The award made its debut on Charlotte’s 7th birthday, just 2 months after her death. In those few short months, we received over 1,000 entries worldwide. On February 22, 2013, 150 people attended the first award ceremony to honor kind children in Charlotte’s memory.
Natalie Horn age 10, Lindsay Dievert age 11, and Shannon Jackman age 11, Newtown, CT created the ‘Charlotte Bacon Chain of Love’ which encourages spreading love and paying it forward.
Over the course of 5 years, The Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness award recognized several thousand Acts of Kindness and awarded 48 children for their exemplary acts. The award ceremony on Charlotte’s birthday was the culminating event each year, bringing hundreds of kindness ambassadors together for a night of recognition and celebration.
It was the vision and actions of our dear friend, Aaron Carlson, that launched this non-profit in Charlotte’s honor when we did not have the fortitude. For this, we are forever grateful to him.
At the same time, we at Newtown Kindness performed our own acts of kindness, from toy drives, to building playhouses, to funding new swing sets at the Charlotte Bacon Playground in West Haven, CT.
In 2017, we found ourselves wanting to contribute in new ways.
Over the years since Charlotte’s death, we had become active in the grief support community and felt led to turn in that direction. In July 2017, we rebranded the organization as the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation. This rebranding allowed us to broaden its mission while always remembering our roots in kindness. Just like Newtown Kindness, the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation continues to Think Kindly, Act Boldly.