Growing Kindness™: Stories of kindness, generosity and community that inspire hope

What happens when teaching becomes a doorway to transformation, and students discover the power of community kindness through simple, hands-on work?

In today’s conversation, I sit down with Amy Morrison, a devoted FFA teacher whose work with flowers has grown into a beautiful practice of community kindness. Her classroom is full of heartwarming stories, meaningful projects, and daily moments of hope and encouragement. Together, we explore how a single idea can take root in students’ lives and grow into something far bigger than any of us imagined.

In this episode, we explore:
• How Amy’s work with flowers invites students into real-world acts of community kindness
• The heartwarming stories that show how creativity, generosity, and service shape students from the inside out
• Why teachers become catalysts for hope and encouragement simply by creating space for students to give
• How simple, accessible projects grounded in work with flowers can shift a classroom culture toward community kindness
• The surprising impact that small, daily acts can have when multiplied through heartwarming stories across a school

This conversation is filled with hope and encouragement, reminding us that when we root our teaching in community kindness and meaningful work with flowers, we create the kind of heartwarming stories that students carry for a lifetime.

Full transcript available at this episode’s webpage.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Join our free community of Growing Kindness™ Gardeners 

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Explore free resources like our Growing Guide and bouquet tags 

Follow us on Instagram: @growingkindnessproject

CONNECT WITH AMY MORRISON:

Mt Vernon FFA Instagram

Mt Vernon FFA Facebook

Amy’s Personal Instagram

What if the simple choice to offer what you have could truly change a life?

In this tender conversation with my friend Ganjana, we explore one of the most powerful kindness stories I’ve ever witnessed within our growing kindness community. Her journey is woven with grief and hope, courage and fear, and the everyday bravery it takes to offer small acts of kindness even when life feels too overwhelming to bear. From early trauma to building connection through flowers, her story shows how the smallest gesture can ripple outward and genuinely change a life.

As we talk, we return again and again to the heartbeat of growing kindness: noticing, responding, and trusting that small acts of kindness matter more than we can imagine. Ganjana’s story is a living reminder that even in seasons marked by grief and hope, our compassion carries weight, our presence matters, and every simple offering can become one of the kindness stories that help change a life.

In this episode, we explore:
• How receiving a single bouquet sparked a series of small acts of kindness that would slowly change a life
• The way gardening opened a path of healing for Ganjana through seasons of grief and hope
• Why the most meaningful kindness stories often begin with the courage to give what we already have
• How growing kindness creates spaces of belonging and connection even in times of uncertainty
• What her journey teaches us about showing up with compassion, presence, and small, steady steps forward

If you’ve ever wondered whether your kindness counts, this episode is a gentle reminder that it always does. Your small acts of kindness are part of the kindness stories that can truly change a life. Join me as we continue growing kindness together.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Full transcript available at this episode’s webpage.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Join our free community of Growing Kindness™ Gardeners 

Donate to help kindness grow

Sign up for our newsletter for inspiration and updates

Explore free resources like our Growing Guide and bouquet tags 

Follow us on Instagram: @growingkindnessproject

CONNECT WITH GANJANA:

Instagram

What happens when a five-year-old says yes to a simple idea - and keeps saying yes for the next fifteen years? 

In this inspirational story about giving, I sit down with Maggie Hartman to talk about how one small act of generosity bloomed into a movement that’s helping thousands of people each year.

At just five years old, Maggie started selling flowers from her garden to fund a family trip. But what began as a small dream quickly grew into something extraordinary. Today, Maggie uses the funds raised from growing flowers to give Christmas gifts to families in need every year - a living example of the power of saying yes to what’s right in front of you. 

Through her story, we explore practical ways to give, how to find joy in generosity, and what happens when we choose to give back with what we have.

What you’ll hear:

Maggie’s journey reminds us that when we lean into the power of saying yes, we open the door to beauty, belonging, and purpose. Her story is proof that anyone - at any age - can give back in meaningful ways.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Full transcript available at this episode’s webpage.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Join our free community of Growing Kindness™ Gardeners 

Donate to help kindness grow

Sign up for our newsletter for inspiration and updates

Explore free resources like our Growing Guide and bouquet tags 

Follow us on Instagram: @growingkindnessproject

CONNECT WITH MAGGIE HARTMAN:

Instagram: @maggies_flowers

What if the hardest season of your life became the soil where kindness could grow? 

In this episode, I sit down with Alicia Plante, whose story is a beautiful reminder of the many ways to show kindness, even when life takes an unexpected turn.

After a stage four cancer diagnosis, Alicia found purpose and peace through her garden - growing and sharing flowers as acts of generosity and love. Her story is a testament to the mental health benefits of gardening, the healing power of giving, and how even the smallest acts can begin creating community. 

Together, we talk about how kindness can ground us in hope, nurture healing, and blossom into something that reaches far beyond ourselves, creating community in the most unexpected places.

You’ll hear:

Alicia’s story reminds us that even in the darkest seasons, beauty still grows.

There are so many ways to show kindness, share beauty, and help the world bloom - one story, one seed, one act of love at a time.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Full transcript available at this episode’s webpage.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Join our free community of Growing Kindness™ Gardeners 

Donate to help kindness grow

Sign up for our newsletter for inspiration and updates

Explore free resources like our Growing Guide and bouquet tags 

Follow us on Instagram: @growingkindnessproject

CONNECT WITH ALICIA PLANTE:

Instagram @queenplante

Have you ever wondered if one small act of kindness could truly make a difference? 

In this first episode, I share how a simple cut flower garden planted during a hard season became the beginning of a movement dedicated to spreading kindness around the world.

When I started the Growing Kindness™ Movement, I never imagined it would reach far beyond my own backyard. What began as a few jars of sweet peas gifted to strangers turned into a story of hope and encouragement, and connecting to community. In this episode, I open up about the doubts I faced when stepping into this work, stories about acts of kindness and the lessons they have taught me, and how beauty and generosity can bloom even in the hardest seasons.

Here’s what I’m sharing today:

If you’re looking for a little more hope and encouragement in your days, I’d love for you to grow kindness with us.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Full transcript available at this episode’s webpage.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Join our free community of Growing Kindness™ Gardeners 

Donate to help kindness grow

Sign up for our newsletter for inspiration and updates

Explore free resources like our Growing Guide and bouquet tags 

Follow us on Instagram: @growingkindnessproject

MORE ABOUT THE HOST, DEANNA KITCHEN:

Growing up, Deanna Kitchen assumed her deep desire to connect with people and create community came from being raised in a tiny one-stoplight town. But over time, she’s come to realize that connection is more than where she’s from - it’s who she is. That same heartbeat for belonging became the seed that grew into The Growing Kindness ™ Movement.

Deanna believes deeply in the importance of connection and community, the power of small acts of kindness, and leaning into the limitless possibilities that our limitations provide us.

Married to her high school love (true story: they met through 4-H at the county fair) and mama to three amazing boys, they live together on their small scale flower farm @twigandvine, in a tiny town in Skagit Valley, about an hour north of Seattle. Together, their days are filled with flowers, farm critters and fairs, mountain biking and hiking.

They’ve always seen their home and farm as an opportunity to invite others into a place of rest and gathering and the Growing Kindness Movement has become a very special extension of that deeply held value.

What began with Deanna and her family’s simple act of growing and giving flowers has blossomed far beyond their farm fences. Today, Growing Kindness™ is a global movement - thousands of gardeners, givers, and dreamers around the world joining together to sow beauty, share hope, and remind one another that goodness still grows.

In a world that often feels divided and distant, I believe there’s still so much beauty to be found in small, simple acts of kindness. 

Welcome to the Growing Kindness™ podcast - a home for heartwarming stories, honest conversations, and reminders that what you do really does make a difference.

I’m Deanna Kitchen, founder of the Growing Kindness™ Movement, and I’m so glad you’re here. This trailer shares the heart behind this podcast - how stories about kindness and building community can restore our sense of connection, belonging, and hope.

Here’s a little of what you’ll hear:
• How a backyard garden turned into a global movement for spreading kindness and building community
• Real people who’ve faced illness, loss, and change - and found healing through flowers
• Why beauty and generosity still matter, especially in hard seasons
• What you can expect from this season of hope and encouragement, and how these stories can inspire your own acts of kindness

Pull up a chair as I share what’s in store for this season. I hope it reminds you that kindness still blooms - and that you have the power to grow it right where you are.

👉 Follow or Subscribe now to the Growing Kindness™ podcast so you don’t miss the first full episodes.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT:

Join our free community of Growing Kindness™ Gardeners 

Donate to help kindness grow

Sign up for our newsletter for inspiration and updates

Explore free resources like our Growing Guide and bouquet tags