We often forget to thank someone for a kind deed, we let friendships fade because we don’t stay in touch, we fail to reach out to friends or family letting them know that we appreciate them “just because.” You get the idea – the world spins so fast, we spin along with it, and we sometimes forget to pause and say thank you or acknowledge a kind deed.

This year, the team at Meyer, Unkovic & Scott set out to change that.

On Tuesday, November 6, our firm revealed The Kindness Card Project – an initiative developed by our Wellness and Diversity Committees to encourage the spread of kindness and appreciation during the season of giving.

What ultimately blossomed into the Kindness Card Project began with a simple concept – the firm started offering watercolor painting classes in early 2018 through the firm’s Wellness Committee to the staff as a method of having fun and reducing stress.

There was such enthusiasm and engagement in the watercolor painting classes that jumping to the next step – “painting for a cause” was embraced wholeheartedly: Over 90% of the staff volunteered to participate in watercolor workshops, led by attorney Beth Slagle, to create unique, paintings that were turned into greeting cards. Using the original designs, 800 “Kindness Cards” were developed and made available for purchase to attorneys, staff, family and friends. All proceeds from the donations will be given to 412 Food Rescue, a Pittsburgh nonprofit that brings healthy food directly to those experiencing food insecurity while simultaneously reducing food waste.  Within 4 days of the launch, 2/3 of the cards were claimed, and additional cards are in the process of being made.

But what began as an internal project caught the attention of local shop owners from love, Pittsburgh, a gift shop that sells goods from Pittsburgh makers across the region. The owners were so moved by the concept, they offered to sell the cards in their downtown retail space at 535 Smithfield Street to expand the project’s reach even further. During the months of November and December 2018, anyone is welcome to participate in purchasing a card.

The firm hopes sharing their project will spark even more joy throughout Pittsburgh and remind others that that no act of kindness is too small to make a difference.