Carol Braden-Clarke began as Director of Development for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in January 2019. Through conversations with the Ursuline Sisters to learn more about their mission, she found two common themes — the strong desire to continue to serve even though they physically might not be able to serve in the community and the need for more kindness in the world.
Out of these conversations came the idea for a Kindness Campaign. For an annual contribution of $50, a custom card will be sent monthly to a chosen person with words of inspiration and encouragement.
The hope is that people who are experiencing a difficult time or are in need of encouragement, will feel that there is someone who cares about them, Braden-Clark said. There is also an option to send cards to law enforcement officers, teachers, government officials or anyone else to let them know they are appreciated.
“We have been talking about the Kindness Campaign and have received very positive feedback. There is a lot of enthusiasm for this campaign,” Braden-Clarke said.
So far, people are interested in sending the cards to people suffering from an illness, to law enforcement to thank them and just to someone to let them know they are loved, according to Braden-Clark.
“What people have shared shows that there is goodness in the world, and we don’t know what hardships people are facing,” Braden-Clark said. “It has been very inspiring,”
Braden-Clark said this aligns with the mission of the Ursuline Sisters whose history and impact is “quite remarkable.”
Founded by Saint Angela Merici in 1535, whose mission was to respond to the needs of the world and spread kindness, the Ursuline Sisters touch the lives of thousands of people as teachers, serving the poor and in parish ministry, according to Braden-Clarke.
Each month, organizations will have the opportunity to volunteer to prepare the mailings that will be sent monthly. Church groups, Scout troops and student groups will go to Mount Saint Joseph and interact with the Sisters.
“We want to encourage people to pause and make a conscious effort to spread a little kindness,” Braden-Clark said. “People are not only spreading kindness but helping the Sisters who have devoted their lives to helping others.”
The Ursuline Sisters believe there will always be people in need of words and encouragement, especially with the access to 24-hour news that has brought suffering, violence and hate in the world from “the shadows into the light.”
“Even though we are connected through social media, we need human connections, kindness and love for our survival,” Braden-Clarke said. “Getting a card in the mail is even more of a pleasure these days when so much communication is digital.”
The form is available on their Facebook page. The deadline to start participating in June is May 15, but they will still take requests beyond May 15 — the cards will be sent the following month.
If you or your organization would like to volunteer, please call 270-229-2008 or visit their website.
“I think this shows that no matter what our beliefs — religious or political — we have much more in common than we do differences,” Braden-Clarke said. “We all need kindness and love.”
