OUR BEGINNINGS Introducing Kindness Happens Here
Welcome to Kindness Happens Here. Each month, this free online newspaper — without advertising or paywalls — brings you stories of individuals, businesses and organizations in the San Diego region that embody kindness. The newspaper is produced by journalists who have covered San Diego for decades and who believe, as I do, that in a time of great division, perhaps the one thing we can all agree on is kindness.
The seed for this newspaper was planted on Morena Boulevard in the window of VIP Cleaners & Laundry. The owners had posted a sign that read, “If you are unemployed and need an outfit cleaned for a job interview, we will clean it for free.” Such a simple and generous offer — and yet it stopped me in my tracks. I thought about it for months, at last realizing I needed to respond with my own act of kindness. This newspaper is the result.
My professional life has always been in journalism. For 35 years — 30 of those at The San Diego Union-Tribune — I was an editor and staff writer. I know the power of a good story to shape how we see our city and each other. But newspapers, of course, focus on news, so a lot of great stories never get the spotlight they deserve. Kindness Happens Here is meant to shine that light.
I also come to this work with a background in nonprofits. Twenty years ago, with my friend Win Cox, I co-founded Women’s Empowerment International (WE), which provides microfinance loans and other support to women in poverty. To date the organization has given $2.8 million in grants across San Diego, Mexico, Central America and Africa. My experience at WE taught me that giving is a two-way street. Recipients benefit, but so do donors. It just feels good to be kind and think of others.
To create Kindness Happens Here, I reached out to former colleagues and longtime friends in journalism. Together, we want to surprise and inspire you by introducing you to the many San Diegans who make our region a better place.
— Leigh Fenly, Founder & Editor