Volunteers start installing mural with positive message at Phoenix nonprofit

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A new mural is being installed at a Phoenix nonprofit and it has a simple, positive message. Volunteers started putting together Ben’s Bells “Be Kind” mural on Monday at St. Vincent de Paul’s Family Dining Room near Fourth Avenue and Watkins Street, which is south of Interstate 17. They began to place tiles on the wall, with kids and adults working on the project. “We try to bring people together so that we have that family atmosphere, that environment to create that positive thing for kids to do too,” Jesse Sosa, an organizer with United Healthcare. The kids worked on little flowers called “kindness coins.” “Those are purchased through Ben’s Bells so that they can raise money to be able to do more and more of these types of murals,” Sosa said.

Ben’s Bells is a nonprofit that helps educate communities about how to be kind and make it a part of people’s daily lives. It has three studios, two in Tucson and one at Roosevelt Row in Phoenix, where volunteers can create projects to spread kindness.

The dining room at St. Vincent de Paul was specifically chosen for the mural since that’s where a lot of families in need gather. “They are served by the volunteers here, people are provided food here. People are provided support and resources and hopefully this mural, as people are exiting, know and understand be kind to each other when you go out into the big world,” Sosa said.

During the next few days, volunteers will be joined by local artists to complete the piece. The mural is meant to teach people about the positive impacts of intentional kindness and how even a little act of kindness can go a long way for someone who needs it. “You never know what somebody’s going through. So if somebody gives you an attitude, or is snotty or isn’t helping, you don’t know what they’re going through in their life,” said Helen Gomez, executive director with Ben’s Bells. “What you do matters. The way you treat people matters. And it could make a huge impact on them.”

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