Foundation/Inspiration: the Power of Random Acts of Kindness
When I was 11, we were homeless, seven children living with a single mother in the city shelter, when my older sister took us into her already cramped 4 room apartment – there were 11 of us in total! Her selfless act inspired me at that time to make it my mission to never let myself or my family be put in that position again…
I have experienced many life events since, one of the most powerful of which was in 2015. I was sitting in church, very emotional after suffering the sudden loss of my oldest sister. A sympathetic member saw my pain, tapped me on the shoulder and simply handed me his handkerchief. I was so touched by his gesture of support at the time, and it has always inspired me since
Reflecting upon how I have encountered and overcome these and other difficult life-changing events, I realize that there has always been an influential person who, through selfless acts of kindness (a kind word, gesture, or a resource to get me through), has aided and guided me in turning those obstacles into victories. I have experienced first-hand the powerful impact that a caring person can have on an individual in their times of need. With deepest gratitude, I now realize how each of these acts of kindness were the steppingstones through which I found my own purpose in life: paying forward what was bestowed upon me through their actions by serving others, myself… In 2017, this life’s purpose inspired my idea for creating “The Handkerchief”, the original business model through which I could fulfill it.
“The Handkerchief” represented the emotional comfort and support it takes for young individuals to reach their success point. The purpose of “The Handkerchief” was to provide that support to individuals to help them navigate through the obstacles in their life towards victories – in a sense, to be a life coach. The tools to do so have empowered and energized my path towards founding the business model for what has now become “The Platform”. I combined my own experiences of the support that I received from many people (family, friends, strangers) with my 30 years of experience in working with individuals, groups, families and decided to build a platform through which I can help navigate those seeking assistance to the appropriate resources they need.
“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” – Josh Shipp
Jason Gibson