Katelynn Hardee was just five years old in 2019 when the idea for her now very successful non-profit business came to her. One day Katelynn and her mom were talking, and she discovered that her school in the Vista Unified School District had well over six hundred dollars of school lunch money debt and because of this some kids had parents that were unable to pay for school lunches, so their kids had to skip going to lunch at school. The thought of this upset Katelynn so she decided she was going to do something about it and the idea for Kiki’s Kindness Project was born. Katelynn first decided she was going to try and raise money to pay off the school lunch debt by selling coco and cookies around her town. Eventually by the time she had turned eight she had raised over seven thousand dollars; her goal was reached, and she was able to pay off all the lunch debt for her entire school district! Katelynn did not just stop there she wanted to continue fundraising projects to help people in her community. Since the beginning of her fundraising journey Kiki’s Kindness Project has raised over twenty-five thousand dollars for her community! Katelynn and her story have been featured on CBS Evening News, CNN, The Todays Show, The San Diego Union Tribune, Spectrum News, Kusi News, The List, and Good Morning America. Katelynn is also the recipient of the 2022 Women of Impact Award as well as the Hormel Foods 10 under 20 Food Heros award. Katelynn and her mom have also worked together to write a book called Make Your Own Sunshine. Their intent for writing this book was to brighten readers’ days by telling stories about the kindness of others. Katelynn also speaks on a podcast called Little Kids Big Heart where she encourages listeners to make “Little ripples in their community” and it can end up having a large impact. Katelynn’s main mission is “To inspire people to choose kindness and bring communities together.” Now if you’re wondering ways that you can help your community Katelynn encourages you to Build a small library if you are able, pick-up trash, or just do something nice for others. You can also make donations to your favorite local charities and nonprofits and become a volunteer!