Deneishia Jacobpito, of Des Moines, IA, was recently awarded the Matt Kurtz Kindness Grant to help fund her two wonderful kindness projects. The grant was given by Matt’s Kindness Ripples On (MKRO), an organization that encourages acts of kindness by helping people who have ideas for kindness projects but lack the funding to follow through on those ideas. The $250 Grant is awarded bi-annually, every February and August.
Deneishia’s first project is to collect old purses that are still in good shape from friends and acquaintances and fill them with menstrual supplies, socks, and underwear for homeless shelters and shelters that work with victims of violence.
Her second project is to buy outfits, underwear, and athletic bras to donate to hospitals so that women can go home wearing proper clothing after they have their rape kits completed. Deneishia stated that women have to turn over the clothes they are wearing for the DNA tests and then end up going home without underwear or wearing baggy scrubs and feeling even more unworthy than when they went to the hospital.
Jackie Kurtz, the founder of MKRO, said, “We are so touched by Deneishia’s thoughtfulness. She looks past the labels of “homeless” or “victim”, and sees real people who in spite of their life crisis, still have basic human needs.”
It’s often said, every act of kindness no matter how small can have a profound impact on a person’s life. Both of these beautiful acts of kindness will make a real difference in the lives of these women. In the midst of their despair, to see that someone cares, that someone has thought about them and that they matter. Deneishia has a huge heart and her compassion and desire to reach out to help others make her the perfect candidate for the Kindness Grant.
This grant is given in honor of Matt Kurtz, (1985-2017), a young man whose personal philosophy was to live an honorable, compassionate and non-judgmental life. To give for the sake of giving, to expect nothing in return, to be aware of the world around him, and to step in to help others without being asked whenever he saw the need. Matt believed in the ripple effect of a simple act of kindness – like a pebble dropped in water, it goes on and on. You can find out more about how Matt lived his life, examples of his many acts of kindness, big and small, and why this grant was created on MattsKindnessRipplesOn.com.
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Contact Jackie Kurtz at mattskindnessrippleson@gmail.com or 240-832-1169.