Valparaiso will soon host a new kindness rock garden at the Valpo Creates Center on Indiana Avenue, featuring rocks painted with uplifting messages. Members of PEO, a philanthropic educational organization, recently donated approximately 100 such rocks to the Valparaiso Creative Council (VCC), where the garden will be developed to foster a sense of community kindness, Chicago Tribune reported. The garden is expected to be created in the spring, with its intent to plant seeds of kindness and serve as a "visual display of colorful positivity," according to PEO local chapter president Laura Hrusovsky.
The initial donation from PEO includes rocks inscribed with various inspirational messages such as “You rock,” “Be the light,” and “You are a Winner.” PEO members gathered, hand-painted, and prepared these stones, ensuring they were sealed with acrylic spray to withstand weather conditions. The organization encourages other community groups and individuals to contribute their own painted rocks to expand the garden.
Jessica Corral, VCC Executive Director, confirmed that the garden’s development is scheduled for the spring. As the garden grows with more contributions, it aims to highlight the prevalence of kindness within Valparaiso. Corral also indicated that while PEO members, many of whom are retired, engaged in rock-painting parties to prepare their donations, the VCC plans to host similar events in the future to encourage broader community involvement, particularly among children.
The concept for these kindness rocks originated with PEO members Laura Hrusovsky and Patty McMahon, who expressed enthusiasm for the partnership with the VCC. McMahon told Chicago Tribune that painting the rocks is "not hard at all," noting that she collected stones from the dunes for painting groups. McMahon described PEO as "just women getting together, helping women," focusing on raising funds for scholarships and loans for women pursuing education. The organization has a history spanning 157 years.
Kindness rocks are not a new phenomenon in Valparaiso; painted rocks are sometimes hidden throughout the city for others to discover, encouraging finders to replace them with their own and re-hide the found rock. This garden aims to centralize that spirit. McMahon told Chicago Tribune her idea was to create a garden of rocks where people could add to it, hoping it would make Valparaiso known as "a kind community."
Mayor Jon Costas acknowledged the importance of daily reminders about kindness, suggesting the new garden would assist in this effort. He also mentioned that the city is planning a civility summit for next year, intended to emphasize the value of appreciating diverse perspectives within the community. The overall goal for the garden, according to Hrusovsky, is that it "May it serve as a colorful sanctuary of encouragement."
