Camp Kindness Day makes us proud to be from Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — This week around the country and in our area, children learned all about kindness during National Camp Kindness Day on July 20.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh teamed up with two other organizations to spread kindness to the next generation. One way they are doing that is by starting with our youngest generation, 3 and 4-year-old preschoolers who are making us proud to be from Pittsburgh.

For 4-year olds Zev and Maya, coloring is a favorite activity. This spring, the pair along with other classmates at the JCC Early Childhood Development Center, sent letters to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Inside each letter, each child wrote a message about kindness and what they want our leaders to do.

Aly asked Biden to not litter and Alex asked Harris to take care of the world. Maya wished that Harris would take care of the sunshine and not trash playgrounds.

“Because it’s healthy for the earth,” said Maya.

“What do you do to be nice to the earth?,” asked a WPXI producer.

“Not throw trash everywhere,” said Maya.

Little did these young ones know they would get a letter back from the White House, signed by the president. The letter stated, “at your young ages, you have the power to impact the future for generation to come,” and “be kind.”

JCC day camp director Rachael Speck said it was very exciting for staff, children and parents.

“What we are really trying to teach here just for kids to grow up and be good human beings, and for them to get that reaffirmation from a person in such an important leadership position in our country, I think is really important to them,” said Speck.

At this day camp in Monroeville, Maya and Zev practice kindness by coloring reusable shopping bags that will be given out at different food pantries and programs. Rabbi Ron Symons, JCC Center For Loving Kindness director, says the hope is that more kindness is shown by everyone in the city.

“Anyone who just needs a little extra boost of kindness, a little extra boost of saying that it’s not just about what you’re carrying or how you’re carrying it; but it’s if someone cared enough to give you something of beauty, and something that has a moral value to it that says we actually do care about each other,” said Symons.

The JCC preschool class and day camps are making us proud to be from Pittsburgh.

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