A father has sparked positivity and hope at his daughter's school in Massachusetts by holding up a sign outside the school premises to urge the kids to be kind to one another.
For over a week, Stephen Mandile has been holding up his kindness sign at the entrance of the Whitin Middle School so that the kids and their parents could see his message during the school drop-offs. According to WCVB, the students have been calling him "the kindness guy."
His wife said that teachers have been coming up to her husband to express how much this simple gesture has uplifted the community. One parent, Renee Smith, said it helps to see the kindness guy on the school steps every morning as a positive boost.
Helping Kids Who Are Having a Tough Time
Mandile said that he wanted to do something after his daughter relayed that there have been increasing bullying incidents on campus. He thought that sharing positive and motivational messages would help the children. The dad told NBC 29 that he has also talked to the school principal about helping kids who are having it rough and plans to read to some of the kids in the coming weeks.
"I don't have a degree or a doctorate in psychology or anything," Mandile, a veteran of the Iraqi War, said. "But I can come outside; I can be seen; I can share a positive message."
On some days, Mandile is joined by his wife and two daughters in holding up the signs outside the school. In a time of division and hatred, the family believes it's worth fighting for love and kindness.
Dads Also Spreading Kindness in Uvalde
Meanwhile, other fathers like Mandile have been spreading kindness in Uvalde, Texas, following a tragic school shooting incident. Dad Carlos Hernandez, who runs a restaurant in the small town, has distributed family-sized platters to the bereaved families for free because he knows that they are "too distraught" to cook, per CNN. Hernandez has also been writing unifying and uplifting messages at his restaurant through the glass windows to give the locals hope.
Dad Patrick Johnson is not from Uvalde. He lives hours away in another Texas town, but he chose to drive to the locale to distribute toys to the children so they can hold on to the joy of their childhood. It's not the first time he has done something selfless like this, as Johnson also drove to two other Texas towns, Sutherland Springs and Sante Fee, which were impacted by mass shootings in 2017 and 2018.
On the other hand, Librarian Mendell Morgan opened the El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde as a place for healing. He has invited massage therapy practitioners, psychologists, pianists, and even magicians to help the locals grieve and heal.
