What is Kindness & Why Does it Matter?

Central Market in York, PA. “What does kindness mean to you?”

What is kindness?

We probably each define it a little differently. For me, kindness is something I feel more than something I can neatly explain. Sometimes words fall short, and simple visual reminders—be kind—can instantly open our hearts. What I know, deep down, is this: kindness, big or small, has the power to change lives.

Kindness became a real, tangible force in my life in 2012, when I lived in Tucson, Arizona. At the time, I worked for Intuit (the company behind QuickBooks and TurboTax) and was part of a group called the Innovation Catalysts. Our role was to help the organization adopt Design Thinking—now often called Human-Centered Design—as a way to create more meaningful, human solutions.

Through this work, I learned that Design Thinking is grounded in a few simple principles: deep empathy, deferring judgment, collaboration, and action over endless discussion. What started as a professional framework gradually became a personal mindset—a way of moving through the world. I sometimes think of Design Thinking as the scientific method wrapped in love.

The most powerful shift for me came from learning to practice empathy and suspend judgment—not just toward others, but toward myself. As I stopped judging my own choices and behaviors, I learned to like myself. Eventually, I learned to love myself and to treat myself with kindness. As that happened, I became acutely aware of kindness everywhere.

That’s when I began noticing Tucson’s Be Kind mosaic murals and bumper stickers—part of an organization called Ben’s Bells. Each time I saw one, I felt a physical, emotional response. Those small visual reminders mattered. They stayed with me.

I eventually decided to move closer to family, which brought me to York. I’ve been here for three years now, and as life has settled, I’ve found myself returning—very intentionally—to the idea of kindness and how much I miss seeing it woven into daily life.

That longing became Yorkind.

I don’t have all the answers, and that’s okay. What I do know is that Yorkind will focus on educating students and the broader community about the power of kindness and how to practice it. It will include public, visual reminders meant to reach people in the moment. And it will include volunteering—because shared causes build connections that might not otherwise exist.

Launching Yorkind is my way of doing more and talking less. It won’t be perfect. Not everyone will see its value—and that’s fine. My hope is simple: that it resonates with a few people, and over time, becomes what this community needs it to be.