South Bay native Lindsay Barnett has lived in many places—New York, Hong Kong, Chile, Australia—but she finds that “there’s just a different quality of life” in the Beach Cities. Here, people greet you on the street and know their neighbors. “It just feels like a real community,” Lindsay says.
Lindsay volunteers as lead of the Kindness Moai, a social group that help community members participate in healthy activities. The group meets twice a month to discuss all things kindness—sharing personal stories, discussing the science of kindness, or meditating on a kinder future.
Before coming to BCHD, Lindsay hosted virtual kindness sessions, or ‘Kindness Campfires,’through her nonprofit, Our Kind of Club. She was initially motivated to partner with BCHD when she saw an opportunity to reach wider audiences and create avenues for participants to meet in-person. More recently, Lindsay started guiding kindness activations at larger Beach Cities’ events, including the Power of Purpose Workshops and the Adams Middle School Health & Wellness Fair.
Her interest in kindness work grew from research showing that “invisible variables” such as love, community, purpose and kindness can influence physical and mental well-being as much as modern medicine. “One of the things we heard from campfire participants was that the more they attended, the more they noticed all the kindness around them,” she says. “If we can create environments where people recognize how they can give, receive and observe kindness, they’ll start to benefit from its positive health effects.”
From the very first meeting, Lindsay saw how the Kindness Moai was able to gather individuals from all walks of life. “What sets this group apart from others is that the Kindness Moai meets people where they are at in their kindness journey,” says Jackie Uy, Lindsay’s volunteer supervisor. “Being a part of the group helped me realize there are so many small acts of kindness that go unnoticed every day. When we share these stories, we’re inspired to be kind to others. We feel better just hearing them.”
Lindsay describes BCHD as a “really amazing ecosystem,” where community members are empowered to get involved and give back through local health-focused initiatives. “This is the beautiful thing about volunteering, in general, is it just plugs you into your community.”
Although Lindsay was familiar with BCHD before she began to volunteer, she credits volunteering with introducing her to the organization’s breath of valuable services, resources and opportunities for connection. “You get to offer your gifts…and take part in other people sharing theirs,” she says.
Looking ahead, Lindsay plans to continue growing the Kindness Moai and engaging as many community members as possible. She will guide kindness activations at future BCHD events, including National Senior Health and Fitness Week in November.
“To know there are hidden superheroes everywhere that care about you and don’t expect anything in return is a comfort that words can’t fully explain. Lindsay is one of them,” Jackie says.
Outside of her volunteer work, Lindsay is preparing to launch a new podcast titled “The Hobby Effect,” exploring the many ways people spend their free time. As for Lindsay, she enjoys hiking, yoga, puzzles and visiting art museums.
