In 2014, tragedy struck when Kristina Ulmer’s younger sister, Katie Amodei, was killed in a car accident on her way home with $100 in tips she’d earned waiting tables. Katie had always cared deeply for those less fortunate, so after her passing, Kristina felt compelled to use the money in a way that would honor her sister’s compassionate spirit.
Kristina, a ninth-grade English teacher near Philadelphia, held onto the money, gradually adding to it over the years. She wanted to do more than simply donate it-she wanted to create something meaningful that would reflect Katie’s legacy of kindness. By Christmas of 2018, Kristina had saved enough to launch a special project with her students at Hatboro-Horsham High School. She shared her sister’s story with the class and handed each student a $20 bill, with one simple instruction: use it to help someone in need or perform a random act of kindness.
The response from her students was remarkable. Some donated to charities, others helped individuals in their community, and many found creative ways to brighten a stranger’s day. Their acts of kindness ranged from sewing hats for premature babies and assembling hygiene kits for the homeless, to buying toys for children and paying off school fines so classmates could graduate.
The project quickly gained attention, inspiring donations from others who wanted to keep the kindness going. An anonymous donor sent a check to fund the next round, and over time, the initiative has grown, resulting in hundreds of unique acts of kindness and more than $7,000 raised to sustain the challenge for years.
Kristina continues to be moved by the impact her students make, compiling their stories and videos into a tribute that keeps her sister’s memory alive. As she puts it, “Everything that comes out of those kids’ mouths as they are sharing what they did and what they learned is my sister speaking. She’s been gone for years now, but her spirit lives on through all the things people are doing in her honor”.
What began with heartbreak and $100 in tips has blossomed into a living legacy-a ripple effect of kindness that shows no sign of ending.
It gets so beautiful when kind hearts beat in synchroneity with humanity.