Sarasota County’s Gulf Coast Community Foundation is launching a new campaign today. It's called "You Matter," and the foundation calls it a “kindness campaign." It aims to encourage community members to reach out to each other and let one another know that their daily contributions to life in our community do, in fact, matter.

So how do you get involved?

Gulf Coast Community Foundation has printed out thousands of small cards that you can pick up at either of its locations (1549 State St. in downtown Sarasota, or 
601 Tamiami Trail S. in Venice), as well as other partner organizations, to hand out to friends, coworkers and even strangers to remind them that they matter.

“'You Matter' is about bringing people together and focusing on the collective impact we have on our community,” says Kelly Borgia, Gulf Coast Community Foundation's director of brand engagement. “The 'You Matter' message is so universal and something everyone can understand. Kindness and recognition just make people feel good and handing them a card is a simple and succinct way to remind them how important they are.”

“My hope is that people don’t file their card away in their desk drawer, but hand it to someone else later in the day,” she continues. “I’d love to see these cards a year from now, tattered up like an old dollar bill that has been handed from person to person.”

The "You Matter" campaign will culminate at Bayfront Park on Sunday, March 30, from noon to 3:00 p.m, coinciding with Embracing Our Differences' “A Celebration of Kindness” event. 

"You Matter" cards each have a QR code printed on them. Scanning it leads recipients to the initiative’s Facebook page, where people are already sharing stories about receiving their cards and calling out others who matter to them. The official campaign runs March 24-30, but the Facebook page will remain throughout the year.

After all, as Borgia says, “kindness doesn’t have an expiration date."

"You Matter: A Kindness Campaign" runs Monday, March 24, through Sunday, March 30. To pick up "You Matter" cards, call Gulf Coast Community Foundation at (941) 777-1270 or (941) 486-4600. Click here for more information.