Kindness Benches
Well, it didn’t take long for the one bench to turn into 13, and for Lucy Paradise and Lenore Hemingway, two beloved Sedona artists and members to turn this idea into a reality. The project must’ve had fairy dust on it, because everything we needed just fell into place. Excalibur found us the perfect concrete benches, in multiple sizes. So each would be finished differently, with different themes and designs. As the word spread, each bench was eagerly sponsored by individuals, businesses and groups, and were so sought after that we had to add a few more. Now we were up to 16. Everyone who sponsored a bench knew it was to be donated to the community and put in a public place. All the benches were to have a “kindness” message in the design, and many are in memory of a loved one.
This summer, SedonaKind asked the “Wish List” in the Red Rock News for any natural or ceramic tiles that people might want to donate. And the community stepped up. Many donated funds to help with the ever burgeoning costs, as the benches became more elaborate. Artist friends of Lucy and Lenore gave tiles, and helped creating the fused glass that will also be used in the designs. Kindness does have a life of its own. We were so grateful that the City of Sedona was thrilled with the project, and has helped us find homes for several of the benches. And SK member Judith Fogarty stored all 16 benches for us during the summer. What a gift!
So in early November Lucy and Lenore and SedonaKind worker bee members met at the studio of another of our ‘bench angels” Carol Gandolfo to assemble the benches. How did they get to the studio? Sir Moves A Lot saved the day, (and our backs!) and delivered them. Another angel and photographer extraordinaire Larry Kane took pictures all week, to document the creation of each bench. You can see many of those photos in the slide show above. Thank you Larry! By the end of the week, all 16 benches were moved to their new homes around Sedona and the Village. There they will wait, for any and all to find them, to sit down, and take a quiet moment to hold the idea of kindness close to their hearts, and then take that magic with them as they go about their day.
SedonaKind is always thrilled when we create a project that spreads our message, and even happier when we can engage the whole community in the process. The phrase “it takes a village” may be overworked, but this has truly been a joyful community project. Our beautiful benches will be a permanent testament to the lasting power of kindness.
This summer, SedonaKind asked the “Wish List” in the Red Rock News for any natural or ceramic tiles that people might want to donate. And the community stepped up. Many donated funds to help with the ever burgeoning costs, as the benches became more elaborate. Artist friends of Lucy and Lenore gave tiles, and helped creating the fused glass that will also be used in the designs. Kindness does have a life of its own. We were so grateful that the City of Sedona was thrilled with the project, and has helped us find homes for several of the benches. And SK member Judith Fogarty stored all 16 benches for us during the summer. What a gift!
So in early November Lucy and Lenore and SedonaKind worker bee members met at the studio of another of our ‘bench angels” Carol Gandolfo to assemble the benches. How did they get to the studio? Sir Moves A Lot saved the day, (and our backs!) and delivered them. Another angel and photographer extraordinaire Larry Kane took pictures all week, to document the creation of each bench. You can see many of those photos in the slide show above. Thank you Larry! By the end of the week, all 16 benches were moved to their new homes around Sedona and the Village. There they will wait, for any and all to find them, to sit down, and take a quiet moment to hold the idea of kindness close to their hearts, and then take that magic with them as they go about their day.
SedonaKind is always thrilled when we create a project that spreads our message, and even happier when we can engage the whole community in the process. The phrase “it takes a village” may be overworked, but this has truly been a joyful community project. Our beautiful benches will be a permanent testament to the lasting power of kindness.