Our Story
Our Story
It began as a 4 year old little girl’s flickering dream that maybe one day all people could live in joy and peace together like one big family. She did not know that the world would tell her that’s impossible. So she gleefully kept her flicker of hope alive. As she got older, unfortunately her dream was trampled with betrayal, trauma, heartbreak, and sorrow. That flicker had become squelched and changed into a new flame of fear and destruction. The dream of the little girl became seen as distant and impossible and was named unrealistic. After all, in the mostly harsh bitter world shown to her, she did not feel joy or peace.
As a young adult now beaten and battered, she lost her dream and herself. As the years continued, time and time again she would turn to look at the squelched old flame with tearful eyes as her life burned with the flames of destruction. Now as a mother with her own family, she spent many moments working hard as if against all odds to ignite that squelched flicker. Inside her lived the heart of a rose gardener cultivating with hope to see something beautiful arise. She hung on to this sacred role as if protecting the tiny flame within her. She would see glimmers of possibility as rose buds would begin to form only to realize she was cultivating on a path destined for wildfires. She watched as her hard work burned much like her heart. She would try and try again only to discover all her efforts burned over and over again in wildfires.
Middle aged, desperation set in as she could no longer stand the painful flames. With courage, determination and grit beyond herself, she stood up to the fires. At first not knowing how to battle the engulfing flames, she fought fire with fire. With self-righteous indignation she persisted, like an animal cornered and blinded by terror she fought for her life. When the stirred dust and embers settled all that was left was smouldering devastation. Exhausted, and defeated she falls hard. She looks around to see all has been completely lost. Not only had she lost herself but now she seemed to lose everything and everyone she cared for. She no longer felt the heat of the burning fire but now she didn’t feel anything at all. Even her flicker of hope was nowhere to be found.
Upper middle aged, stunned and numbed by the complete desolation, she only saw dark ashen paths surrounded by gray skies. What now? Her choices were either to succumb to the devastation or surrender to the unknown. Slow at first, and very painfully she worked at the flicker again for it is all she knew to do. As she stirred the ashes left behind she found embers, so she began to hope again. She imagined herself the rose gardener seeding, cultivating and nurturing new growth. She turned embers into a steady small flame in her heart caring for it as a sacred duty while she gardened. The blossoms did not happen right away, but faithfully she kept her small flame of hope and remained dutiful to the cultivation. Soon enough, wildflowers began to overtake the landscapes of her life. Her small flicker of hope inside manifested beautiful rose gardens of possibility. She understood now, the path is enriched with trust, love, and steady commitment. Then the growth transforms into a gorgeously peaceful life of joy.
This story mimics many stories of human beings all over the world no matter what color, region, race, religion, status or outlook. It is a story of transgressions, conflict, sadness and loss, followed by learning to take a stand for change and the beauty of cultivating a new story filled with hope.
Kinship Development is a philanthropic organization created by its founders to be a stand for people to become culture shifters and change makers. To do that we must start by dousing our flames of shame, fear, hate and polarization. Then we can reconstruct a whole new beautiful hope and possibility that we can all live like family.
What is a Kinship Culture?
Collective minded people who care deeply about social change, bonded together through affinity, common purpose, and a strong desire to expand their legacy into the world.
Our Philosophy
Positive change in our society begins with becoming the change. People with diverse cultures, upbringing, privileges, and experiences can be challenged, to say the least, when it comes to uniting behind a common cause. It is seen countless times that groups who are impassioned to make a positive difference, can get mired in complexities such as people sitting on opposing sides of topics. This can be frustrating or at lease ‘a kill joy,’ dampening progress. The complex nature of multi-perspectival groups can either jettison a group forward or bring the group to a jarring halt. Many may at least create compromise and snail forward dulling their passion. Unfortunately, too many loose their charge and do not achieve the difference they were meant to create. This is a great loss for our society especially for philanthropic based groups.
Positive change requires people coming together to be a greater stand for WE and not just ME. While most can agree to this ideal, it is this very premise that usually is the first thing to get lost when a group’s impact is suffering. Healthy joyful conscientious and passionately purposeful groups are possible. Become the change, shift the internal structure of your group and join the ranks of kinship cultures.
Our Stand
Promoting Kinship Cultures
Our Purpose
We Enable Social Bonding that Feels Like Family.
Our Values
Affinity, Unity, and Transformation.
Our Mission
To support others in creation of groups aligned in purpose, united in shared values and passionately cohesive so that they make the greatest positive impact to this world.
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Our Vision
Through education and social services, families, groups, activists, teams and businesses alike enhance and transform into waves of fierce difference makers, each changing our communities in their own unique way.