The Bethel-based nonprofit organization Kind Works, helmed by several Newtown residents and those from the surrounding area, is carrying on the legacy that Ben’s Bells Connecticut left behind.

Catch someone walking around with a handmade ceramic ornament and chances are it comes from Kind Works, which aims to spread positivity and inspire people to act more kindly towards themselves and others.

As stated on Kind Works’ website, “these keepsakes are more than just decorations — they are symbols of kindness in action.” These include necklaces and tokens, as well as ornaments in the shape of hearts, butterflies, stars, and more.

The idea is that people will walk around with these ceramic items and, if they see someone perform a kind act, they’ll hand it to them, according to Kind Works Executive Director and Newtown resident Cody Foss.

Even if someone didn’t know the keepsake is from Kind Works, someone can see the “Be Kind” message printed on it and be happy. Foss said this creates a ripple effect of kindness, inspiring that person to be kind to others.

Kind Works volunteer Roxanne Novella said that the group is constantly innovating and trying to build their inventory. Not only do they make handmade ceramic items, they also make stickers, jewelry, candles, and graduation caps, among other things.

Kind Works Board of Directors President and Sandy Hook resident Jenny Avari said that they’re excited to listen to their community, be creative, and give them some room to make the items their own.

However, the group spreads kindness through more than just their merchandise. Foss divides what Kind Works does into four categories: merchandise, educational programming, volunteer studio, and mural program.

Kind Works team members speak about the importance and science behind kindness at assemblies, workshops, and field trips, and also work with adults through workshops and speaking engagements.

Their Bethel studio is open to the public, where people are encouraged to use their creative side and work with clay. The mural program has the Kind Works team build a custom, colorful mural in places such as schools or organizations that act as a visual reminder of kindness.

Pass The Torch

Kind Works is new in name only, as it has the same staff and volunteers as Ben’s Bells, a Tucson, Ariz.-based nonprofit that spreads kindness through handmade ceramic pieces.

In early 2012, Avari went to Tucson for a corporate retreat and signed up to make bells. She had no idea what that was, but learned about Ben’s Bells and their mission of promoting kindness.

Avari, who felt like it would be a wonderful message to bring back to Newtown, talked to Middle Gate Elementary School Principal Chris Geisler to bring kindness coins into her daughter’s school. She said the school’s PTA knew about it and was excited to get more involved, but then the Sandy Hook tragedy happened.

Avari reached out to Ben’s Bells to see if the nonprofit could bring some measure of comfort to the community. Ben’s Bell’s responded by sending a thousand bells to Newtown, and Avari said it quickly became popular. According to her, it wasn’t just Newtown, it was Bethel and other towns from the surrounding area.

“Everyone found a bell. Everyone wanted to be involved. Everyone wanted to connect,” Avari explained. “I think it was a big time for people wanting to connect and help each other out.”

Since there were so many people in the area that wanted to be involved and spread kindness, Avari said it didn’t take long for Ben’s Bells to open a Newtown studio in 2013. That studio later relocated to the Stony Hill section of Bethel in late 2015.

For over a decade, Avari said the studio worked with a lot of wonderful volunteers who were passionate and excited about their work. The nonprofit’s mural program, which installs large and colorful mosaics of the group’s signature “Be Kind” green flower logo, carried over into Newtown.

These murals have been installed in various locations across the community, with the organization also promoting kindness through the school-based Kind Campus program and the workplace-based Kind Colleagues program.

Financial Struggles

In early August 2024, Ben’s Bells CT announced publicly that the nonprofit would close its Bethel studio and cease operations in the state.

According to Avari, this is because the Ben’s Bells headquarters in Tucson decided financially that they needed to let the Connecticut studio go.

“It’s not that we weren’t financially supporting ourselves,” Avari explained. “It’s just that Ben’s Bells is a small nonprofit, and they’re based out in Tucson … So it was a disconnect for them to have a satellite studio so far away.”

Ben’s Bells Executive Director Helen Gomez spoke to The Newtown Bee shortly after the announcement in August, and said the organization as a whole has been struggling financially for several years. She said the nonprofit’s financial challenges “stem from a combination of rising operational costs and a decline in individual donations.”

Kind Works Board of Directors Treasurer and volunteer Jen Tousignant said the closure announcement was “pretty immediate.” Once the Tucson headquarters communicated, Ben’s Bells CT had roughly 30 days notice to close.

“It became this moment of, ‘Wow, it’s not [closing] at the end of the year,’ it was, ‘Wow, it’s over,’” Tousignant said.

Never Say Never

After the announcement, Avari said many people from the surrounding community reached out with tears and words of gratitude, having known Ben’s Bells as an anchor of support. It was at that moment, Avari noted, the Connecticut team came together and said, “We started this with just volunteers, so why can’t we keep it going?”

She added, “We had so much support, so we felt there’s no reason we couldn’t keep on going with the mission.”

The way Foss sees it, he said, is that a bunch of people who volunteered and given their time because they believed in the cause, were presented with a scenario where that was potentially being taken from them and they wanted to do something about it.

Avari said they gathered a group to be the brains of starting an independent nonprofit, which led to the creation of Kind Works weeks later. This was far easier said than done.

While Tousignant said they had a lot of advantages, such as a solid volunteer base and 10 years of experience learning what worked and what didn’t, the largest disadvantage was that they now stood alone and had no money in their bank account.

Despite that, the team pushed through and Kind Works officially became an organization at the end of August. Tousignant added that the goodwill of the community, such as their landlord who gave them time to recover before needing to pay the lease again, gave them the chance to “pause and plan.”

Bright Horizons

Eight months later, Kind Works continues the legacy of Ben’s Bells CT, promoting intentional kindness, installing murals, connecting people through community art, and more.

Kind Works Studio Manager Mallory Bruno said seeing the progress they’ve made in over half a year is really exciting. Compared to when the group was Ben’s Bells CT, Foss said the nonprofit can now focus more locally and that it’s easier to collaborate internally and come up with ideas.

“The autonomy we have, the responsibility to our community and each other, and the expression of creativity these guys have come up with … our decision-making process is unique to our community,” Foss said.

The goal, he said, is for Kind Works to be more sustainable and continue reaching out to younger kids who might have missed out on Ben’s Bells. One thing’s certain: They don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Kind Works will hold its annual “Celebration of Kind Works” on Thursday, May 22, 6-9 pm, at Reverie Brewing Company, 57-B Church Hill Road.

Tickets are $85 adults, with age 20 and under free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets include two drinks and dinner.

The event serves as Kind Works’ biggest fundraiser of the year, and helps to support their volunteer studio and kindness educational programming and activities. Attendees can enjoy an evening of community spirit and activities, including a pop-up shop, live and silent auctions, live music performed by Oddfellas of Stratford, and catering provided by FLIK Independent School Dining that will feature a brick oven pizza food truck.

For more information about Kind Works, visit kind-works.org, call 203-616-5591, email info.kindworks@gmail.com, or follow the nonprofit organization on Facebook @Kind Works or Instagram @kind_works.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.