Gisele Fetterman introduces PA Kindness Poem Project

The new PA Kindness Poem Project kicked off today with a video introduction from Pennsylvania’s second lady, Gisele Barreto Fetterman.

The Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC) has partnered with Philadelphia poet laureate Trapeta B. Mayson on the project, which it describes as “a mission to help spread kindness throughout the state.”

The year-long initiative invites residents to share social media messages that promote generosity, healing, reconciliation and peace.

Mayson will use the messages as inspiration for an original poem to be released Nov. 13 on World Kindness Day.

“We could all use a little kindness right now,” said Dawn Frisby Byers, PHC’s Senior Director of Content and Engagement. “The PA Kindness Poem Project is about setting our differences aside and making steps towards restoring civility and dialogue.”

Throughout the year, PHC will encourage participation in the project by regularly sharing kindness-themed quotes on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

Residents’ own messages of kindness can be posted on social media in video, text or image formats and can include quotes from books, poems, songs and historical or contemporary thinkers. The messages also can include original content.

To be included in the project, posts must have the hashtag #PAKindnessPoem and mention the Pennsylvania Humanities Council.

“This project reminds us that our words are powerful,” Mayson said. “I am honored to participate in this project and excited to draw inspiration for a new poem that reflects the kindness and creativity of the people of Pennsylvania.”

In her video, Fetterman, who is a PHC board member, quoted a line from a poem that says, “Loving you is not an obligation, it is an honor.”

Submissions will be accepted until Aug. 31.

More information about the project is available at pahumanities.org.