FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Esterlee A. Molyneux, M.S.
Executive Director O: (435) 752-8880
esterlee@TheFamilyPlaceUtah.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE FAMILY PLACE – BE KIND UTAH CAMPAIGN
1525 North 200 West, Logan, UT
– May 7 – June 16, 2019 –
(LOGAN, UT)—The Family Place invites residents in Utah to participate in their Be Kind
Utah campaign to increase and build an awareness of acts of kindness throughout the state. Be
Kind Utah seeks “1 million ways in 40 days,” and they are asking the community to help them achieve
1 million acts of kindness during the dates of May 7 to June 16, 2019 in conjunction with Utah
Family Month.
The purpose of the campaign is to:
• Build connections between people
• Increase compassion in Utah’s communities
• Support Utah’s efforts to become a trauma-informed state by bolstering emotional resilience
• Strengthen community bonds by developing, empathy, respect and humanity among community
members
• Provide community members with support by providing information about community resources
“We already live in such a caring community,” said Esterlee Molyneux, the Executive Director of
The Family Place, “and we are excited to recognize Utah residents making an increased effort to
perform acts of kindness to achieve one million ways in forty days. We recently learned of a family
in our community whose loved one had attempted suicide. Overwhelmed and in shock, they went to
breakfast to decompress and try and figure out their next steps. Their waitress approached
them and told them someone had paid for their meal. The person that performed that act of
kindness had no idea what that family was going through, but it brought light to them in one of
their most challenging moments. With tears in their eyes they explained the power of the light
anonymously shared with them during a very dark time. We never know what a person has gone
through. We are advocating that our initial responses are empathy, compassion and kindness.
That’s what we are hoping to achieve.”
Community members can report their acts of kindness by sharing them on social media platforms with
the hashtag
#BeKindUT2019 and tagging The Family Place Utah. They can also visit The Family Place to write acts
of kindness on paper hearts which will be displayed at each of their locations. Schools and
businesses have committed to have filling our hearts and displaying them in their respective
spaces. Examples of acts of kindness may include giving someone a compliment, helping others with
chores, picking up trash, holding the door open for someone, or leaving a generous tip.
“It includes any act that shows gratitude or consideration for others,” said Molyneux.
“We’re hoping that this kindness movement will start in families’ homes and then work its way into
the broader community. Kindness builds connections. Connections build resilience.”
The Family Place will hold a press conference on May 1, 2019 at 1:15 p.m. at The Family Place’s
Logan Center, 1525 N 200 West, Logan, Utah, to share more details about Be Kind Utah. The public is
invited and encouraged to attend.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we can work together to record one million acts of kindness. We
invite and encourage everyone to participate -- children, parents, families, youth groups. We hope
people will really support this movement and get creative in how they can increase kindness and
resiliency in our state.”
The Family Place, is a non-profit family support center in northern Utah with locations in Logan,
Hyrum, and Smithfield, Utah. The integral services offered by The Family Place include
the Starfish Children’s Shelter, emergency and scheduled child care in their Kid’s
Place, counseling, educational workshops, and trauma interventions. Last year, The Family
Place served over 14,200 individuals. For more information about Be Kind Utah and The
Family Place, please contact The Family Place at (435)725-8880 or
visit www.TheFamilyPlaceUtah.org.
