Get to Know HKF
Get to know more about the work of Human Kindness Foundation in this 6 minute video featuring highlights from our 50th anniversary celebration, including talks from HKF participants, our Spiritual Director, Sita Lozoff, and our Executive Director, Erin Parish Mitchell.
Click here to view full videos of the new poem by Jaki Shelton Green, “Dancing in a Sky of Kindness,” and the new play by Hidden Voices Collective, “Together-Apart,” made in honor of our 50th anniversary.
HKF’s Executive Director, Erin Parish Mitchell, recently spoke at Duke University about our work creating collaborative content with artists and writers experiencing incarceration. Click here to watch her talk.
We create, curate and distribute free resources and conduct workshops about spirituality, mindfulness and wellness for people experiencing incarceration and their families. Our work is designed specifically for and with justice-impacted audiences.
Spiritual growth often happens in our darkest moments. Human Kindness Foundation gives people experiencing incarceration simple tools to deepen spiritual practices and promote wellbeing.
The people we work with have taught us that freedom, peace and beauty are present even in the darkest places. We believe unconditional love and unquestioning inclusion can help people become the best version of themselves.
Relationships are the heart of our work. We build relationships with the wide network of people affected by the criminal legal system, particularly those who are currently or have previously experienced incarceration and their families and prison and jail staff and volunteers.
Real People, Real Stories
I had such dark thoughts. When I’d be mad at someone, I’d imagine… well… it’s bad. Now I imagine going to their house while they’re at work, and I plant a flower bed for them. I’ve gone to the library to look up what kinds of flowers to use, and I have the borders planned, and what colors I’ll plant together. I’m not even mad anymore. I want to bring beauty into their lives. – Bud
We’re All Doing Time changed my life. When I first read it, I was in and out of solitary confinement. Now it’s been a 100 degree transformation. This service has brought me a freedom I’d never known and an energy of reconciliation with my loved ones. My experiences have built upon me the motivation to be part of the healing process for others. – Justin, USP McCreary
Thanks to the books you’ve sent me, I’m learning to quiet my mind, relax, and that I don’t have to react to emotions and feelings just because they present themselves. As a result of your work and generosity, others in the unit are also experiencing the healing and peace achievable by quieting the mind and controlling our actions. The effect is noticeable. The opening of a closed mind is amazing to see, especially if it’s yours. – Frank, Bertie Correctional Institution
Art from the Inside
