Taking time to meet us at the Athens County Children Services offices, Executive Director, Andrea 
Reik, Public Relations Director, Sherri Oliver and Deputy Director of Finance, W. Otis Crockron Jr. helped me to better understand the needs of so many in their community. The services provided by this agency are many, among them are; feeding the hungry, helping to overcome illiteracy, finding homes for children in foster care, training to help oneself and teaching parents how to be better role models. Two of the projects created by this agency I was impressed with are The Garden Project and Kidsfest. Both of these projects raise awareness and teaching visitors to the center about healthy life choices. The Garden Project donates produce to local groups throughout the growing season.
This agency deals with many of the everyday issues with children and family needs. It also addresses abuse and violence issues, which seem to happen far to often. I asked Andrea if she could tell me one of the successes of her agency and what gives her hope in her day to day dealing with all of the issues she has to face. Andrea showed me a picture of a young couple who adopted 5 siblings who were in her foster care; that is what brings her hope and makes it all worthwhile.
Today the weather was perfect for riding and I decided to “bank” 25 miles for future rides. We head for Chillicothe, Ohio tomorrow. Here’s to cool weather, as we head into the 2 hottest months of the year!
Please help us spread our message of a Goal of Kindness to schoolchildren across the country. Your donations are crucial to making this a reality.
Mail donations to:
One Million Acts Of Kindness
PO Box 770054
Lakewood, OH 44107
You can also donate through PayPal:
Bogart is my travel companion on The Kindness Bus Tour for the next ten years. We will be on the road traveling to campuses across the country. Bogart is a eight year old Boston Terrier. He is a great people dog... he loves meeting new people. I am Bogart's fourth owner in his short 8 years of life... Not because of him but because his three previous owner's lifestyles changed after they took him in... Lucky for me!! Bogart is the luckiest, most spoiled dog on the face of the earth. He loves the bus and he loves to travel. Please come and visit him when we are on your campus.
The Blue Bird Corporation donated this amazing bus to One Million Acts of Kindness, allowing us the continue this initiative. It has been painted to closely resemble the original Kindness Bus. It will last well beyond the ten years of this mission. A very big thank you to Blue Bird from Bob Votruba and Bogart too!!
The original Kindness bus has been donated to a professor at Virginia Tech who will use it on campus and at schools in the Blacksburg area. The Kindness Bus will continue to inspire and comfort residents, students and visitors in that area for years to come.
One Million Acts Of Kindness is a goal. A goal for each person to individually perform One Million Acts Of Kindness in their life. Can you imagine a greater goal for one's life? It is a constant mind-set of kindness every day of your life for the next fifty-five years. Doing for others and kindness in your heart for everyone. It is my wish that you will dedicate your life to a charity... finding the passion in your heart for something or someone in need.
As a father of three college age kids I am concerned for the world in which all kids will live. A great way to create a safer, more caring world is for everyone to start their lifetime goal of One Million Acts Of Kindness. So I bought a bus, had about sixty family members, friends and neighbors help paint it and began a ten year journey with my Boston Terrier, Bogart, to college campuses across the country hoping to convince as many of you as possible about this much needed movement for this world. I love you guys too much to sit back and not do anything about this. Let's start a kindness movement in this country today to change the direction this world is headed!! You are the change that this world needs.