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Emerging Leaders Lead With Kindness

Learn more about the 2024 YLNI Bicentennial Kindness Challenge. 

Helping define Allen County, Indiana as the Kindest County in the Country!

Acts of kindess banner

Allen County turned 200 in 2024! To celebrate, YLNI and the Allen County Commissioners launched the 2024 Kindness Challenge.

It was a county-wide initiative to spread kindness. Whether you participated individually or with a school, organization, or business, we achieved our goal of one million acts of kindness in 2024!

We watched Allen County's Kindness Movement SOAR to more than a million acts!

Total Acts in 2024
1,001,400
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Each and every act moved us closer to making Allen County the kindest county in the country. We inspired others, built momentum, and created a lasting bicentennial impact, one kind gesture at a time!

Allen County, Indiana schools, organizations, businesses, and community members were up for the challenge!

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Committing To Kindness

You joined us in embracing kindness and learned how to make a positive impact in our community!

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Acting on Opportunity

You discovered creative and meaningful ways to spread kindness no matter where you were!

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Paying it Forward

You inspired others by sharing your kindness journey and encouraging them to join the movement!

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Reflecting & Sharing

You shared your stories of kindness with us to help inspire more acts of kindness in our community!

A huge thank you to these Allen County schools, organizations, and businesses for taking on the challenge and completing 200 acts of kindness—check them out!
200 Acts of Kindness Participating Orgs Bash

See How Small Acts Made A Big Impact

Elijah pushed in all the chairs his classmates did not push in after Cougar time

- Forest Park Elementary

Ina helped her teacher get paper for the copier

- Forest Park Elementary

Casion helped his teacher get paper for the copier.

- Forest Park Elementary

Amani helped her teacher get paper for the copier

- Forest Park Elementary

Benton helped his teacher get paper for the copier

- Forest Park Elementary

Our CEO encouraged each of us to do 20 Acts of Service: 1. I hugged a coworker and cried with her as she had to put her pet down. 2. I sent a joke about birds to my best friend who loves birds. 3. I offered to give a ride to a friend who didn't have a car. 4. I offered rides to the voting polls for people in my neighborhood. 5. I sent a handwritten thank you note to a volunteer. 6. I practiced gratitude by sending 3 things I am thankful for, to my friends, today. 7. I prayed for peace over my city. 8. I got my Mum her favorite cereal and walnuts to add to it. 9. I volunteered at a fundraiser for Forward Indiana food pantries. 10. I donated food, money and pet food to Forward Indiana. 11. I meditated for 20 minutes this morning to show myself love. 12. I donated tomatoes from my garden to many of my neighbors. 13. I made dinner for several of my food insecure neighbors. 14. I volunteered serving meals to housing insecure folks on Thursdays. 15. I loaned a neighbor a kitchen appliance for his grade school class. 16. I gave the Mail Lady some tomatoes from the garden and told her she could pick them anytime. 17. I volunteered at Fox Island teaching kids about cool rocks. 18. I sent a get well card to a client. 19. I saved seeds form my flower garden, packaged and shared them with friends and neighbors. 20. I hugged (almost) all of my clients today and told them I was glad to see them. :)

- Mandy Waters

I bought lunch for a friend

- Holly Gillum

I didn't kill a spider even though I really wanted to.

- Lois E Ehinger

Held the door for someone

- Holly Gillum

I gave a stranger a band-aid.

- Lois E Ehinger

I went on field trip.

- Holly Gillum

I made breakfast for my partner.

- Lois E Ehinger

Want to learn more?

Interested in learning more about YLNI? Reach out to us today!