Move Your Own Mountain
Manjhi Moves a Mountain is the true story of Dashrath Manjhi, who made a difference with a vision and hard work. We want to celebrate kids everywhere who have worked hard to make a difference in their communities, too. Please share your stories and photos so we can inspire each other to spread kindness!
These kind children wrote postcards to a kindergarten class at another school telling about a time they persevered or something they could do to be kind in the Dublin Unified School District in Dublin, California where they have picked MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN for their One City One Book - Dublin, CA program. Manjhi moved an actual mountain to help his village, but every time we help others, we move mountains. #DublinUSDMovesMountains
Manjhi persevered spending years on his mission moving a mountain to help his village. Applause to the amazing students of Hollywood Elementary in Brookfield, Illinois, who persevered, spending TWO YEARS working on a design for a local park that would serve the needs of their community. Now, at long last, the ribbon’s been cut at Candy Cane Park and they were recognized at a Grand Opening for their civic engagement and advocacy. You can read about it here. Thank you to their incredible 2nd grade teacher Ryan Murray for encouraging these wonderful students and sharing their story so that they can encourage us all to persevere and help kindness spread. #HollywoodElementaryMovesMountains
So proud of the amazing third graders at Pickering Valley Elementary School! After reading MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN, they were inspired to do something good because they know that every time we help others we #movemountains. These great kids donated books to the Laundromat Library League, had a reading party and made a video to persuade their Director of Facilities to get solar panels for their school to help save energy and care for the earth. Thank you to their teacher Eileen Kroboth for sharing these pictures and these stories with me. #PickeringValleyElementaryMovesMountains
From Librarian Brigid Dentoni: “During the 2018-2019 school year, members of Stocklmeir Elementary noticed that a swastika had been carved into the bark of a small tree on the school campus. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this tree had been vandalized with this symbol of hate several times prior. Once again, the scars on the tree were removed, but the pain from the idea of antisemitism and hatred lingered. Immediately, parents, administrators, and teachers decided to act. They created a group, called the Kindness, Inclusion, and Respect group (KIR). The group held a few meetings and made a plan. They organized a school-wide assembly, sharing and celebrating the core values of the school, that the school is a place where concepts of kindness, inclusion, and respect are embraced, taught, and practiced on a daily basis. The assembly took place underneath the scarred tree. Community members, police officers, city council members, neighbors, families, and students all joined together at the assembly to share stories and sing songs to celebrate KIR. At the tree, we held weekly read alouds during lunch. Lunch storytime took place underneath the tree. Students also created a kindness rock garden. The students all met with parent volunteers to share stories of kindness, how they make the world a better place, then every child painted rocks with messages of kindness. Students placed their rocks around the base of the tree. This project was interrupted during Covid, but the community persevered. Nothing could stop the members of the Stocklmeir community. Today the Kindness Garden has become a lovely place to reflect and feel the hope, kindness, and joy each child brings to the world."
Thank you, Mrs. Dentoni for sharing how #StocklmeirMovesMountains !
Thank you, Megan Kelly Bates and your wonderful students for writing 123 letters of cheers to seniors at Sandy Lake Rehabilitation and Care Center as part of the The CARE Project, founded by Dianne Beckwith. You and your students are #movingmountains!
Letters written by the students of Megan Kelly Bates to seniors in a nursing facility in need of cheer for the holidays.
Students of Megan Kelly Bates writing notes of cheer to seniors in a nursing facility.
Students of Megan Kelly Bates writing notes of cheer to seniors in a nursing facility.
Students of Megan Kelly Bates writing letters of cheer to seniors in a nursing facility.
Ms. Christina Bandini’s kind second graders collected recycled holiday cards along with the whole school at Saint Saviour Catholic Academy in Brooklyn for children at Saint Jude’s. The children at Saint Jude’s look forward to using the cards to create projects. Thank you to these wonderful children. #SaintSaviourMovesMountains
Ms. Christina Bandini’s kind second graders collected recycled holiday cards along with the whole school at Saint Saviour Catholic Academy in Brooklyn for children at Saint Jude’s. The children at Saint Jude’s look forward to using the cards to create projects. Thank you to these wonderful children. #SaintSaviourMovesMountains
The amazing students at Saint Saviour Catholic Academy in Brooklyn have been collecting food for St. Thomas Aquinas Food Pantry, which distributes food to the needy. Thank you, Ms. Christina Bandini, for sharing these great photos and the story of your school’s good deeds. #SaintSaviourCatholicAcademyMovesMountains
"JROTC cadets and Major Steven Torelli gathering toys for children" at Long Island City High School, Long Island City, NY 11106. These great cadet leaders from Major Torelli’s Citizenship Class also visited toy stores and spoke with friends and families, gathering toys and donating them to NYC hospitals and churches. Thank you, Major Torelli for sharing this photo and report of your cadets’ kind deeds. #JROTCCadetsMoveMountains !
Thank you to the students at Chiyoda International School Tokyo (CHIST) Middle & High School in Japan! The Music class, together with the Japanese class, created a “Flowers will Bloom” project, filled with encouraging and empathetic messages from the students, and a song, “Flowers will Bloom,” in both Japanese and English to pray for world peace, the quick recovery of society from illness, and solutions to the problems of poverty, disease, lack of education, disaster, loss of family, and more, knowing that music can change people's lives and society for the better. Thank you, Mariko Ishii (Ms.), CHIST middle and high school music teacher, and Sue Conolly, Elementary Librarian at CHIST, for sharing their inspiring and uplifting project! #CHISTmovesmountains
So proud of Beckett Potter of Dallas! Genesis Women's Shelter is an organization providing safety, shelter and support for women who have experienced domestic violence. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas had increased demand for sheltering services. In mid-March 2020, Beckett was clearing out his room and found that he had new books, toys and arts/crafts supplies. Beckett thought that Genesis might have a need for these items since many women arrive at the shelter with their children and do not have any of their belongings. Beckett asked his book club, some of which are now fellow LOUKOUMI KIDS CLUB members, if they would be willing to help him with donating items and they were all extremely generous. Beckett continues to contact his friends for new books, toys and art supplies so that he can bring them to Genesis on Wednesdays. Beckett's parents are careful to collect the items and place them into quarantine until the items can be safely delivered free of any germs or viruses. He practices social distancing to deliver the items while wearing his face mask. Thank you, Beckett! #BeckettMovesMountains
With relaxed local Shelter-In-Place rules towards the end of May 2020, Beckett and his family escaped from Dallas to West Texas for a few nights of camping with reservations made several months earlier. In route to the Davis Mountains/Marfa, Beckett camped overnight at Monahans Sandhills State Park in Monahans. He practiced safe social distancing as he and his family were the only campers in the entire park. In the morning, Beckett helped collect trash in the sand dunes as part of his Loukoumi good deeds. As Chef Loi and Beckett would say regularly, "Everything in moderation except love, olive oil and good deeds". Thank you, Beckett! #BeckettMovesMountains
On June 6, 2020, Beckett participated in a Neighborhood Trash Bash to clean Buckner Park and surrounding neighborhood streets for Peak's Suburban Addition Historic District in Dallas. Everyone met as a community at Buckner Park and then took individual assignments to pick up trash along the neighborhood streets. Beckett said, "It was very hot, especially while wearing a mask but was good to work together to make needed improvements in the neighborhood." Thank you, Beckett! #BeckettMovesMountains
Do you think Avivah Rhodes is happy because she has a lot of teddy bears? No, Avivah Rhodes is happy because she spent her 1st birthday, Sept. 9, 2019, with Kind Day festivities, which included giving all these teddy bears to kids at Children’s Medical Center in Plano. Her mom, Shayna, celebrates her daughters’ birthdays every year with a Kind Day. That’s when Avivah and big sister, Mila, give back to people in their community and around the globe. Here are some more of the great things Avivah did:
-Paying it forward for a few others at McDonald’s drive-thru
Giving monetary donations to:
- Humane Borders (Sets up water stations for migrants in Arizona)
- Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (Dining Series - funds meals for children & families during therapy sessions)
- Wholesome Wave (Makes fresh fruits & veggies affordable & accessible for families in need)
#AvivahMovesMountains #MilaMovesMountains #ShaynaMovesMountains #BeKind
Avivah celebrates her 1st bithday the way big sister Mila does, with a Kindness Day organized by their mom, Shayna Vincent. #bekind #AvivahMilaShaynaMoveMountains
The amazing preschoolers at OFJCC Leslie Family Preschool in Palo Alto, California grow food for the hungry in their beautiful garden! What a wonderful way to help others! #LeslieFamilyKidsMoveMountains
I am so proud of the amazing students at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thank you, Susan Grogan, Learning Resource Teacher, and Meghan Rinehart, librarian, for sharing the ways that #CharlotteLatinSchoolMovesMountains
Charlotte Latin School students in Kindergarten and TK collected old towels, blankets and dog supplies to support Freedom Farms Rescue group for their project BARK (Be A Responsible Kid)
Charlotte Latin School kindergarten and TK collecting towels, blankets and dog supplies to give away as part of their project BARK (Be A Responsible Kid)
Charlotte Latin School first graders made baked ziti and meatballs to donate to the YMCA’s Strengthening Families Program. Each class works in the lower school kitchen with parent volunteers to prepare baked ziti and many pounds of meatballs. The dishes are frozen and given to a volunteer who visits each classroom and educates about the program and how the donated food will help the families it serves.
Charlotte Latin second graders collected knit socks, hats, gloves, scarves and sweaters during January. They visited Crisis Assistance and sorted and hung clothes in their store.
Charlotte Latin third graders visited the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte and collect information to make a presentation for Lower School students. The Lower School collects Pop Tabs throughout the school year to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.
Charlotte Latin fourth grade students learned about Urban Ministries and the work that Urban Ministries does with the homeless. The children made sandwiches for Urban Ministries.
Charlotte Latin fourth and fifth graders in the Service Club-Lower School Service Club focused on the theme of “R.A.K.E” this year—Random Acts of Kindness Everywhere. They collected 985 pairs of socks for the Salvation Army Center of Hope and Men’s Shelter, wrote notes and made treats for Charlotte Latin’s Support Staff members, placed “Post-it” notes of support in Lower School library books, made cereal treats to donate to the Cookies for Kids Cancer bake sale fundraiser, and assembled Valentine treat bags for students at Druid Hills Elementary. Upper School Service Learning Students assisted with this and delivered the bags to the school.
Charlotte Latin fifth and sixth graders helped Samaritan’s Feet construct, sort, pair, and ship shoes to people in need in the US and around the world. They collected more than 100 shoes and donated them.
The students at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Dallas are busy planning ways to move mountains! #STTHOMASAQUINASKIDSMOVEMOUNTAINS
The students at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Dallas are busy planning ways to move mountains! #STTHOMASAQUINASKIDSMOVEMOUNTAINS
Students at Oak Hill Academy in Dallas are moving mountains by collecting food and treats for homeless kids served by the Vogel Alcove in Dallas. #OakHillAcademyMovesMountains
Kids at Oak Hill Academy in Dallas walk through a mountain designed by their art teacher to fill baskets with food and treats for homeless kids served by Vogel Alcove in Dallas. #OakHillAcademyMovesMountains
The amazing students at Oak Hill Academy in Dallas are moving mountains by collecting food for homeless children who spend the day at the Vogel Alcove, going to school and getting childcare while their parents work. They also decorated bags, some with inspirational sayings, for the food and included treats and toys for Halloween. One of their teachers built a huge “mountain” to frame a classroom doorway and they put up a sign saying “Together We Move Mountains!” I loved spending the day with them on an Author Visit and thanking them in person for their kindness. #OakHillAcademyMovesMountains
From Ryan Murray, second grade teacher:
Second-graders at Hollywood Elementary in Brookfield, Illinois have their eyes on a community park renovation – they would like to see a zipline, lending library, butterfly garden, dog park, and other fun things included in the renovation plan. They’ve drawn maps of their park designs, wrote essays, published letters in the local paper, and attended two meetings of the Parks and Recreation Commission. As a result, the kids are learning about government, civic engagement, and persuasive writing.
Thank you, Mr. Murray and Hollywood Elementary, you are #movingmountains!
The students at Oak Knoll Elementary in Menlo Park, California were moved to do something to help those affected by the hurricanes and fires. They wanted to donate to the Red Cross which helped people in both disasters. They accomplished their goals by doing chores at home to earn change. They cleaned windows, vacuumed the house, washed the car and more. As a school, Oak Knoll earned over $2,600! Hanna Malik from the Red Cross came to collect the money from Counselor Nicole Scott and Principal Kristen Gracia.
From VIJAY at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: I thought your book was amazing. I set up a lemonade stand to raise money for the Texas Food Bank. I raised $45 and one dollar can feed three children so I fed 135 children. Even though it is not as significant as what Manjhi did, I still moved a mountain. Than you. Sincerely, Vijay
The classrooms of Ms. Zeiser, Ms. Bulkin, and Ms. Austin (also called the ABZ mulitage class) at Oak Knoll Elementary in Menlo Park, Ca. donated $900 to The Houston ASPCA. Ms. Zeiser writes that she "would like to recognize my students who put in extraordinary work, time, and kindness to make that donation possible. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, my students were consumed with anxiety about their human and animal friends in Houston. We discussed what we could do from "all the way over here in California." After a robust conversation about kindness in action, the students volunteered to host bake sales, lemonade stands, and do extra chores to earn money for Harvey victims. In the following weeks, I was overwhelmed with pride as the students shared their efforts and triumphs while rallying for the cause. As a group, we decided that our donation would be best sent to the Houston ASPCA you for the amazing work they do to serve our animal friends!"
The students from Greenhill School in Addison, Texas have been moving mountains! From SARAH: The way I've "moved a mountain" is last year me, my brother and a friend held a lemonade stand in which we sold rainbows, looms and lemonade. We donated every last cent to MD Anderson cancer research! We made about $125.00. My mom had a friend with cancer who has now passed away but our donation was in honor of her. Thanks for reading! Sincerely, Sarah
From CHLOE: We recently read your book, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN, and our grade was thinking of ways that we could "move a mountain" as well. One way that I help move a mountain is donating to animal shelters. I also donate my old clothes to Goodwill. I love helping out and I truly hope that one day everyone will. I think that you are such an amazing person by spotlighting this unsung here Manjhi. Thank you so much! Love, Chloe
The students at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Dallas are busy planning ways to move mountains! #STTHOMASAQUINASKIDSMOVEMOUNTAINS
More wonderful stories from the kids at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas!
From MARLEY: We just read your book, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN in library. It made me think of what mountain I would like to move. A lot of times I think about how lucky I am to be so healthy. Some kids aren't so lucky, and have cancer. Depending on the cancer, some kids have to get homeschooled. Doctors do all they can to help people with cancer, but they still have not found a cure. This summer, I'm planning on making a fundraiser, whether it's a lemonade stand, a bake sale, a carwash and may other ones. I'm going to raise as much money as possible to help those ids. They they won't have the worry of someday not making it. I will also will ask some of my friends to help me. With Big Hopes, Marley
From IZZY: My class loved the book MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN. Every time my sister and I get in an argument, my sister Addy goes off to tell Mom, who is getting overwhelmed and every time I have to go chase after her! So I'm going to create a peace path in my yard where we both can talk about the problem. I think this will help everyone! Sincerely, Izzy
Love this idea! WFAA posted a story about a Buddy Bench at Lake Dallas ISD. If a child doesn't have someone to play with, the child sits on the Buddy Bench. If the other children see someone on the Buddy Bench, they ask that child to play. A Buddy Bench is a great way to move a mountain! Does your school have one?
https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/education/buddy-bench-brings-students-together/318949821
More students from Greenhill School in Addison, moving mountains!
From DERIAN: I read your book, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN, and I would like to tell you how I moved my mountain. A few days before Thanksgiving, I volunteered at a community center to give homeless people food for Thanksgiving. My job was to wash and cut turkeys. The other volunteer said I worked so hard to get the turkeys ready and after about an hour we did it. We gave over 200 meals to people that day and I felt really good after doing it. Thanks for listening about how I moved my mountain. Your friend, Derian
.Kudos to NATALIE HAMPTON of Sherman Oaks, California, who created a Sit With Us app for kids in her high school. Sign up for the app to help make sure no one has to sit alone in the lunchroom again.
Way to go, Roanoke Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas, moving mountains with your Friendship Bench!
From ISABEL at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: I loved reading the book, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN. One thing I can do to move my own mountain is by picking up litter in my neighborhood and school community. I could do this once or twice a week. I think what Manjhi did was amazing. It must have been very hard work. Sincerely, Isabel
From ZACH at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: I recently read your book MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN. I have done something that helped people that could not buy enough food for themselves. I twas called Meals-on-Wheels. We went to different apartments and gave people salads, sandwiches, etc. Thank you for reading my letter. Sincerely, Zach
From TARIK at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: I moved a mountain because I saw how people didn't care for the environment. Most people don't turn the lights off after they leave the room and a lot of people litter a lot. So I decided to join Team Green, which is a club that helps the environment. Every day we do trash pickup, or set up bird feeders or maintain our garden. This is how I moved a mountain. Sincerely, Tarik
From SOFI at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: A while ago I noticed that people would let their dogs poop in someone's yard and walking away without cleaning it up. I found a way to move this mountain by placing boxes full of poop bags on some of the corners and little flags in the corners of some years to remind people. I hope you enjoyed my letter. Sincerely, Sofi
From MAYA at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas, where peacocks roam the grounds: I liked your book, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN. I want to move my mountain with gender equality. What I mean is, girls and women get treated differently from men. I am starting to fight against that. In school, we got to write change letters. Mine was about gender separation in stores. If you walk down a toy aisle in Walmart, what do you see? You probably see pink for girls or blue for boys. That's what I'm fighting against. I think gender equality is a big mountain we have to move. Sincerely, Maya
From SASHA at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: In this letter I'm presenting to you something at Greenhill School that we have been trying to fix since forever! Littering! So many people have put up signs around school encouraging people to not litter but that didn't help much. It recently got bad since Greenhill started to have water cups on the playground. I'm finding cups all over the playground! Last year in 3rd grade, me and a group of friends went around the playground and collected a lot of trash. I'm hoping to do the same thing this year, but I'm also encouraging other people to clean up trash and to not litter. It's not Greenhill if it's not green! Sincerely, Sasha
From ALBERTINA at Greenhill School in Addison, Texas: I really enjoyed reading MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN. Earlier in the year, my friends and I did a book drive for Avance. Avance is a place where they collect books for kids who can't afford to go to school. The kids go there to learn how to read and write. In the fourth grade area at Greenhill, my friends and I put a box there, and we informed our classmates that if they could go through their house to see if they have any old books that they don't want anymore. We collected so many books, and Avance was so happy! Sincerely, Albertina
From Mila’s grandmother, Johannah Luza:
Each year before Mila's birthday she and Shayna plan for weeks agencies and people they want to share her birthday with. This year they gave gloves to the sanitation department, candy baskets to firemen, puzzles to Alzheimer patients, new clothes for girls in foster care and balloons and goodie baskets to other agencies. This year was a success! And Mila said," I know we made so many people happy today!" Thanks, Mila, for spreading kindness! #MilaMovesMountains
Pia Allibhoy, 8, is making a difference like Manjhi by inviting friends who sit on the buddy bench to join her games. She also volunteers at her local pet shelter once a week. She says that when she grows up she is going to become a culinary chemist and invent new foods to help the world get healthy. Thank you, Pia, for spreading kindness and sharing this beautiful picture of yourself playing with a kitten at the animal shelter. #PiaMovesMountains
As part of a student council sponsored event, the students at West Rockhill Elementary School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania collected food for a local food pantry known as F.I.S.H. Their efforts will help feed struggling families in their local community. Thank you Jane Krot for letting us know about the wonderful kids of West Rockhill Elementary School. #WestRockhillMovesMountains!
Thank you to the wonderful students of Karen Rose, who wrote letters of cheer to seniors in a resident care facility in Iowa. You #movemountains !