CLEVELAND — For Jaylin Brown, a senior at Ginn Academy, being nice to others is something that just comes naturally.
"It's something we should all just do because we can. Saying good morning to somebody, checking on somebody or even acknowledging somebody," said Brown.
Brown, along with his classmates, were on the receiving end of a random act of kindness Monday morning. The group Values in Action donated 260,000 N95 masks to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to help kick off the Kindland campaign inside Cleveland schools.
Values in Action President Stuart Muszynski spoke to the students at Ginn Academy during their daily convocation.
"You guys have an opportunity of being the first in the country to do anything like this," said Muszynski.
The goal of the initiative, now in its second year, is to make Cleveland the most caring community in the country.
"You're going to have different kindness activities in your school that your teachers are going to be pushing, you're going to see lawn signs up around the entire community," said Muszynski.
Students are encouraged to use the Just Be Kind app to help track all the good happening around them.
"We're doing the first act of kindness for you and to you, and now you guys have to pay an act of kindness forward," said Muszynski.
Principal Damon Holmes said the roll out of the Kindland campaign not only adds fuel to the work already underway at Ginn Academy, but also being the focus of a random act of kindness sends an important reminder to his students.
"We're constantly trying to find ways to let them know they're thought of, that they're cared for and that they're loved, not just from Ginn Academy but from the city as well, and so I think that emphasized our point," said Holmes.
Students like Jaylin Brown are ready to return some of that care and love to the community -- as the Kindland campaign takes hold in Cleveland schools.
"It gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you help somebody. Yeah, I did it. I did that. Didn't have to, wanted to be kind," said Brown.
RELATED: Nonprofit launches initiative to transform Cleveland into 'Kindland'
