From notes of affirmation to gift cards, Portland nonprofit Wildly Kind aims to spread acts of kindness to strangers

From notes of affirmation to gift cards, Portland nonprofit Wildly Kind aims to spread acts of kindness to strangers 

LONG SYNOPSIS: Wildly Kind is on a mission to spread acts of kindness to strangers, not only in its home base of Portland but also across the nation and around the world. The Portland Tribune recently profiled the three-year-old nonprofit and the national media attention it received for a pop-up event it held in February, which involved setting up a phone booth for people to record anonymous messages of hope and encouragement for others to hear. 

Executive director and founder Kayla Lamoreaux says Wildly Kind grew out of a desire to affirm and maintain her sobriety from alcohol through fostering “a community of kindness” by handing out flowers or self-care kits or paying for a stranger’s groceries at the check-out line. Wildly Kind has now grown to include volunteers, corporate sponsors and more than 100 “ambassadors” who go out to perform acts of kindness in more than 20 states and six countries. Ambassadors pay $20 a month to receive a branded t-shirt, a monthly newsletter with ideas for spreading kindness, priority sign-ups for pop-up events and other perks. Lamoreaux joins us to share more details about Wildly Kind and its unique nonprofit model.