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Dennis Vassallo launched a Facebook page to share stories of kindness and urge people to do good deeds. Some say the page, which has attracted 44,000-plus followers, has inspired them to spend more time helping others.
Carlo Allegri / Reuters HOLMDEL, N.J.—A New Jersey father mourning the suicide of his son figured a few dozen family friends might join the page he launched on Facebook, his attempt to share stories of kindness and to urge people to do good deeds without expecting anything in return.
Less than a month later, in mid-February, Dennis Vassallo's "The Kindness Challenge" page had more than 44,000 followers. Dozens of posts each day share stories of kindness, including heartwarming photos, words of thanks to doctors from cancer patients, and motivational messages.
The page has become an oasis amid the pision, rancor and anger online – a big virtual hug.
"Never in a million years would I have expected such a response, but it seems to have people thinking about what we were all taught as kids: to be good to people and help them," said Vassallo, of Holmdel, N.J.
Vassallo created the page to honor what he called his late son Dylan's selflessness and volunteering for charitable causes. Group members have taken his efforts to heart, saying the page has inspired them to give more of their time to helping others. Among them:
Dylan was an altar boy at St. Benedict's Catholic Church of Holmdel and volunteered at organizations including Students Helping Honduras, where participants help build schools, homes and other projects. He served at a local food pantry, at a school for special-needs students and with many groups related to his school. He also was a military buff who was applying to the Naval Academy.
He was 17 when he killed himself in August 2015.
Vassallo notes on the page that its sole purpose is "to share kindness only. Free of charge." Members cannot use it as a political soapbox or to try to sell something, offer services or promote charities. The page is monitored for "trolling," and members are encouraged to report any problematic posts.
"The Kindness Challenge offers a haven of positive space for remembering the best of human nature," said Krystine Batcho, a psychology professor at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. "We hope that engaging in these acts of kindness can be one small step in energizing a revival of the type of world we want to live in."
Group members say the page provides a refuge from the negative political commentary online and other vitriol, while reminding them to focus on life's truly important matters.
"It is such a paradigm shift from all of the dreary political rhetoric and scary news stories," said Amanda Blake, of Kasilof, Alaska. "I feel inspired and alive with hope."
Permission to use this
material was granted by
The Christian Science Monitor
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