WE BELIEVE A LITTLE BIT OF KINDNESS
CAN GO A VERY LONG WAY.
How We Started
Basic Kindness was founded when our founders passion for service and for live music collided. Heather was working in Philadelphia during 2017-2018 school year and frequently drove through the city to visit schools. She keeps hot hands, snacks, and water in her car and found that as she drove through the city each day she was sharing the items with people asking for help. She was shocked by how many people she met each day who asked for help. Throughout that year she also developed a friendship with Andrew, a man she saw each morning as she arrived at her office. They exchanged stories and acts of kindness. Heather frequently attends live music. She noticed that there were frequently people asking for help just outside the venues, yet as people left the concert they almost never even looked at the people asking for help and rarely had anything to share. One night at a show Heather had an idea! If people had something to share when they encountered people asking for help they would stop and speak to the person asking for help. Her hope was that if people shared bags they would stop to talk, and perhaps develop a friendship like she had with Andrew and there would be more people aware of the problem and working to create food and housing security for others. Since starting in 2019 Basic Kindness has facilitated thousands of acts of kindness and shared over 3,000 bags
Our Mission
Basic Kindness creates awareness about food and housing insecurity by providing resources and support for individuals or groups to engage in meaningful and mutually rewarding exchanges through intentional acts of kindness. We are a community of kids and adults who want to bring more kindness into the world one act at a time.
Contact us at heather@Basickindness.org to learn how you can join our community.
What We Do
Basic Kindness Bag Program - Basic Kindness Bags are care packages for people experiencing hunger or homelessness. Each bag contains between two and three dozen items that we consider to be basic necessities. People can take a free basic kindness bag as they leave events or business so that they will have something to share the next time they meet someone asking for help. As our VP of Operations states, "We give away bags at concerts".
Kids Craft Kits - In response to the pandemic Basic Kindness is proving care packages for kids sheltering in place. We are creating care packages with literature, activity books, and crafts to keep children's minds engaged and occupied during this unprecedented time. Contact us to learn how you can help support the Kids Kits.
Nevis Summer Academy -In partnership with Values Into Action, Basic Kindness is planning a summer learning academy in Nevis, West Indies. Students in grade k-6 will be invited to practice literacy skills and engage in summer camp activities in an inclusive classroom. Teachers will co-teach to learn best practices for inclusion instruction and assessment. Nevis is a special place to Basic Kindness. When we host or operate programs in Nevis we will hold separate fundraisers. All donations from the website are used for projects in the Philadelphia region unless otherwise noted.
Who We Are
Founder: Heather Bickely - Heather is an educator with experience in education, business, and nonprofit sectors. Basic Kindness was founded when her passion for helping people and her passion for live music collided. When not building care packages for people experiencing homelessness or attending concerts, you can find her spending time with her family, running, or taking pictures of birds.
Vice President of Operations: Noah Bickley - When not attending eight grade or making care packages for people experiencing homelessness, Noah can be found building his computer, skateboarding with his friends, or playing video games.
Creative Director: Lily Bickley - Lily is a tenth grade student with a passion for horseback riding. Lily is a talented artist and uses her talent to help support Basic Kindness.
