Seeds of Caring encourages volunteerism and community service among Columbus youth to teach them about empathy. Credit: Courtesy of Brandy Jemczura
Throughout her life, Ohio State alum Brandy Jemczura has lived by one mantra: “Kind is cool.”
This motto pushed Jemczura to found Seeds of Caring, a Columbus-based nonprofit that encourages service, social action and community-building for children, in 2016. Jemczura said the nonprofit aims to create a kinder and more connected world led by the youngest generation.
“We want to create a community of belonging,” Jemczura said. “Not a community of othering.”
The idea for Seeds of Caring was planted after Jemczura became a mom, she said.
“The idea of raising community-minded, kind and empathetic people was very important to me,” Jemczura said. “At that time, though, I just wasn’t sure how.”
Drawing from her experience as a social worker and educator, Jemczura said she knew instilling a passion for volunteerism and community service in children was key. Unfortunately, Jemczura said she found limited opportunities in Columbus that took volunteers under a certain age.
“That was the lightbulb moment for me,” Jemczura said. “Columbus was missing out on an opportunity to engage an entire generation in meaningful service.”
After that, Seeds of Caring was born. Since its founding in 2016, the organization has partnered with over 40 local nonprofits and community institutions — such as Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Goodwill — to make an impact on over 91,000 child participants.
Seeds of Caring offers different programs for kids and families to get involved in their communities year-round, Jemczura said. Every program emphasizes meaningful, hands-on service learning activities like packing sack lunches or making blankets for those in need.
Through these programs, Jemczura said she hopes Columbus’ socioeconomic barriers will be gradually overcome.
“We all need help sometimes and we can all give help sometimes,” Jemczura said. “That’s how we describe it to the kids.”
Julianna Hausman, Seeds of Caring’s program manager, said the nonprofit also wants to promote education around real-world problems — even broader societal challenges like environmental awareness or homelessness — with hopes to foster kindness, empathy and a healthy curiosity in all participants.
“We’re getting behind large community issues and making a difference,” Hausman said. “Sometimes, that leads to some really big questions, especially from children.”
Megan Hamilton, a former first-grade teacher and current community volunteer for Seeds of Caring, has felt the organization’s impact firsthand. Hamilton said she’s even seen a difference in her own son, who regularly participates in Seeds of Caring events.
Around the holidays, Hamilton said she saw her son eagerly put down a game controller and tell his friends he had to go volunteer. For a 7-year-old, she said choosing community service over the ever-popular game Fortnite speaks volumes.
“The experiences I’ve had with Seeds of Caring have been so meaningful,” Hamilton, also an Ohio State alum, said. “As both a teacher and a mom.”
Though Seeds of Caring’s main goal may be to positively influence children, it also exists for young parents, grandparents and everyone in between. Specifically, the nonprofit makes sure not to forget about those within marginalized communities, Hamilton said.
“One thing I like is that they give kids service opportunities who wouldn’t normally have opportunities to give back,” Hamilton said. “Seeds of Caring makes it accessible to all.”
While remaining deeply rooted in Columbus, Jemczura said she and her team have recently brought new opportunities for service and learning to Indianapolis and are hoping to plant seeds of empathy in children nationwide.
“In the end, at our core, if we can just show kindness to one another, our world would be a much better place,” Jemczura said.
More information about Seeds of Caring and how to get involved can be found on its website.
