—”Kindness: the Ripple Effect” will be the theme for the 28th Annual Kindness Week, which will run from Jan. 12 through 20 with a variety of events throughout Kenosha.
The Annual Community Unity Breakfast & Awards Recognition Ceremony, one of the cornerstone events of Kindness Week, will be held starting at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13th at the cafeteria of Mahone Middle School, 6900 60th St., Kenosha. Students will be recognized for their acts of kindness. The event is free and open to the public.
The 30th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, sponsored by Gateway Technical College, will be held at Noon on Monday, Jan. 15th, in Haribo Hall at the Madrigrano Auditorium of the Kenosha Gateway Technical College Campus, 3520 30th Ave. The theme of the celebration is “The Time is Now” and the guest speaker will be the Rev. Demetris Crum, Second Baptist Church in Kenosha. The event is free and open to the public.
A highlight of last year’s Kindness Week events was a Courageous Conversation with Kenosha Unified School District students. The discussion will be held again this year at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18th at the Kenosha Civil War Museum, 5400 1st Ave., Kenosha.
“There will be many community events that will celebrate and promote kindness and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We encourage all of Kenosha County to celebrate with us by practicing kindness throughout 2024 and seeing the ripple effect,” said Adelene Greene, coordinator of the 2024 Kindness Week Committee.
Kindness Week is organized by the Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism with the engagement of many community partners. The late Pastor Olen Arrington Jr. first launched Kindness Week in 1997 to commemorate the legacy of Dr. King. Pastor Arrington Jr. lived and preached the wisdom of Dr. King, often quoting “We must all learn to live together as brothers (and sisters) or perish together as fools,” and “The time is always right to do what is right.”
For a complete list of Kenosha Kindness Week activities, visit the Kenosha Kindness Week Facebook page, or www.kenoshaiskind.weebly.com.
Sunday, January 7 –
Saturday, January 20
Letters of Kindness
Location: all Kenosha Public Library locations
We all need a kind word every so often. Drop by any Kenosha Public
Library to write a kind letter and KPL will make sure your words will reach
the recipient. Please use provided paper and envelopes and include the
address you want it sent to.
Contact: Zander Miller at 262-564-6151 or zmiller@mykpl.info
Friday, January 12
4 pm – 5 pm
Peace Learning Circles Workshop
Location: Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, 1330 – 52nd Street, Kenosha
Contact: Teri Gamble at tgamble@bgckenosha.org or 262-653-7304. Free
public event.
January 12 – 14 Kindness Services in Congregations throughout the community
Area clergy are encouraged to focus services on the life and messages of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and/or the theme of Kindness Week.
January 12 – 14 and
January 17 – 21
12 pm – 5 pm
Make a Thank You Card for a Veteran
Location: The Civil War Museum
The Civil War Museum invites the local community to celebrate Kindness
Week by making Thank You cards for local veterans. All the supplies
needed to make the cards will be provided by the museum.
Contact: Doug Dammann 262-653-4432
Saturday, January 13
8:30 am
Doors open at 8
Annual Community Unity Breakfast & Awards Recognition Ceremony
Location: Mahone Middle School, 6900 60th St, Kenosha
Contact: Yolanda Jackson-Lewis at yjackson@kusd.edu. Free public event.
Monday, January 15
Noon
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration: The Time is Now
Each year, Gateway hosts its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
to remember Dr. King’s legacy and honor community members who keep
his spirit alive by giving back. Join Gateway for its 30th annual celebration.
Guest Speaker: Rev. Demetris Crum
Location: Gateway Technical College, 3520 – 30th Avenue, Kenosha
Contact: Jacqueline Morris at morrisj@gtc.edu or 262-564-3032. Free
public event.
Monday, January 15
6 pm – 7:30 pm
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Awards Celebration
Carthage College invites you to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. This celebration will honor community members, alumni, staff,
faculty, and students who embody the legacy of Dr. King.
Guest speaker: Dr. Milton Dockery, Professor of History from Milwaukee
Area Technical College.
This event is free and open to the public, but please reserve your spot by
January 5- RSVP Here.
Tuesday, January 16
11 am
Kindness Week Luncheon
Host: Urban League of Racine and Kenosha
Location: The Vault, 625 – 57th Street, Kenosha, WI
The Urban League of Racine and Kenosha would like you all to enjoy food,
fun, and friends to start 2024 off right. We gather not only to remind
everyone of their sense of community here but also to remember how far
we’ve come with a little kindness.
Visit facebook.com/UrbanLeagueRacineKenosha/ for details and
registration.
Contact: 262-842-7461 or info@ulrk.org
Wednesday, January
17
9:30 am
Museum Munchkins — Animal Friendships
Location: Kenosha Public Museum
Join a special Museum Munchkins as we learn all about Animal
Friendships! This program focuses on symbiotic relationships between
animals in the wild and how we can take a page from their book by being
kind and helpful to those in our community. Museum Munchkins is a free,
weekly program for preschoolers and their adults, centered on learning
about the natural world around us through stories, songs, and art.
Contact Person: Nick Wiersum, 262-653-4445
Thursday, January 18
5:30 pm
Courageous Conversation with KUSD Students
Location: Civil War Museum
Contact: Yolanda Jackson-Lewis at yjackson@kusd.edu