“You are going to go to Holly’s House, aren’t you?” When I heard this said by 3 different people in the 
first couple of hours after arriving in Evansville, I knew I had better “Google” Holly’s House. I immediately called Holly’s House to schedule a visit. With the enthusiasm with which my phone call was met and then receiving an email from Executive Director, Sidney Hardgrave at 6:30 the very next morning, I then knew that Holly’s House was a very special place run by very caring individuals.
Co-founder, Brian Turpin, a Detective with the Evansville Police Department, after graduating from the “Finding Words” program, which teaches professionals how to conduct a successful forensic investigation, thought a place for children and adults to come and talk about what has happened to them was needed in Evansville. Brian took the time out of his very busy schedule, along with Sidney Hardgrave, Jenny Wood, Brenda Wible and Stacia LeGate to give me a tour of this beautiful facility. Board member, Kathy Boyd joined us half-way through the tour. She knows the place down to the last nail as she led a group of over 500 workers who volunteered their time to make this place a reality. The moment they opened the doors, they were “debt free,” Kathy said.
Holly’s House is doing everything to eliminate the shame victims feel when they enter, empowering them to become survivors before they leave. They also house offices for other agencies which help families in several surrounding counties. This is one very special place.
Holly’s House is doing incredible work. Visit their website to learn of all their successes at www.hollyshouse.org
Visit www.hollykdunn.com to learn of the brave survivor for whom this facility is named.
Tomorrow, The Kindness Bicycle/Bus Tour heads north for very special visit to Vincennes, Indiana.
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.