“I have never cared for something more than the Be A Friend Project – taking just two minutes out of your life can change someone else’s AND your own as well.  Brightening someone else’s day is not just a favor to them, it’s truly a favor to yourself. ” 

“Robert has been busy reading all his letters... each and every one of them is so uplifting, it is amazing. He has been a different child since that week! We can not thank the Be A Friend organization enough... you are helping our family heal.”​

“Thank you for the LIGHT you helped keep burning in my daughter. Without you guys, that LIGHT may have been snuffed out by this world. God bless this organization. ” 

“Be A Friend Project deserves so much credit for the boy that he is now. Ayden’s healing process has been made possible by your letters of support… I love the Be A Friend Project for making it a priority to help build our kids through the power of kindness.” 

Aside from the joy that it would bring to our son…it meant a lot to me as a father because I was having extreme doubt in humanity at the time, watching my son suffer and having the school pushing back and fighting against us.

“Even if we’re just contacting one student, just writing letters to one student, I know that what we are doing is making a difference and that might only be helping that one person but that it’s making a difference in that person’s life.” 

“Thank you for spreading the word and giving our kids the opportunity to show the world there is kindness in our youth, ‬‬‬hope for the future.” 

“My students learn empathy through this program and truly care about the well being of others.  It warms my heart to see our youth care so much about others.  We only hear the bad stuff teens do, and rarely get to see the positive.  I love that through Be A Friend, we can see our students shine!” 

“Your work is so special to so many bullied kids and their families! The empathy you promote among kids who become aware of what so many of their peers go through is amazing!” 

"We are in awe of your foundation and all of the work and so glad you found us and helped support us when we felt so hopeless."

"I can’t tell you how your project has already turned Piper's life around ... This is by far the best organization I have ever come across."

“Those letters made me feel so good about myself and like a better person. It always encouraged me to move on and ignore the bullies.” 

"As Sonia settled in for bedtime she shared, 'Those kids and adults are so kind - they took time to make art, pillows, write nice letters ….for me? I can’t believe it' ... Hearing her focused on positivity and gratitude instead of the bullies - priceless."

"It’s such a wonderful opportunity for them to feel like makers of change and to develop empathy, understanding that there are children all over the country who are experiencing such unfortunate circumstances."

“My students have been working on being compassionate and kind citizens so this was perfect for them… seeing how motivated they were to make a difference really made my year.” 

Being a
member of the BAFP was life changing for Brielle in more ways than one. The amazing friendships, the opportunity to practice intentionality and to become actively involved in your community, are just a few of the reasons why ALL PARENTS should encourage their children to get involved!

"A lot of us grew up from very different backgrounds, and I think being there to help others and showing them that they are not going to be judged by who they are…it’ll open up their eyes."

"We were so proud to honor this organization at our twenty year anniversary. (To) understand what they are doing for bullied kids around the country...it is absolutely incredible."

It is comforting to know that there are so many caring young people (and their leaders!) willing to spend the time to help prop up someone whom they have never even met. When I originally wrote to you, I was in a state of helplessness and grasping at straws for ways to help my daughter get through this. How could I have known what a gift I was opening when we first spoke. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all that you and your blessed team do!

“Thank you for being the change, making the difference and most importantly, teaching children to spread love instead of hate. Amazing organization showing people that we can make a difference!” 

"My heart is FULL ... I will say the work of the BAFP is absolutely, positively IMPACTFUL. I will do whatever I can to extend their reach."

"I realized I guess that I am worthy."

“Your letters touched a 10-year-old who was losing hope. With all the support, Logan is smiling knowing he is loved and nothing is wrong with him.” 

“The PTO is officially sponsoring the Be A Friend Project at our school this year, and the Student Council will be adopting it as their big project for the entire year. We’re so excited to get the whole school involved!” 

“You don't know how happy I am for what you guys did. I'm so happy that I know a lot of people care about me.” 

"After the worst day of my life, you guys really brightened me up. I just want to say to every single one of you, thank you." 

"Dalaya was blessed by the outpouring of love and acceptance by so many children around the WORLD! I can’t thank them (the BAFP) enough for being a caveat for change in a society where we see so much hatred via the news, social media, in our communities, and sadly in our own homes.
I tell my children all the time, be the change you want to see. Don’t wait unti the other person stands up and does something. You can be a beacon for others. So my family will join in on this Project. We will be hosting monthly meetups at our home.

"Thank you for supporting our daughter! We read letters every night and cry... tears of happiness and love. There are no longer tears of sadness and anxiety and begging me not to send her to school. She still tells me about her bullying, but we can work through it and read letters from the BAFP and see how many people love and care and figure out a plan for how to handle it."

"I love ya'all guys and I really appreciate that boys and girls and family and friends just supported me because you do not know how much this means to me, like important."

“I can't explain how lost and afraid I was. Getting that box of letters made me so happy. Just to see how many people cared, how many people took time out of their day to show me support. Your letters helped me emotionally. ” 

"It has taught the kids about empathy for their friends, empathy for people they don’t know…finding common ground with kids they have just met."

"Personally, I'm really grateful for the Be A Friend Project because it helps so many kids and I don’t know what they would do if there was no Be A Friend Project…bullies aren’t so easy to get out of your mind."

"We’re being allies to people we don’t know so then the people feel like ‘Wow, these people that I don’t even know really care about me.'"

"An organization that embodies the spirit of Matt. Kindness, forward-thinking and advocating for his peers. Youth who demonstrate a profound, personal commitment to social justice, equal rights and activism by showing the same passion to foster a more caring and just world. Just. Like. Matt." 

“Thank you for your on-going work to send love to and from young people across our nation and the world!” 

"My students eyes lit up when I announced we were writing ... Thank you for starting such an amazing organization that teaches empathy and friendship long distances!”​

“Seeing (Friend Mail Recipient) Marcus' reaction was so amazing. I don't really know how to describe it, it brought tears to my eyes... don't ever give up.”

“We are now committed to writing letters for the duration of the school year! The teachers and students really want to be a part of the work... you are doing work that makes a positive difference in the lives of children - and adults!” 

“We have been writing letters from our Afterschool Students. We employ Character Building Skills within our program to give a good foundation of positive social-emotional traits. We believe that with this foundation, it could faze out Bullying within our program.” 

The Be A Friend Project has impacted our son’s life and our lives tremendously. Not only with my son being a recipient…I think the overall message of the Be A Friend Project can help people of any age.

“To hear such positive things from other kids, those are the opinions that matter to her right now. This will really play a huge part in her healing.” 

“I will put my cup of sand on this amazing project to build a sand castle.”​

"This is making a huge difference for her as she just a week ago refused to go to school. She even talks about having a letter with her in her backpack at school to give her confidence."

"With ya'all's help, the students learned that a service learning project doesn't have to be manual labor or even volunteering, but something as simple as writing a letter to someone who is hurting."

"Haven't seen him this happy in so long. To have it come from children just does something different to another child going through self-esteem trials ... to see so many of them tell him he is their friend really means the world to him ... This program is literally God sent."

"After the Be A Friend Project, it really made me think that nobody would want to feel like that so I’m trying to be really kind to people."

Our son received over 1,200 friend letters, gifts, and video messages of support and love from around the country last week…I encourage anyone who is interested in bringing a little happiness to children who have experienced bullying by other children and their by their schools, to check out Be A Friend Project!

"I think that the anti-bullying theme is important to all students….I can easily incorporate it into my curriculum."

"The Be A Friend Project aligns seamlessly with Main Street School’s comprehensive approach to fostering academic and social emotional learning."