Hoping to spread some kindness to this near-west side area of Cleveland was the reason for my visit to this church festival. At last year’s festival, news reached me of a teenager who was beaten and stomped by 20 other teenagers just for the thrill of doing so.
I called Father Mike, the Pastor of this church, and after hearing of my mission, he told me to please bring The Kindness Bus and he would find room for it somewhere on site. When I arrived, he approved parking The Kindness Bus at the front and center of the festival. The reaction to my being at the festival was met with thank yous from nearly everyone I spoke with. Kindness will prevail.
I then headed downtown, to a few of the Saturday night hot spots and then to Little Italy. The response was overwhelming to the “Cleveland, The City of Kindness” campaign, as not one single person, all day long, disagreed with it. I also have begun to ask people being surveyed if they know what the current motto of Cleveland is, no one has guessed correctly.