BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Editor

Sometimes, the easiest thing to do in life is to simply be nice to one another.
The Be Kind Project aims to promote kindness in all communities nationwide with one Oakland County resident bringing the initiative to Clarkston.
“I started the Be Kind Project in October 2021 when I noticed a lot of negativity around me,” said founder Greg Ruvolo. “Several times per day, I would think to myself, ‘Why can’t that person just be kind?’ That’s when it hit me, so I decided to start promoting Be Kind.
“I had 24 yard signs printed and posted a photo online. Within 24 hours, 18 of them were claimed. I knew I had something special due to the immediate response. What started as a neighborhood project has grown nationwide
“The response to this message has been overwhelming because it resonates with everyone. Once a sign pops up in any given neighborhood, I often get multiple requests from their neighbors wanting to join. The message spreads itself. I am just the catalyst to provide it.”
Three Clarkston residents have jumped on board with the project, and Sandra Deering, Matt DeFinis, and Lorenzo Rivera all have special reasons to be involved.
“For the past 2-4 years, I feel like our country has been in an upheaval surrounding how we treat each other as community members,” Deering said. “There are so many voices saying what we should and what we should not be doing to show respect and concern for our fellow neighbors. When I saw Greg’s Be Kind sign, it hit me. All the voices and opinions and arguments over how we should be treating each other just boils down to one thing – being kind.
“No matter your race, background, political affiliation, vaccination stance, just simply be kind to each other. And everything else doesn’t matter. The simplicity of it is what struck me. At a time when we need kindness, empathy and blanket acceptance more than ever, I joined to help spread this simple message and to remind people that it isn’t that difficult to just be kind. I also have mad respect for Greg who is always a positive force whenever he goes. He’s supportive and loving and this campaign is the perfect representation of him.”
Deering has lived in Clarkston since 2010 with her husband and two teenage boys who attend Clarkston Community Schools. She is also a family nurse practitioner in the community.
The 22-year-old DeFinis has grown up and lived in Clarkston with his family for 20 years now. He did all his schooling through Clarkston Community Schools and was on the Clarkston Boys Varsity Soccer team.
“The Be Kind Project means that spreading a simple, yet powerful message is still a very easy thing to do,” DeFinis said. “It is clear that two words can go a long way and I may not know who reads the sign, but it could make someone’s day better when they see it. I joined the project after meeting Greg through work. I was fascinated at the national reach the project had and I wanted to do my part in spreading this important message.
“I think right now it’s especially important to take a step back and consider what everyone is going through. Everyone has their own struggles and is going through something different than myself, and I feel as though it is important to be kind to everyone, no matter what, as we navigate these tough times.”
Rivera said the Be Kind Project has happened when people need it most.
“For me, the Be Kind project comes at an unprecedented time in our lives,” he said. “For the better part of the last two years, every one of us has experienced challenges like never before. From the pandemic to polarizing politics, from losing jobs to working from home, everyone has had to make some serious adjustments in their lives. In general, change is difficult. It puts us on edge, it scares us, and makes us put up our defenses. This project is a simple but powerful reminder that now, more than ever, we need to be kind to one another. More patience, more smiles, more gratitude.
“It’s a reminder we need to be more compassionate towards one another. Think about all the people you interact with on a daily basis, not only friends or neighbors but perfect strangers. We are all overwhelmed with challenges, events, even crises that we are navigating. It seems that we are generally always on edge, waiting for the next confrontation. This project reminds us kindness is disarming. Smiles are contagious and such simple gestures go a long way to making someone’s day better. These aren’t new concepts. We’ve known them our entire lives and we teach them to our kids. During these difficult times, it’s more important than ever that we practice and apply them.
Rivera owns and operates a small business in Clarkston where he and his wife Kelly, from Clarkston originally, moved four years ago. He grew up on the border of Lake Orion and Clarkston (Clarkston address, Lake Orion schools) before he and Kelly started their family in Berkley, “and knew we wanted to raise our two daughters back in this area.”
So what can the community expect down the road from the Be Kind Project?
“The future of The Be Kind Project is bright,” Ruvolo said. “Our mission is to promote kindness and positivity in our shared communities locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. We strive to support humanitarian and beautification projects for the betterment of all. We plan to provide support to various organizations or individuals that need help.”
For more information, email Ruvolo at gruvolo@gmail.com.