What Are the Kindness Awards?

Kindness is more than just being nice; specifically, it involves deliberate acts of compassion and community service, creating a powerful ripple effect. These meaningful gestures demonstrate the profound positive impact we can have on each other’s lives through simple acts of caring and generosity.

The Power of Recognition: Why the Kindness Awards Matter

Our annual Kindness Awards celebration serves multiple important purposes within our community:

Building Stronger Communities: By highlighting acts of kindness and community service, we inspire others to follow suit. We hope to create a positive cycle of giving and compassion that strengthens neighborhood bonds and fosters social responsibility.

Supporting Child and Family Welfare: Our award recipients have demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of children and families, whether through educational support, healthcare advocacy, mentorship programs, or direct assistance to families in need.

Creating Lasting Change: The recognition amplifies recipients’ work, increasing visibility and resources for their important community initiatives and charitable efforts.

Who Can You Nominate for the Kindness Awards?

Our Kindness Awards program welcomes nominations across multiple categories, celebrating diverse forms of community impact:

Individual Heroes: Community members who have gone above and beyond to help children and families through volunteer work, mentorship, or personal sacrifice.

Community Organizations: Nonprofits, schools, and civic groups implementing innovative programs or services benefiting local families.

Business Partners: Local businesses and corporations that demonstrate corporate social responsibility through community investment, family-friendly policies, or charitable giving.

Youth Leaders: Young people who exemplify kindness in their schools and neighborhoods, inspiring their peers to make positive contributions.

Three Plus Decades of Community Impact

Over our 30+ year history, we have seen countless acts of kindness impact thousands of young children in our community. From corporate partners to individual volunteers, each award recipient represents the very best of human compassion and community spirit.

Nominate Someone – Nominations End July 19, 2026

Join us in celebrating people who make a real difference in the lives of children and families.

Acts of Kindness Nomination Form

Nominations end July 19, 2026

For more than 30 years, many individuals and groups have performed acts of kindness by going above and beyond to make our community a better place for young children and their families.

If you know someone or a group who has performed an act of kindness that impacted young children (birth to 5 years old) and/or their family, please tell us about them.

A panel will review all Kindness Awards nominations and choose up to 10 recipients to be recognized at the ceremony. Those selected will have significantly impacted our community, its families, and children outside their normal scope of work.

The honorees will be recognized during September which is also Smart Start month. 
Tell us about yourself





Nominee's Information




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2024 Honorees

Susan R. Ausby
Thomas Bridges
Lisa Childers
Jan Cobb
Roxxy A. Eppinger
Rita L. Gunter, MD
Felicia Tyson-Johnson, LCSW
Lucy H. Jones
Elizabeth Keeney
Erica Little
Perry Melton
Ayesha Neal
Cynthia Oates
Trent Oliver
Faith B. Phillips
Catherine Sexton
Claire Sexton
Tyrone Short
Christopher Young

Bank of America
The Beta Xi Chapter of Sigma Beta Xi Sorority Incorporated
Child Fatality Task Force
Children’s Home Society of NC
Dreamville Foundation
United Way of Cumberland County
Rooms To Go Fayetteville, NC
Safe Kids Cumberland County

2023 Honorees

Cathy Blackwell
Amy Cannon
Dr. Jeannette Council
Margaret Crites
Georgene Fayssoux
Dr. Marion Gillis-Olion
Dr. Jennifer Green
JoAnna Hinton
Kerri Hurley
Dr. Mark Kendrick
Helen Leggette
Charles Morris
Grayson Oliver
Billy Richardson
Linda Rivers
Jerome Scott
Birgit Sexton
John Somerindyke

Barnes & Noble of Fayetteville
CarMax of Fayetteville
Carrabba's Italian Grill of Fayetteville
Child Advocacy Center
Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc.
Cumberland County Department of Social Services
Falcon Children’s Home and Family Services
Fayetteville Urban Ministry, Inc.
Junior League of Fayetteville
Mid-Carolina Area Agency on Aging
PNC Bank
Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity

A panel will review all Kindness Awards nominations and choose up to 30 nominees to be recognized at the ceremony. Those selected will have significantly impacted our community, its families, and children outside their normal scope of work.

First of all, Congratulations! You have clearly made an impact in our community. Nominees who are selected to be honorees will be notified via email.

If you have additional questions about the Kindness Awards, please send us an email.