September Winner

Dori Maxon is the heart and soul behind SNAPKIDS (a special needs aquatic program). A nonprofit organization based at the Berkeley YMCA. Her Tireless Dedication to creating an inclusive and joyful environment for children with special needs is nothing short of (full story on Kindness stories)

September Finalist

Jackie Perry

September Finalist

Binh Le

Chris Kindness Award

Our mission is to encourage kindness by shining a light on the people in our community whose selfless acts, large and small, make our lives a little brighter.

Share It
Tell us about someone who inspires you – we want to share their kindness with the world! Nominate them for the Chris Kindness Award in recognition of all they do to make Berkeley (and the world) a better place, one random act of kindness at a time.

Nominate Someone

Grow It
No act of kindness is too small – everyday acts can have ripple effects that are just as impactful as huge acts of kindness. We believe kindness can change the world around us and we hope to inspire you to spread it throughout Berkeley and beyond!

Volunteer

Pass It On
New research shows small gestures matter more than we think. We tend to under-estimate the power of a single act of kindness in our daily lives. The Chris Kindness Award was established to inspire you to practice kindness and to recognize it in others.

Make a donation

KNOW SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED FOR KINDNESS? WE ARE AWARDING $1000 EACH MONTH FOR ACTS OF KINDNESS PERFORMED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK OR GO TO SCHOOL IN BERKELEY, CA

Who is Chris?

The Chris Kindness Award was created in 2022 by Professor Alan Ross in honor of Chris Walton, an early childhood educator who believed in the power of kindness and practiced it every day. Professor Ross, a lecturer and distinguished teaching fellow at UC Berkeley, was a benefactor of that kindness; Alan’s children, Haley and Danny, attended Chris’ classes. When Alan wasn’t in his lecture hall at Cal, he enjoyed volunteering in Chris’ joyful class. Upon Chris’ passing, Alan began thinking about ways to inspire kindness in Chris’ name. Hence, the Chris Kindness Award.

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