Ben's Bells Stories

About 4 years ago I was waiting for the train to get moving that was stopped on our RR crossing on the Old Airport Rd near Benson. It was a warm spring day. Everyone had turned their motors off. This seemed to happen pretty much everyday. As I sat there with many things to do, I happened to look to my left and then I thought the train moved, but no it didn't but something unusual had flashed in the corner of my eye. I looked back. I wasn't sure what it was but I knew it was unusual. I got out and much to my surprise I read on the tag that is is a Ben's Bell and it was mine!!! I still have the beautiful bell, It seems it will last forever as a reminder to always be kind.

Back in 2007- I was down in San Diego from Idaho for my fathers funeral. I found one of Ben's bells, and it brightened my day. I still have that bell on my front porch and it reminds me of how wonderful people can be. A wonderful day to brightens someones day!!!

I recently lost my brother and two of my dear friends. A couple days ago my friend told me about Ben's Bells and it made me wanna find one with my brother. We found one this weekend and when I seen the smile n my brothers face I knew it ment something to him. It's been a long time since I seen him smile, thank you so much for making these besutiful bells, it's helped my brother out a little more and that makes me happy.

This year I am so happy to be introducing Kind Kids to the students at Marana Middle School. I was able to watch Ironwood Elementary spread kindness and now I get to experience seventh and eigth graders change the world! Thank you for this powerful program.

We are so grateful for the Ben's Bells Project. In 2009 I found one at a park near our home...early one morning while walking my dog.. I stopped and there it was.. my first response? I started to Cry. I grabbed the bell and we Ran Home as fast as we could.

It is one of my most prized items in my home.
I look at it, I smile, I am grateful, I am kind.
Thank you so much!!

Thanks for the Ben's Bell. My daughter and I found it at the top of Handies Peak, Co when we summited another Co. fourteener. I now have it proudly hanging in Chicago and it reminds me of that day with my daughter. It was a trip taken before she left for college.

My brother found a Ben's Bell while walking in a park near his home in NJ. He brought the bell to me in NC during a visit. We intended to pass it on, but forgot about it. More than a year later I found the item in the trunk of my car. I put it in my front seat of my car so I would remember to place it somewhere. Having never read the accompaning card I decided to look at it before I passed it on. To my surprise, the card said to keep it. It was the perfect message and gift I needed at the time. It is now in my garden and has helped change my perspective; reminds me to share joy. Thank you for the blessings!!

I was on my lunch break at work on the University of Pennsylvania Campus in Philadelphia, PA when I found my beautiful and much cherished bell.
I went inside to the lunch room and immediately showed it to everybody there. They could not believe that something so wonderfully
crafted could be free for the taking. It now hangs in my home from a chandelier where my 5 year old son loves to ring it all the time. We really love
our bell, I truely believe the saying, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets it's wings"
Thank you for bringing added joy to our family!

I was sitting at an outdoor table in downtown Boulder yesterday when I saw someone put something bright yellow on a post supporting a small tree. I really wanted to know what it was, so I got up and looked. It was a Ben's Bell. My mom and I took it home (we saw another one but we told someone else to take it instead). When we got home I told my best friend about it and told her to look for them, When I read the story about Ben, I was really happy that I helped pass on the message instead of taking the other bell. :D

My family was in downtown Boulder, CO this afternoon and our year and a half year old was playing around some rocks. On the bridge over this play area was a Ben's Bell. I just decided to look at the tag mostly out of curiosity. I thought a store might have put something out for advertising. When I read the card I was surprised - certainly this beautiful bell couldn't be free for the taking? I almost felt like I should leave it for someone else but then thought, I looked at it for a reason. After reading this story, I'm honoured to have found one. I can imagine the grief that a parent would feel upon losing a child and this is a beautiful way to embrace it, for lack of a better word. Thank you for including me in the process.

i was campeing and i just was walking and i found it there and it so asome

Last Ben's mother from Ben's bells came to kings collegiate charter school and spoke to us about the program .after the mother of Ben spoke to us she gave each of us a bell and we went to grand army plaza and hung them up.we gave some away and hung the rest,and when Ben's mother saw what we had done she cried for joy to see the fact that young kids are helping and want to participate she cried.

Jenna from NY kings school

My little 16 year old schnauzer/poodle mix "Bob Marly", had just died so I went to the ranch where he had come from so I could bury him next to countless others his original mom had saved and loved. I was walking down the country road looking for a special rock or something nice to place on his grave when I heard the tinkling of a bell. I looked over and found the beautiful heart and rasta colored ben's bell. It was perfect! As if my little Marly had been speaking to me himself. The bell is hung in a pinon pine over his grave and always gives me comfort to know that it was such a wonderful find to commemorate the love of my waggy tail dog. I will continue the love and kindness in my teaching and life as much as possible. Thank you!

I found a bell today at the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, Northern Ireland - I love it, thank you to whomever left it hanging happily from a tree!

my family found 3 bens bells wow!

My brother returned home to the UK from San Francisco this week after doing a years secondment at Uni there. He said he was walking along and found the Ben's Bell just hanging on a tree! he saved it for me and brought it all the way across America on the Greyhound bus and then all the way back home to 'sunny' England. I am over the moon to receive this wonderful gift, thank you so much for your wonderful project. xx

we did a beautiful chain of kindness for Family of Ben by your friends, at Kerrsville Folk Festival-I want to mail the pictures. I am a teacher and peace worker in philadlephia. my daughter performed as a finalist songw riter. the photos are gret- can you call and leave a messsage where I can send them From Shoshana and her Mom- who told me about the project.I alos have the email of the one girl who helped so much and took the chain home. I thinkl you woudl love htis idea using three by five cards- threehole punch and tied together- the kids worked on together

I had been trying to go to the japanese garden's for so time but I have been just to sick for guite sometime,so this pass Sunday the weather was great I got dressed and went , mind you the only reason I know about the garden's is because I use to work in Jackson Park here in chicago it's a neet place to visit and also just to refresh one's spirt, it's a few people in the garden nobody stop's to read the tag but me I was so enlighted when the tag said take it home I knew those bell's were ment for me because it had the heart shape on it and I had just had a procedure done on my heart which by the way would be my fourh heart surgery, and when I got in my car and was sitting at the light I heard 1 single bell ring over my head my husband heard the same thing. That is a very good thing to do I said I would like to start something like that,and you are right kindness an a smile goes a long way. Thank You

I found a bell today, in Philadelphia! I saw something bright yellow hanging from a pole and went over to look more closely and was thrilled when I read the tag. I'm starting a similar project soon where I and other artists make art and leave it for people to find, so it was really cool to find someone else doing something like that. I was having some doubts about the project, but finding the bell brought a little bit of surprise and pleasure to my day, so now I'm determined to go ahead with it. Thanks!

I was walking my daughter to school and we were hoping to see our friend Sally along the way. Everytime my daughter sees a flower she says it reminds her of Sally because Sally always has beautiful flowers around her. We did see Sally on the corner of 3rd and C Street, Washington DC, and as we were talking, my daughter looked up and said, look at that beautiful flower and she pointed to an orange Ben's Bells hanging on a tree. We were delighted at finding our first Ben's Bells. We had heard of other people's stories but had not yet had the experience of finding one ourselves. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful gift.