Student "Takes Action" to pay it forward
Updated: February 4, 2013
CHAMPAIGN -- A UI student is teaching people in the community to pay it forward. Her friend's son died suddenly in 2002. Now she, and people around the country, are Taking Action to honor his memory.
They're building what they call "Ben's Bells." The project is named for a 2-year-old who lived in Tuscon, AZ. His family said it felt like they were living a nightmare after he died. They needed something to take their minds off the pain, so they started making clay wind chimes.
They put them around the community when they were done and left them for people to find. It was their way of passing along kindness to people who had supported them.
Michelle Bonati was close to the family, so when she moved here, she brought the project along with her. Bonati is a doctoral student in the Special Ed department.
She teaches kids to think about doing nice things for others while making the chimes. The ornaments will also remind them to pass it along to catch more people up in the spirit of service.
There are monthly events where people can help make the wind chimes.
Click here to find out more about the Ben's Bells program.
Click here to find out about events in our area for the Ben's Bells campaign.
They're building what they call "Ben's Bells." The project is named for a 2-year-old who lived in Tuscon, AZ. His family said it felt like they were living a nightmare after he died. They needed something to take their minds off the pain, so they started making clay wind chimes.
They put them around the community when they were done and left them for people to find. It was their way of passing along kindness to people who had supported them.
Michelle Bonati was close to the family, so when she moved here, she brought the project along with her. Bonati is a doctoral student in the Special Ed department.
She teaches kids to think about doing nice things for others while making the chimes. The ornaments will also remind them to pass it along to catch more people up in the spirit of service.
There are monthly events where people can help make the wind chimes.
Click here to find out more about the Ben's Bells program.
Click here to find out about events in our area for the Ben's Bells campaign.
