Bens Bells Inc

TO TEACH INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE POSITIVE IMPACTS OF INTENTIONAL KINDNESS.

MERCHANDISING/STUDIO:BEN'S BELLS HAS THREE STUDIO LOCATIONS IN ARIZONA AND ONE IN CONNECTICUT. SINCE 2003, BEN'S BELLS VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING THOUSANDS OF CERAMIC WIND CHIMES IN THE STUDIOS EACH YEAR TO DISTRIBUTE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THE BELLS ARE A SYMBOL OF KINDNESS AND ITS POWER IN HEALING, MEANT TO TOUCH OTHERS LIVES AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A GENTLER PLACE TO LIVE.THE STUDIO LOCATIONS ALSO OPERATE AS STORE FRONTS IN ADDITION TO AN ONLINE WEBSITE WHERE MERCHANDISE CAN BE ORDERED. SHOP KIND IS MORE THAN JUST A RETAIL STORE, HOWEVER. BEN'S BELLS' "GOODS FOR KINDNESS" ARE LITERALLY THAT. IT'S PURPOSE-DRIVEN SHOPPING THAT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. EVERY HANDMADE AND HAND-SELECTED ITEM SOLD HELPS FUND BEN'S BELLS' OPEN ART STUDIOS, KINDNESS EDUCATION, AND FURTHERS THE MISSION OF INSPIRING KINDNESS.

EDUCATION:SINCE ITS INCEPTION, OVER 800 SCHOOLS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUR KIND CAMPUS PROGRAM, MEANING MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION STUDENTS HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING KINDNESS SKILLS (SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS) THAT FOCUS ON THE FOUR TENETS OF OUR PROGRAMMING: THE KIND MIND, SELF-KINDNESS, SOCIAL KINDNESS, AND KINDNESS IN ACTION.OUR OTHER KINDNESS EDUCATION PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND GROW WITH 40 ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE FORMALLY PARTICIPATED IN OUR KIND COLLEAGUES PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BENEFITTED MORE THAN 32,800 EMPLOYEES AT PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS. MEANWHILE, MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS PARTICIPATE IN OUR KINDNESS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING THROUGH SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, GROUP VOLUNTEERING, AND WORKSHOPS. IN 2020-2021, WE HONORED 36 INDIVIDUALS FOR THEIR KINDNESS WITH BEN'S BELLS. WE HAVE ALSO DISTRIBUTED OVER 70,000 BELLS SINCE WE STARTED IN 2003. OUR MISSION ALSO CONTINUES TO RESONATE WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR VOLUNTEER CORPS CONTINUES TO BE A STRONG AND IMPORTANT PRESENCE TO OUR MISSION AND GOALS. EVEN WITH A REDUCTION IN IN PERSON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES DUE TO COVID, THIS YEAR, 247 PARTICIPANTS DEDICATED 9,388 HOURS TO HELP CREATE HAND-MADE ART PIECES, PARTICIPATE IN OUR EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH, AND SUPPORT OUR MESSAGE OF INTENTIONAL KINDNESS AT EVENTS THROUGHOUT ARIZONA AND CONNECTICUT.

MURAL:BEN'S BELLS HAS INSTALLED A SERIES OF KINDNESS-THEMED MOSAIC MURALS IN TUCSON, PHOENIX, CONNECTICUT, AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS. THESE BRIGHTLY COLORED PUBLIC ART PIECES SYMBOLIZE COMMUNITY CONNECTION AND SUPPORT THROUGH KINDNESS, AND ARE CREATED BY A DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS, LOCAL ARTISTS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHEREVER THEY ARE LOCATED.IN DECEMBER OF 2009, THE BEN'S BELLS PROJECT, TUSD'S COMMUNITY TRANSITION PROGRAMS, AND THE MARSHALL FOUNDATION BROUGHT WORLD-RENOWNED AND AWARD-WINNING MOSAIC ARTIST ISAIAH ZAGAR FROM PHILADELPHIA TO TUCSON. HE TAUGHT THE "ZAGAR METHOD AND WORKED ALONGSIDE STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO INSTALL MOSAIC ART ONTO TWO PUBLIC WALLS WITHIN MAIN GATE SQUARE. THE ZAGAR WORKSHOP RESULTED IN THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST LARGE-SCALE KINDNESS CORRIDOR MOSAIC ART MURAL.SINCE THEN, BEN'S BELLS HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN CREATING DOZENS MORE COMMUNITY MURALS, AND WE REGULARLY INSTALL OUR BELOVED "BE KIND" FLOWER AND "KINDNESS TREE" AT SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN ARIZONA, CONNECTICUT, AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.