Onslow County becomes a patchwork of farms a few miles northwest of Jacksonville. It was a beautiful drive to Richlands, to visit the 4 schools in this small town. Three days after an article was written about One Million Acts Of Kindness in the Jacksonville Daily News, several people at the schools mentioned seeing it in the newspaper. The Kindness Bus is becoming a familiar sight in this county. The interest from that article created quite a positive stir all throughout the region.
One of my mid-day stops was at Saint Anne’s Day School on the westside of Jacksonville. Director Pam Banta was outside with a class on a project, everyone did a double-take as The Kindness Bus made its way past them. Pam had most every class come outside to get a mini tour of our “good surprise” visit to her school. One of her teachers even commented that she had seen us in New York City this summer.
We visited a total of 8 schools in various locations throughout the county today. The popularity of The Kindness Bus Tour has clearly increased as the week progressed, mainly I believe, due to the kind people who understand our mission and help spread the word.
As I brought another day to a close, two young workers from a local restaurant stopped by to talk. Ethan, a young man who I had met a few days earlier, brought a very interested young woman named Ashley with him. It was a pleasant way to bring an end to the day. We talked about many wonderful things they could do with their lives. Somehow, I know they will.