One Kind Act
Changing the World with the Kindness Club at Jackson Heights Elementary School…
For a local example of kindness being contagious, one need look no further than the Kindness Club at Jackson Heights Elementary School in Red Bluff. There, a group of students and their advisor, school counselor Kelli McNail, are dropping kindnesses throughout the community and drawing people into their movement.
It started when McNail began taking her young daughters Kenzie, 9, and Karlie, 7, to volunteer at the Tehama County Animal Care Center. They would play with and walk the dogs, giving them exercise and socialization that the dogs desperately needed. Kenzie was nervous at first, but has since become comfortable with dogs. Karlie cemented her passion for the animals, so much so that she decided to host her birthday party at the shelter.
What was expected to be a small party of 10 guests blossomed into a crowd of 50 people interacting with the dogs and bringing presents for the shelter. “The best part about it is that more people are now volunteering at the animal shelter,” says McNail. “It’s just kind of snowballed.”
Not long after, two third-grade girls, Juniper Woodruff and Teagan Dixon, approached her and the principal about starting a kindness club. The girls had an outline of ideas and justification for their cause. McNail signed on as their advisor, with her daughters joining in. Twenty-one students have now signed up and unanimously voted to continue supporting shelter dogs, while engaging in other kindnesses such as caroling at an assisted living facility over the holidays and spreading kindness notes throughout the school, as well as a schoolwide campus clean-up. “They have so many great ideas,” says McNail. “It gives them a sense of purpose and sense of belonging.”
A popular and very successful endeavor of the group has been to draw pictures of shelter dogs and create posters of them. The students describe the personalities of the dogs and then hang the posters in businesses around town. So far, the posters have been responsible for four dogs being adopted from the shelter. “The community’s been very supportive in allowing us to hang up the pictures,” says McNail. “It’s been nice to have that support.”
“We do some things to cheer up the town,” says Kenzie. “It’s like helping the school and the community. Being kind means you help people. You understand what others are going through. You treat people the way you want to be treated.”
The kindness is often returned in unexpected ways. For Kenzie, her volunteer work with dogs has helped her overcome her fear of them. “When I started I was scared of dogs,” she says. “My first dog was Cher and I really loved her. She had a great personality. She made me realize I could be with dogs and they’re not going to hurt me.”
While Karlie took to the dogs immediately, she’s been able to see her advocacy for them take off. The sheer number of people attending her shelter birthday party came as a great surprise. Her example has inspired further action. “It just feels so good to be with the dogs,” she says. “To just take them out for a walk and get them exercise because they don’t get that too often.”
The entire endeavor is a full circle moment for Kelli, who grew up in Red Bluff and attended Jackson Heights as a child. As the school counselor and advisor of the club, she’s happy to lead by example. “All it takes is one kind act that leads to another kind act. It can spread across the community. Everyone deserves kindness and grace,” she says.
And every dog deserves some love and attention. With all of the love the McNails have for shelter dogs, they don’t have their own at home. The family understands the responsibility of dog ownership and is working their way into adopting a dog for their household. “We are looking forward to getting one in the future,” says Kelli. “It’s (volunteering) given us a better idea. It’s a lot of work.”
While it’s a lot of work, Karlie is convinced it’s important for people to consider. “You can help a dog that’s scared and doesn’t know what to do,” she says. “Right now they’re sleeping on a cold cement floor when they could be sleeping in a warm house for the rest of their life.”
As Kenzie sums it up, “If we spread kindness, then it keeps spreading and spreading and this world will be a better place.” •
