Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebekah Robeck.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Let’s Be Kind started out of my own story of being picked on in the 8th grade. My family and I had lived overseas in El Salvador from my 5th grade year to my 7th grade year. So much kindness was shown to me while living aboard. I went to a private school where we celebrated diversity through the 28 different countries that were represented there. We all treated each other like family. When my family moved back to the states, I was entering Costa Mesa Middle School as an 8th grader. It was towards the middle of the school year when I began coming home and telling my mom how my friends were picking on me. Often, I would go to school and students would step on my shoes, make fun of me for speaking Spanish, make fun of my curly hair and finally a student from a team I was part of spit in my face. It was months of me coming home and asking my mom how to respond to all this. Finally, she suggested we buy pizzas and tape a sign on the lids that said “Let’s Be Kind to each other.” So, we did. We bought over 200 slices of pizza and gave them away during our lunch hour. That began a conversation on my school campus.
A few weeks later, my mom made the Let’s Be Kind logo. I wanted my whole campus to experience kindness. In 24 hours, I raised over $3000 to gift every student, faculty and staff member on my middle school campus a black Let’s Be Kind Tee.
My classmates were so surprised because we kept it a secret. Other than the hand full of friends that helped me pass out t-shirts and our Vice-Principal and Principal no one knew what we were up to. Before the bell rang to dismiss for lunch I got on the intercom and explained what they would be walking into. I told them how I wanted each of them to know that they mattered and that kindness could change our campus. As students came out of their classroom’s music was playing and they ran to come grab a slice of pizza and a free Let’s Be Kind t-shirt. What happened next changed us. Each person began to put on the t-shirts and for one afternoon we were all unified for one purpose, to be kinder to one another on our school campus. And now whenever you see a student wearing a Let’s Be Kind tee you know they are a safe person to go to, you know that they were part of a school event and you know that they too are working to be kind. That began the first Let’s Be Kind Day.
As I moved into high schools as a 9th grader, my friends asked me to have another Let’s be Kind Day on our High School and Middle school campus. I hesitated because the thought of having to raise over $9,000 was a lot to take in. But with the help of my mom and my friends we did it. We raised over $9,000 last year to gift everyone my high school and middle a free Let’s be Kind tee. What was so exciting about last year was that there was an elementary school mom who heard about what we were doing on our school campus and she wanted to do the same for the kids at her daughter’s school. So, we made tees for Kaiser elementary and together we gave away over 3000 tees.
After seeing the excitement from all three schools we had principals from our district asking us how they could join in the movement. So, with the help of a company called FLDWRK we created a non-profit to serve schools. Let’s Be Kind is a non-profit 501c3 Public Benefit Corporation.
This year we are hoping to have our entire school district join the movement by having a let’s Be Kind Day on their school campus. Our Middle and High School will have their LBK Day on March 30th, 2020 and our elementary schools are having their s on April 20, 2020. Really any school can have an LBK Day on any day of the year.
LBK is Creating Student Led Cultures of Kindness on School Campuses. Let’s Be Kind Day is a special event on school campuses that reminds people that they are cared for, loved and valued. On the school campus those three words are hard to know and feel but KINDNESS you can see. The hope is that kindness will bring a group of students together to become the most incredible community that their school has ever seen. Help us spread kindness one tee at a time!
Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road. Because I am only 15 years old, I have to rely on my mom to help with legal stuff and our non-profit.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Let’s Be Kind – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
We are known for kindness. How we do that is through a T-shirt. We spread kindness one tee at a time. The t-shirt is designed to unify the campus as a whole. It is a physical reminder to the student body, factually, staff and the community at large that together they can make a difference. The phrase Let’s Be Kind calls for everyone together to be kind to themselves and to one another. The charge is to show the community that on their campus they are, a community of unique, talented, KIND people, ready to speak and act in KINDNESS. I truly believe in the school campus! I believe that together we can be the best school campuses covered in kindness that their generation has ever seen.
Our t-shirt sets us apart by making it inclusive.
There are so many ways to join the movement!
1. Buy a tee!!! https://letsbekind.org/store/
For every tee purchased you help spread kindness on a school campus!
2. Bring it to your school!
Any student or parent, teacher, PTA/PFO or principal can sign up a school. Just visit https://letsbekind.org/schools/ and fill out the form under “Sign Up Your School”
3. Become a Partner Donor
Our organization depends on the generous donations of people and organizations. Your ongoing donation helps to support the spread of kindness to every school. Help us reach students by giving toward Let’s Be Kind.
Three ways to give:
1. GIVE A TEE
• Help purchase a tee for students at our 2020 Let’s Be Kind Day event. When you buy a tee we will give a tee
2. BECOME A MONTHLY COLLABORATOR
• Join our ongoing effort to bring kindness to every student on school campuses.
3. BECOME A PARTNER DONOR
• Help sponsor a Let’s Be Kind day on a school campus.
Corporate sponsors allow us to involve the community at large. The desire of our corporate sponsor is to serve the student. By becoming a corporate sponsor, we will recognize you as a member of our community and help promote your good work in the community you serve.
Is there a way to purchase one of your shirts even if we aren’t at one of the schools you’ve visited? YES! You can purchase our original Let’s Be Kind Tee on our online store. And for this holiday season we added some new tees. Our SPREAD KINDNESS TEE and our SEAMOS ALMABLES TEE. https://letsbekind.org/store/
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love how in Costa Mesa, Orange County, it’s a small community. We are known for being #costamazing. I love how local businesses have helped to bring kindness to our schools. There isn’t really anything I don’t like about our city. I think we all try to make it a great place.
Pricing:
- Spread Kindness Tee $22.00
- Seamos Amables Tee $18.00
- The Original Let’s Be Kind Tee $18.00
- Let’s Be Kind Original Black Sweatshirt $34.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 150 Paularino Ave., Building B
Costa Mesa, CA 92626 - Website: www.letsbekind.org
- Phone: 7148560845
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @letsbekindday
- Facebook: @letsbekindday
- Twitter: @letsbekindday1
Image Credit:
Let’s Be Kind
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