Karing Kindness

I saw a video recently that went viral that really caught my eye – maybe you saw it, too.  It was about a little girl named KHLOE who has a project called KHLOE KARES.  Here’s the video on Pop Sugar Celebrity:  

  

Khloe and Khloe Kares have seriously gone VIRAL!  Her beautiful caring (karing J ) is being shared on so many different fronts!  The Huffington Post did a piece: Huffington Post piece  Cosmopolitan did a piece:  Cosmo piece (not sure how her mom feels about her daughter being called “badass” in that one!).  Even People Magazine did a feature on Khloe!  People piece

9 year old Khloe “klicked” with me for a couple of reasons.  First off, she and I share the same last name!!  And secondly, she and I both hand things out to homeless people!!  So I decided I needed to talk with this little girl to see what makes her tick.  I mean, she is definitely a Kindness Activist! 

Konnecting with Khloe via email was easy, but konnecting on the phone was much harder…  Khloe and her mom are stars right now, and I am sure their phone is ringing off the hook and they are travelling here, there, and everywhere to get the word out about Khloe Kares.  After a couple of failed attempts at talking on the phone, we settled on email.  Here’s what she and her mom had to tell me.

Khloe on a bag delivery mission!

Khloe, who will be in 4^th grade when school goes back in the fall, kept walking by a homeless woman in her Irvine, California community.  So she decided to do something to help out – she started making her Kare Bags.  She and her grandma sew them out of fabric!  Isn’t that terrific??  When I hand things out to homeless people I usually put the goods into Ziploc bags, but Khloe saw the need for these women to have functional, lasting, and might I say, STYLISH bags!!!  She and her grandma have sewn 200 so far!

I asked her what exactly they put in the bags, and she told me: “We put a lot of stuff in the Kare bags like tooth brush and toothpaste, socks, lotion, soap, shampoo and conditioner, feminine products, wash cloths, wipes, hand sanitizer, deodorant, first aid kits and we just added tee shirts, sun block and toilet paper“.  Isn’t that great??  I think their new additions are perfect and will really be helpful to the lucky women in California who receive them!

A very grateful recipient of one of Khloe's bags

Sharing these essential items with women gives them more than the toiletries, it gives them a connection.  I bet they are so happy to have an interaction with Khloe.  She said that giving women the bags, “Makes me feel good that I'm helping. And maybe even putting a smile on their face,” and told me that the women always tell her thank you, God Bless You, and give her hugs J .  I am guessing those hugs mean even more to them than the shampoo.

I asked Khloe’s mom to describe her daughter in 3 words and she chose:  giving, sweet, and compassionate.  Would we all like to raise children with those traits??  She told me, “It's always hard for me and her dad to take credit for Khloe and her kind spirit. She was born like that. We truly believe that God made her this way. She has always been a sweet little girl. Any advice I would give to other parents is support their dreams and visions. That's what we did. And it turned into something positive where she is helping others.” 

Khloe getting one of those hugs she mentioned!!

And when I asked if all of the recent media buzz has been difficult for such a young child, her mom said, “Khloe has always been a kind little girl. And even with all the attention she is getting she is still grounded and at the end of the day her mission is to help people.”  I say – go Khloe go!!  While other kids her age might be playing video games or watching television, she is getting out into her community and making a big difference!  And inspiring others to do the same.

Khloe wanted to make sure that people hear about another big project Khloe Kares is doing - a toy drive on July 16th. “We will be donating toys to the kids at the Raise Foundation. It's going to be a fun day and a day of giving back.”  You just know that if this toy drive is anywhere near as successful as the purses she makes, there are going to be LOTS of children made happy by her activism.

I think Khloe summed herself up perfectly when she said, “I'm just a normal kid that has big dreams. “

Way to go, Khloe.  You are an inspiration.  Thanks for shining your bright light in this world and helping so many homeless women. Your kindness has made us all, including your parents, more aware of this population that needs assistance.  Her mother said, “She has opened our eyes and she has giving us a new respect for the homeless community. Treat everyone with love and respect.”  I think we can all agree to that! 

To learn more about Khloe Kares go to:  Khloe Kares

And to donate to her GoFundMe campaign, see:  Khloe Kares GoFundMe

For other stories and photos of kindness, make sure to like our Facebook page - Kindness Activist