Thoughtful Citizens

07/18/2024

Vendor Spotlights! The vendors of the 2024 Kenmore Children's Business Fair are working hard to bring you their products on August 24th. Get a sneak peak at these amazing young entrepreneurs' products and businesses, and come support them at the fair!

Uplift Teens Today
Bow-Bow Ties
BriellaNicole Creations

06/20/2024

The Kenmore Children's Business Fair application is NOW OPEN!

Apply here: https://thoughtful-citizens.org/childrens-business-fair/

The Children's Business Fair provides an excellent opportunity for kids of all ages to develop essential business skills. Through participation, children will gain hands-on experience in marketing, product pricing, sales, market differentiation, and point-of-sale transactions.

The fair will be on August 24th, 2024 at The Hangar at Town Square in Kenmore.

Thanks to an amazing partnership with Free Time Solutions, this year, we are excited to offer optional business strategy workshops, available in person or via Zoom. These workshops provide a fantastic opportunity for children to connect with business and marketing consultants, as well as each other, to enhance their skills and knowledge. The incredible team at Free Time Solutions will also be helping to streamline all aspects of planning and day of event coordination. So excited to take this year's fair to even greater heights!

05/24/2024

Come say hi at the commUNITY! event in Mukilteo! We’ll be here until 7:30 💗

05/01/2024

In the news again! 🤩💗 What we are accomplishing as our ‘small group of thoughtful committed citizens’ is indeed changing the world. The individual contributions of many add up and inspire others. Thanks so much for being a part of this community.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

Thoughtful Citizen team from left: Anne Caswell, Lucille Vickery, Maura Query, and volunteers Lydia James and her daughter EllieDoing small things can make a better KenmoreMore than two dozen people showed up at TI awh-ah-dees park on April 20 to participate in Thoughtful Citizens' Earth Day cleanup...

04/21/2024

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate and honor Earth Day with us yesterday! We had 26 people attend and collected 129 pounds of trash from Tl awh-ah-dees, NE 175th St, and the Burke Gilman trail. It was a beautiful sunny day until just about the end when the wild wind came through.

Everyone commented how pleasantly surprised they were that there was such little litter around. When we weighed it all, it was a perfect reminder how at times it may seem that our contribution is small, until you see what can be accomplished when we all come together for a common cause.

For many it was their first time at this serene park and for others their first time attending a trash pick up event - everyone plans to either be back to the pristine wetland and utilize the kayak launch and/or to start picking up trash more. All around a great day! So heartwarming to spend time with friends, family, and community members to give back to our earth and community. 💗🌍

How will you celebrate Earth Day this year? Share your inspiring stories and photos in the comments!

04/20/2024

All set up for the Earth Day Trash Pick Up!

03/09/2024

Another feature in publication about the incredible impact we’ve made together as a community of thoughtful citizens. Page 8 is a reflection on the Make Scarves for Mary’s Place event from last December; this time written by yours truly. When I wrote this it was to share information with City of Kenmore so they could use it in an article, not intending initially for it to be published as is in my own words. I was just speaking from the heart 💗 Thank you all for making these events such a success and for sharing with me the ways in which these events are meaningful to you.

KE N M O R E QUARTE RLY OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE CITY OF KENMORE, WA | Winter 2024 Community members get creative at the Love Where You Live Project booth. Last June, the City of Kenmore embarked on a yearlong or idea that has already...

03/06/2024

Do you ever look at the calendar and realize that weeks have passed in the blink of an eye?!

This is a belated follow up post to the Create Valen-Kindness Cards! event from February. I wanted to take a moment to finally share photos of the cards being delivered. Thank you so much to Christianne Vant for delivering cards to Aegis Living and Setia Judo for delivering cards to North Creek by Bonaventure. My coworker Reilly joined me on Valentine’s Day to drop cards off at Kenmore Senior Living and my amazing daughter came with me to Sunrise of Bellevue. This is the first year I asked for volunteers to help deliver the cards and I wouldn’t have been able to host this event with out their support.

Stay tuned for upcoming events. Beginning to plan an Earth Day trash pick up, possibly joining forces with a group making Mother’s Day cards for mother’s residing at Mary's Place, and a separate Kindness Cards event. Then the big Children’s Business Fair at the end of summer.

For anyone interested in being a part of the front end planning, please let me know! 💗

02/23/2024

Just a quick pick ME up on my lunch break! I sometimes forget how good it feels to pick up trash. When I feel like there’s any kind of chaos in my life that I can’t control, it helps so much to remember the things I DO have control over making better - like the planet 🌎. Doesn’t hurt that it’s a beautifully sunny day, I was jamming to my fav tunes, and getting fresh air and exercise.

02/17/2024

Happy Random Acts of Kindness Day! What better place to spread random kindness to strangers than at the airport?! We may be traveling today but we had to be sure to celebrate this great holiday! Made these cards on the airplane and handed them out in San Jose, CA 💗

Are you celebrating Random Acts of Kindness Day? If not - maybe choose a different day to spread kindness 😄

02/13/2024

Here it is! The article in the Seattle Times about the event last weekend!

Thank you all so much for the continued support. Every time I start to question whether I have capacity to continue these events, you all come through with help in so many ways!

Thank you Christianne Vant and Setia Judo for delivering cards - that is a HUGE help and I wouldn’t have been able to host this event without it.

Tara Maile Sprinkle has been such a life saver in helping with events and brainstorming on how to make them successful, I am so grateful for all the ways she supports me and these events!

City of Kenmore has been so great to partner with. The Hangar at Kenmore Town Square is the perfect venue for these events and I wouldn’t be able to host them without this space. The staff is so helpful and organized. Sharing posts on their social media pages, providing the tables and chairs, and just generally wonderful people.

FreeTime Solutions has been a great resource and support. From help with my website to strategizing on how to engage with volunteers and general business consulting that has helped shape many of the ways I have publicized and organized the events. If you’re looking for some pros in the area of business and marketing, I highly recommend them!

And special thanks to Sunrise of Bellevue for their kind donations of supplies and being incredible to work with!

This is the sixth year Thoughtful Citizens has made Valentine's Day cards for senior citizens.

02/12/2024

Important spotlight announcement!
This girl right here - my kindhearted, loving, brilliantly smart, and incredibly helpful daughter Lucy - is the reason I started these events and this page. She has been my continued inspiration. It all began because I wanted kid-friendly community service opportunities for her. As the years go by, she has become my event planning and preparation partner. She helps cut cardstock, organize supplies, plan event cover photos, figure out how to arrange the space, and set up and take down tables. She knows everything about the events and answers questions of volunteers, and organizes the volunteers who are setting up. She places all supplies on tables and participates in the events. The greatest help to me though, is how she continues to inspire me. Her kindness is unmatched and it is the light on the hectic event planning days that gets me through things. Let’s please take a moment to recognize this amazing person!! 💗

02/11/2024

The Seattle Times came to the Create Valen-Kindness Cards! event yesterday!! You amazing thoughtful citizens have shown that kindness and community are news worthy once again! Thank you all for continuing to be an inspiration 💗 The news link will be shared once available!

02/10/2024

Looking forward to making cards with all of you today!

02/01/2024

There is a mailbox out at Diva as of now for any Valentine’s cards for senior citizens you make at home as part of the Create Valen-Kindness Cards!event. More details for the in-person event on 2/10 can be found in the link. Looking forward to spreading love and kindness with all of you! 😄💗

01/21/2024

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! I would really like to host a Valentines Card making event for senior citizens again this year. I’d hope to host it on 2/10 and coordinate deliveries for 2/11 (or anytime on/before Valentine’s Day). I just don’t know that I have capacity and time to deliver cards to several locations. I’m looking for one or two people who would be able to commit to delivering cards to assisted living communities in the Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Woodinville area. If this sounds like something you are interested in please comment below and I will reach out to you with more details!

01/21/2024

Before and after a mini trash pick up today in Bothell. There’s a parking lot that needs some help every few weeks. This was just one small area. Thinking about having a regular pick up once a month. Any interest from all you Thoughtful Citizens in something like that?

01/18/2024

On January 15th, 45 community members came together to honor the memory and legacy of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr by making it a day of action and service. Despite the freezing temperatures, these families were set on serving and beautifying their community by collecting litter. The 21 adults and 24 kids (ranging in age from 5 – 16) spent 1.75 hours combing the beach at Log Boom park, searching along the Burke-Gilman trail, and walking down NE 175th St. We gathered at 2:45 for a group photo and to weigh our collection – which totaled 155 pounds! We reflected on the reason why we made it a day ON in service, rather than a day off from work and school - to honor Martin Luther King by doing our part to give back. As this group helped break down the event, to our surprise a second group of volunteers returned (it did seem like we were missing people!). With their added collection bringing the total to 169 pounds of litter collected!!

People were really determined to not leave a piece of litter behind. They climbed into bramble, trudged through the mushy shoreline, and walked all the way to Lake Forest Park along the trail! One family who has come to past events now holds the title of ‘mega collectors’; 5-gallon buckets will no longer suffice when they head out – we’ll be sending them out with a 55-gallon bag instead! A group of elementary students decided to make it competitive and weighed their buckets separately to see who collected the most. Middle schoolers who had come to a previous litter collection now brought their own grabbers, and asked how they could host their own event. It’s truly inspiring to see youth so excited and engaged. Most interesting finds include a exercise step, foam from a chair, and a ring. Of course there were lots of bottles, cans, and other debris…and a surprisingly high number of tennis balls! All those poor dogs who lost theirs to the lake I suppose.

While many of these volunteers have been to past events, for some this was their first. They all had the same question though, “What’s next?”. The community is excited and eager to continue to do more and give back.

In 1957, Martin Luther King Jr said to an audience in Montgomery Alabama, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”. This day of service was our answer.

01/13/2024

Here’s hoping the 624 scarves and other winter items we delivered come in handy with this freezing weather upon us 🤞🏼

The weather outside is FREEZING, and families are sleeping outside in cars and tents. Our Outreach team has loaded up with coats, blankets, hand warmers, diapers, and food and is checking in on unsheltered families. As we work to bring families into shelter, we need your help keeping those still in their cars and tents warm and safe with cold-weather gear. You can help by shopping our Amazon list (https://amzn.to/3RXZ1QV) or dropping off warm coats, gloves, hats, scarves, blankets, and hand warmers at a donation location near you https://www.marysplaceseattle.org/get-involved/share-your-stuff/donation-drop-off

01/08/2024

A Year in Review:
In 2023 I learned that our community is full of incredibly kind and giving souls. I have seen what started out as a few friends gathering together grow into something I never could have imagined. Thank you ALL for the support. Looking forward to what we can accomplish together as Thoughtful Citizens in 2024.

2023 by the Numbers
*207 pounds of trash collected
*612 cards made for senior citizens
*624 scarves made for families experiencing homelessness
*50 kid vendors at the Children's Business fair!

12/23/2023

You amazing thoughtful citizens have outdone yourselves!!

At this year’s 6th Annual Make Scarves for Mary's Place event OVER 100 community members came together to make no-sew fleece scarves for families experiencing homelessness (in prior years we had about 60 people attend). In past years we made between 300-400 scarves, so we anticipated and prepared for a similar number this year. As more and more people showed up, we quickly realized we were going to exceed that number.

In the end, together we made 624 scarves at the event!! We also received a donation of 14 crocheted scarves, 72 crocheted hats, 9 winter coats and a bag full of toiletries. We delivered an entire truck full of donations to Mary's Place on Monday afternoon!

This was only made possible because of the donations of funds and materials from the community and the help precutting fleece - and of course everyone who came to the event. Thank you all so much! It truly was an inspirational day full of reminders that we live in a caring and supportive community.

Now, brevity is not my thing and I am pretty passionate about this so please indulge me as I speak from the heart here…

The kindness ripples go far.

Every year, and all events hosted, I reflect on the impact made by the growing group of “thoughtful citizens”. As each event gains more and more interest it shows me what I’ve always believed to be true – there are so many people who are looking for ways to give back and engage, there just aren’t always a lot of opportunities. Especially for young children. I heard from so many people at the event that they can’t find ways to expose their younger children to community service. When I started on this journey it was to provide opportunities for people to give back that were easy, accessible, hands on, and geared towards including kids. I can’t find the right words to express how it feels to see these events grow, and hear that what I set out to provide has not only been achieved, but is also desired.

The ripples extend beyond the recipients of donations and the ability to get involved or engage kids. In the last two years I’ve seen that the benefits of these events have layers I never could have known. Last year a woman donated money for fleece in honor of her mom who had recently passed away; her mom used to make scarves for homeless families and this was her way of honoring that memory. This year I met a woman who donated 4 large bags of fleece. I asked her where she got it all and she told me that she had it in storage for 10 years, ever since her mother had passed away. She and her mother used to craft together, and while she’d been able to part with other belongings of her mom, she’d been holding on to the craft supplies. When she saw posts about the event, she felt that this was the way she’d finally part with the fleece, knowing it was going to a good cause as a way to honor her mother.

It is the expanse of impact that inspires and motivates me to continue hosting these events. It’s a lot of work, planning and preparing and hosting these events. At times I feel like I don’t have capacity to continue to do so, and then I see how much interest there is. I see the desire of caring people to give back. I am validated that I’m not alone in my quest to engage youth in service.

I can’t thank you all enough for being the incredible people that you are 💗

12/16/2023

Season’s Greetings cards have been delivered to senior citizens in our area!

We had a goal of reaching 75 cards for senior citizens and wow 🤩 you amazing and thoughtful citizens crushed it! We ended up with 222 cards made by community members in neighboring towns!! Cards were delivered to Sunrise of Bellevue, Kenmore Senior Living, and Lakewood Villa MHP in Kenmore.

Thank you to all the kind hearts who made this possible. The care and thoughtfulness you put in to your cards is so appreciated. We brought many smiles to our elders and reminded them that they are an important and cared about portion of our community.

12/08/2023

Update! It's a busy time of year and I missed important information in coordinating the delivery of cards. The story time is on a different day. We are still delivering and handing out the cards December 16th at 10:30 am and would love to have a group of kids and their parent join us to bring extra cheer! This might actually make it easier for you to join and coordinate around your busy holiday season schedule 🤞😄
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Looking for 10 kids and their parent to join me in delivering the Sentiments for Seniors - Season's Greetings cards to senior citizens on Saturday Dec 16th at 10:30 am! The senior center is in Bellevue and the staff there have arranged for a story time with Santa. The plan is to pass out the cards and stay for a story reading from Santa. I believe they are also making little goody bags to give to the kids. Comment if you are interested in joining and I will send additional details!

11/26/2023

21 more yards of fleece purchased today at $3.99 per yard at Joann’s big sale!! This wouldn’t have been possible without the incredibly kind and generous donations received from friends, family and strangers. That’s another 105 scarves we will be able to make for homeless families at the 6th Annual Make Scarves for Mary's Place event in a few weeks. My heart is full of gratitude 💗

11/23/2023

An attitude of gratitude can have a profound impact on the quality of your day to day life. It takes dedication and practice to form a habit of gratitude. I have a fairly regular nightly habit of writing 10 things I’m grateful for each day before bed. I can’t tell you how often I’m writing thanks for the Thoughtful Citizens (friends, family, and strangers) who have supported past events and me personally on this journey. I am so grateful for your generosity and willingness to lend a hand. You’ve all made a positive impact on my life and your contributions have made a significant difference in the community. I wanted to take a moment on this Thanksgiving to express my deepest appreciation for all of you.

I’ve personally noticed, and read articles that confirm, that kindness and gratitude do not only benefit the recipient and the giver, but also those who bear witness. If you have a moment to share what you are grateful for in the comments it could be an inspiration and a spark to others to reflect on things they are grateful for that perhaps go unnoticed at times 💗

Blessings to you all and wishing you a wonderful day 🍁

11/20/2023

The ‘mailbox’ is out at Diva Espresso inside The Hangar in Kenmore. It’s ready to receive your holiday greeting cards for Sentiments for Seniors - Season's Greetings! It is to the right of the coffee bar in the corner. Feel free to drop your cards off anytime between now and Dec 4th! And maybe enjoy a peppermint mocha while you’re there to show support and gratitude to Diva for letting me have the box there!

11/18/2023

The temperature sure is dropping! It's definitely time to start putting on scarves to stay warm. As it continues to get colder here in the greater Seattle area, many people start to think about those in our community facing homelessness and looking for a way to help.

On December 17th we will be having an in person scarf making event benefiting Mary's Place. These are very easy scarves to make at any skill level (if you can cut a piece of paper you can make a scarf). Supplies are provided but donations are welcome! You can also pre-make scarves at home and bring them to the event. Here's hoping we can provide warmth to hundreds of community members again this year! Check out the event details here 6th Annual Make Scarves for Mary's Place.

11/17/2023

Curious what it will be like at the 6th Annual Make Scarves for Mary's Place event? Here’s a FOX 13 Seattle news story by AJ Janavel from 2018 covering that year’s scarf making to give you an idea what’s in store. Each year grows more and more and it wouldn’t be possible without all of you amazing Thoughtful Citizens supporting this grassroots effort 🧣 💕 Thank you all for continuing to inspire, support and motivate me!
*there’s a video embedded in the article 😊

Kenmore family organizes event to give homeless scarves this holiday season By AJ Janavel Published November 30, 2018 FOX13 News | Seattle & Western Washington | Formerly Q13 News Share Copy Link Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit Kenmore family organizes event to give homeless scarves this holi...

11/17/2023

Taanvi was at this year’s Children’s Business Fair and has wonderful information to share about mental health and gratitude. So thrilled to see her continued success and can’t wait to see her journey unfold! What are some ways you can celebrate ?

YAY!

Finished my LIVE interview with FOX Rochester earlier today!

In the media segment, I shared strategies for how we can incorporate daily gratitude and how it can benefit our overall mental well-being, as it's National Gratitude Month!

By spreading this important message, I aim to help give practical tips to practice gratitude and use this month as a reminder to do it daily. By sharing the meaning of gratitude, and strategies to implement it, I hope you, your friends, and family can benefit from these strategies, bringing more thankfulness and compassion.

Thank you so much FOX Rochester for having me, as well as thanks to Dan & Abby for interviewing me, it was a really fun segment and enjoyed the talk!

Spread this message by reposting and helping it reach as many people as possible to help people feeling alone in their mental health journey, and to let them know there is hope, help, and

Stay tuned, full video coming soon!
inspiration

11/14/2023

Handed out to strangers at a coffee shop today to celebrate . Did you witness, spread or receive kindness today? Share in the comments!