeat after me. So it's
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: all just trust that you're doing it.
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: I plage to show respect to others.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: I pledge to show respect to others.
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: I pledge to treat others. I pledge to treat others
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: how I wish to be treated.
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: How I wish to be treated.
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: I pledge to be compassionate.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: I pledged to be compassionate.
• 22:24
  Speaker 2: This last one's really important. I pleased to do at
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: least one kind act to day.
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: I pledge to do at least at least one kind
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: act a day or more. You're not gonna get penalized
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: to do more. So yes, yay, we did it very good.
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: That's the kindest pledge. That's also what they pass out
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: we did at every event that we do together. It's
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: very powerful to do it in large groups, especially with
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: like five hundred six hundred kids. We've done that before.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: It's very empowering and the kids just love it, don't
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: you love like you we talked about earlier, just the
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: kid's reaction to this promise to be kind. It gets
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: some excite and that touches my heart like so much, you.
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: Know, I love like you just mentioned. We have done
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: events that there's been you know, five hundred and six
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: hundred kids that have done it, and we like to
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: do it in the bigger, bigger, larger, you know, it's
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: a whole let's say elementary school. We may all do
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: it together because there's a little bit of an accountability
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: factor when everyone takes it together. It has been if
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: something goes on at school or something that maybe someone's
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: not being kind, you know, a kid can remind another kid, Hey,
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: you know we took the kindest pledge, you know what
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: I mean?
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: You remember you did it, you promise, Yeah.
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: I was there exactly so and and you know, we've
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: we've had schools get back to us and say they've
• 23:37
  Speaker 2: seen a noticeable behavioral switch. So we you know, we
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: we've heard a lot of positive feedback from schools, from
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: you know, from even just taking the baseline up taking
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: the pledge because the kids, you know, no one goes
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: up and wants no one is young and wants to
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: be mean. You know, we all like, we all want
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: to be kind, So, you know, just reminding each other
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: constantly and and and kind of rooting for each other
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: to be kind, I think it really helps inspire these
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: young ones to continue being kind.
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I love it. I love being a part of this,
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: this group and this family. I feel like it's a
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: big kindness family, you know. And again, the more we
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: keep on spreading that messaging and get out to more
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: and more people, just to focus on being kind, remembering
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: to be kind and focusing on being kind and practicing
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: your kindness on the on the daily is super important.
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: And I do feel like it's you're going to feel better.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: And maybe you don't always get it back right away.
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: It's not necessarily about getting it back, but exercising it
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: just feels good. Being kind feels good and so and
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: then if you see it and other people doing it,
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: that's another beautiful thing. So again, we'd love for you
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: to join us, join us and be a part of it.
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: Exercise your kindness, take the Kindness Pledge, volunteer, be a
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: part of what we're doing. Spread the message, request to
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: pop up. But kindness is free. Pop up all the
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: information and of course you know if you reach out
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: to Scott Scott and Hot Sway and all my pals
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: over there Jr. Of course, your sweet mom Lori, of
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: course our Palatee Curtis, everyone over there at the Boys
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: and Girls Club West and Gabriel Valley east side of
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: Monterey Park, and the folks behind this Kindness is Free
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: program just wonderful people with hearts of gold. And so
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: thank you for all that you guys do on the
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: daily for these kids and this messaging. We appreciate you.
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: I appreciate you, and thank you for you know, trying
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: trying to make the world a better place so that
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: the goal is right, I mean right. This Kindness is
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: Free movement is a reminder that kindness is free. This
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: costs nothing to these kids and anyone listening and anyone
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: who wants to be a part of this movement. Small
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: acts of kindness matter pop on the website, become a
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: part of our events. In twenty twenty six. In the past,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: I've helped to host kindness carnivals free to all the kids.
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: Kindness carnivals. We have a kindness summit, hundreds of kids
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: coming together to focus on this exact issue. We've done talks,
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: we've done workshops. Of course, taken the pledge right, don't forget.
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: You're gonna pledge to show respect to others, Pledge to
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: treat others as you wish to be treated, Pledged to
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: be compassionate, and pledged to do one act of kindness
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: every day. Come on, I know you can do it.
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: Take the pledge with us over and over and over again.
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: You can never take that pledge too many times. You
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: can never pledge to be kind too many times. So
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: it's a good thing.
• 26:16
  Speaker 2: Oh sorry, I just want to say I just really
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: appreciate you always amplifying our message. You know, we're real.
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: Like I said, we're truly grateful to not only have
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: you in our Hall of Fame, but you know, on
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: our team, part of our family, and we're very grateful.
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: So thank you much loved you guys, and again, early
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: happy New Year. We'll look for you in the big.
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: Kindness is Free Rose Parade float this coming Thursday on your'sday,
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: so exciting and all the information Kindness is Free dot
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: org for more kindness is free dot org. And thank
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: you to you Scott Eller's. They're a chief kindness strategists
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: Boys and Girls Club West and Gimble Valley and east Side.
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: Thank you, Scott, appreciate you. Happy New Year, Thank you
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: so much.
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: Happy near Lisa, and hey.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: Real quick as we wrap up twenty twenty five, this
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: show is available to you. If you are making the
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: world a better place, you're working with a nonprofit or
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: a charitable organization, you have a cause that's making this
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: world better, Please reach out to me directly and maybe
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: we can feature you on the show in twenty twenty six.
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: We need more good news. We need more good things
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: to think about and focus on and strive for and
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: pitch in. Help be a part of it, right, shoot
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: me an email. What good stuff are you up to?
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: We want to know about it right Email me directly
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: Lisa Fox at iHeartMedia dot com, La Sa Foxx at
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: iHeartMedia dot com, or find me on the Graham Instagram
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: at dj Lisa Fox. And also if you missed any
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: of our shows this year, they're all up on a podcast.
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: Like the folks from the La Strong Foundation helping to
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: support fire survivors Easter Seals who are helping to empower
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: folks with disabilities. Donors Choose who raise money for school teachers,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: supplies and projects. Kasa OC who are working hard to
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: help improve the lives of abuse and neglected foster kids.
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: Happy Tat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles who are also
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: working hard to help fire survivors build back that and
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: so many more. Dulo googling and check out all the
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: podcast episodes of The Iheartso Coal Show and thanks for listening.