MoCo residents out walking in their neighborhoods this spring may be surprised to find painted rocks with inspirational sayings and beautiful designs hidden near walkways, lakes, and trees. I first came across a painted stone hidden on a fence while walking with my dogs in Montgomery Village. I joined the Montgomery Village ❤ Rocks (MV Rocks) Facebook page to see what this growing trend is all about and found that it is not just happening locally. The Kindness Rocks Project, founded by Megan Murphy of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has inspired many groups to form. Kindness Rocks Damascus and Olney Rocks have also been busy spreading kindness and happiness in their communities.
Julia Naoui founded MV Rocks in July 2017 with members of her walking group. The group’s plans for the day were cancelled due to bad weather so they stayed inside and painted rocks instead. Since then, the group has grown to 345 members with new members being added daily. Kristen Nelson started Olney Rocks in June 2017 after seeing Kindness Rocks posts on her timeline and realizing that Olney did not yet have a group. Nelson said that performing random acts of kindness is very important to her family and it was easy to start the group with friends and neighbors. Olney Rocks now has over 750 members and has helped spread the movement to other local organizations including elementary schools and Girl Scout troops. According to its Facebook page, Kindness Rocks Damascus has 691members.
The common purpose of these groups is to bring joy to their communities. “Fostering happiness and kindness” is one of Olney Rocks’ goals, according to Nelson. She said it has been a very positive experience and the best part is “the happiness that it brings to our community.” The Montgomery Village Rockspage describes the group as a “way to connect our community, encourage art, and promote random acts of kindness.” Kindness Rocks Damascus believes “pictures and inspirational quotes can bring a smile to someone looking or to that lucky someone who stumbles upon a beautifully painted rock.”
