John and Karen Arnold, Founders of Kindness Coalition share why they are passionate about helping others. They are dedicated to helping the homeless through their support of Opportunity House.
Why did you start the Kindness Coalition and what is the purpose of the organization?
Karen and John Arnold, Kindness Coalition founders, and supporters of Opportunity House.
We started the Kindness Coalition as a foundation that we could use to give back to the community.
The Kindness Coalition is a foundation that provides funding and support to certified tax-exempt nonprofit human health and social service organizations to empower others to overcome hardships and to nonprofits that improve the quality of life, primarily in Central Pennsylvania and Berks County.
What inspires you to help those who are experiencing homelessness?
We have a real interest and a real soft spot in our hearts for those people trying to get over hardships and get themselves, their children, and their families from here to there. Homelessness is a huge problem and frankly, it’s never been worse than it is today. The Kindness Coalition makes an impact in our own area in Central Pennsylvania and Berks County which we know so well. Hopefully, we are making a little difference with our efforts.
How does Opportunity House make an impact in our community?
Opportunity House plays a critical role in making a difference in our community. The range of services that Opportunity House provides, from helping the homeless, and providing affordable childcare, to OppShop, are all critical needs in our community. Opportunity House tackles them head-on.
Karen, what is something you learned about Opportunity House by being on the board?
I gladly served on the board for about 11 years. During that time Opportunity House grew from a single-building shelter to include many new facets that it has today. I credit Modesto and his team for taking the initiative to realize what was needed in our community and run with it.
Why do you believe others should support the work of Opportunity House?
Many times there would be a need, and we had no funding for it, but we were always able to find a way to make things work. If you want to try to make an impact in our community and help those in need, there is no better place for you to focus your time, attention, and treasure, than Opportunity House. They’ve been around for 40 years. They know what they are doing. They have an excellent reputation. They’re very well run.
We don’t know what it would be like in our community without Opportunity House. We are so pleased to continue to sponsor the efforts of Opportunity House. Its name suits it well, allowing those to achieve something they probably couldn’t on their own.