Colton’s Raisin Kindness Teacher Info
“* This activity is not associated with Sun-Maid Growers of California.
2025
Raisin Kindness Mission!
April 7th - April 30th
Kindness Week Themes & Timeline:
Sunday, 4/6 - Raisin Kindness Kickoff Video by Colton will be emailed to teachers. Option to share with the classroom to introduce this year’s mission!
Monday 4/7 - Raisin Kindness Begins!
Week 1 focus: our Raisin Kindness Sponsors who make this program possible! Sponsors love to be tagged on social media, they love oversized cards, they love thank you videos, and to know that their donation is inspiring kindness and making a difference! Sponsor mailing addresses can be found below. *Watch your email for a special bonus prize for the first 3 classrooms to send sponsor cards!
Week 1 prize: Tom Sturgis individual Pretzel bags!
Task: Send a photo of the sponsor thank you cards before you mail them to coltonryan913@gmail.com! Once we receive confirmation that your class did a thank you note for each sponsor - we will arrange delivery of all of your snack bags for the remainder of the month. All Snack bags will be delivered on 4/14 or 4/15 for you to present to your classroom each week as it fits into your schedule!
Monday 4/14 - Raisin Kindness Week 2!
Week 2 focus: our local Veterans and elderly neighbors
Week 2 prize: Diffenbach Potato Chip individual bags!
Task: Use 1/2 the stickers provided with your snack bag delivery on your cards/ crafts to Veterans/Elderly community members! Encourage them to share their card on social media and tag @RaisinKindness to help your class earn ice cream cash. (Email a photo of a card(s) to Colton that shows the sticker on them if possible for us to share too!)
Monday 4/21 - Raisin Kindness Week 3!
Week 3 focus: our local firefighters & police officers!
Week 3 prize: Pepperidge Farm Goldfish individual bags!
Task: Use the other 1/2 the stickers provided with your snack bag delivery on your cards/ crafts to local firefighters & police officers! Encourage them to share their card on social media and tag @RaisinKindness to help your class earn ice cream cash. (Email a photo of a card(s) to Colton that shows the sticker on them if possible for us to share too!)
Monday 4/28 - Raisin Kindness Week 4! The Last week!
Week 4 focus: our local school helpers! In the past, decorating janitor’s closest, giving bus drivers oversized cards to thank them, and surprising PTO with homemade appreciation cards have made significant impacts! Think parent volunteers, PTO, coaches, lunchaids, classroom moms, special teachers, secretaries, principals, etc.
Week 4 prize: SunMaid Raisins! (And Milano Cookies for those who send Colton a photo to use on social media)
Task: Decorate the Yard Signs with kind/ inspiration/ appreciation messages provided with your snack bag delivery! Consider putting them around your school outside with the stakes, or use them as posters in the school to surprise teachers! You can also place them in teacher’s yards if you have permission! Encourage them to share their sign on social media and tag @RaisinKindness to help your class earn ice cream cash. (Email a photo of a card(s) to Colton that shows the sticker on them if possible for us to share too)
Wednesday, April 30th - National Raisin Day!
Kind Kid Wrap-Up Celebration at Montrose Manor Playground. Stop by to use your ice cream cards & meet Colton 4pm-6pm. If you’d like, you can also order a Family Meal from Mimmo’s Meal PopUp to support Raisin Kindness’s growth as we begin to plan for next year! (Link for details)
Ideas:
Leave the Yard Signs up and posters around school for a few weeks as decorations for Teacher Appreciation Week the following week!
Encourage your kids to complete these acts of kindness at home, in the classroom, during sports practices, …anywhere! The goal is to spread kindness … always!
A win-win! Teamwork makes the dream work. (And kindness is contagious!! Let's sprinkle it EVERYWHERE!)
Thank you for spreading smiles & sharing the love with me!
-Colton
10-Year Old, Founder of Raisin Kindness
Photos only to Colton: ColtonRyan913@gmail.com
Questions to Colton’s Mom? heather@doitlocalberks.com (Colton's mom).
Raisin Kindness Sponsors
Sponsor Mailing Addresses for Raisin Kindness Thank You Notes
Sponsor Mailing Addresses for Thank You Notes:
Lisa Eshelman, RE/MAX of Reading
1290 Broadcasting Rd
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Katie Broskey REALTOR®, Keller Williams Platinum Realty
60 Commerce Drive
Wyomissing, PA 19610
The Scott Jaraczewski Team - Iron Valley Real Estate Berks (link)
Attention Scott and Erica
50 Berkshire Ct
Suite 200
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Attention Kevin
Email kevin@madjmarketing.com
Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Inc.
Attention Kelly Edwards
2120 Fairmont Ave
Reading, PA 19612
Immanuel UCC of Shillington (link)
Attention Rev Meg
99 S Waverly St
Shillington, PA 19607
Berks County Community Foundation (link)
Attention Kim
237 Court St
Reading, PA 19601
Do It Local Berks (link)
Attention Heather
1 Ridge Ct
Mohnton PA 19540
Riverfront Federal Credit Union (link)
Attention Shawnae Lorenz
2609 Keiser Blvd
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Tom Sturgis Pretzels
Attention Michelle
2267 Lancaster Avenue
Shillington, PA 19607
Sun-Maid Growers of California
Attention STEVE LOFTUS, PRESIDENT & COO
6795 N. Palm Ave.
2nd Floor
Fresno, CA 93704-1088
Dieffenbach’s Potato Chips, Inc.
Attention Carol Hess
51 Host Road
Womelsdorf, PA 19567
Sponsor Mailing Addresses for Thank You Notes Continued:
Attention Mike
290 Morgantown Rd
Reading, PA 19611
Tyler Miller Real Estate Team, Keller Williams Platinum Realty (link)
60 Commerce Dr
Wyomissing, PA 19610
David Hinkel, Coldwell Banker Realty
60 Commerce Dr
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Attention Angie
542 Penn Avenue
West Reading, PA 19611
Attention Kristi
101 N 7th Ave
Reading, PA 19611
Motta's Country Gardens and Landscaping (Link)
Mailing Address: Attention Amanda
180 Troxel Road
Birdsboro, PA 19508
Toph Miller at Pagoda Realty & Property Management (link)
1813 Reading Blvd
Wyomissing, PA 19610
Allison Kercher Realtor at Pagoda Realty & Property Management (link)
4951 Dunham Dr
Reading, PA 19606
O'Neill McKoy Real Estate Group (link)
Attention: Melinda
2741 Bernville Road
Leesport, PA 19533
Muhammad Archie, Realtor (link)
1017 Antonio Dr
Reading, PA 19605
Redner’s Markets, Inc.
Attention Eric B. White
3 Quarry Road
Reading, Pa. 19605-9787
Tru by Hilton Denver
Attention Linda Lovenstein
400 N Reamstown Rd
Denver, PA 17517
Pepperidge Farm
Donations Department
2195 N Reading Rd
Denver, PA 17517
Herr’s
Herr Foods, Inc.
Attention Maryann Tice
P.O. Box 300
Nottingham PA 19362
Local businesses are our main source of donations, if you’d like to get involved in this mission of spreading kindness and snacks please contact heather@doitlocalberks.com!
Follow our impact on Facebook!
About Raisin Kindness
Raisin Kindness is a project started by our local Board of Imagination Winner, "Colton from Mohnton.” The project’s goal originally was to spread kindness through snacks to all of the GM elementary school kids at Brecknock, Mifflin Park, and Cumru Elementary School, as well as Immanuel Preschool for the 2022-2023 school year.
Word got out! In January 2023, Colton had an overwhelming request to expand Raisin Kindness beyond Governor Mifflin, into neighboring school districts. This is when Colton created the Raisin Kindness Mission Postcards to launch a friendly competition that encouraged classrooms across Berks County to work together to complete acts of kindness throughout the month of February 2023 for the chance to earn a large prize snack box for their classroom!
Our 2nd Annual Raisin Kindness Mission took this concept and exponentially grew! Teachers are now preplanning their kindness activities and ready to spread extra smiles throughout March with us to earn snacks for their classrooms while making a difference in our community!
This project is made possible by our amazing community of business sponsors, individual donors, Immanuel UCC of Shillington church family, and volunteers.
We are now ready to launch our 2025 Raisin Kindness Mission! Join us! With your love and generosity, we will continue this mission of spreading smiles & kindness for years to come. Please read more below!
“I know our teachers spend a lot of their own money buying snacks for students who don’t bring their own, so this would be so appreciated by staff. Please tell Colton that we are so grateful for his kindness and ideas.”
— Principal Paparella, Mifflin Park Elementary School
All thanks to YOU!
Colton won the 2023 Youth Philanthropy Award for launching Raisin Kindness!
“Colton is a Rockstar! What an awesome entrepreneurial idea to spread some love and snacks.”
— Principal Kopetsky, Brecknock Elementary School
The Wyomissing Neighbors Article shared how Raisin Kindness impacted the local Teacher winners at Wyomissing School District
Watch the WFMZ News Report on Colton’s Lemonade Stand for his teacher.
Kids can make a difference and this story proves it! Colton hopes this story inspires other young kiddos to dive in and make a difference! #RaisinKindness
BCTV.org Interview on SunMaid’s BOI Experience
The Raisin Kindness Mission formed after Colton won the National SunMaid Contest in 2022 to join their Board of Imagination for the 2022-2023 school year. Learn more in this interview.
"During school, sometimes all you need is a little snack to turn your day around - or a kind message to make you smile. So I want to spread smiles and kindness through delicious snacks to all our GM Elementary Schools and beyond!" - Colton.
The first annual Raisin Kindness Mission was a success! 2023
In order to combat depression during the winter months, our local Sun-Maid Raisin Winner, Colton, collaborated with schools, libraries, and local businesses across Berks County to create the first annual Raisin Kindness Mission which encouraged elementary & preschool students to complete acts of kindness in order to earn large snack bins for their classroom during the month of February 2023!
We are so excited to announce that 9,874* acts of kindness were reported for our first Raisin Kindness Mission!
Like our Raisin Kindness Facebook Page to see photos of our classrooms’ kind acts & snacks!
Spreading Smiles & Sharing Snacks!
Berks County Living “In the Lime Light” Feature
In the Limelight with Colton Brady, Board of Imagination Member with Sun-Maid
by Sarah Matarella, Photography by John A. Secoges, Secoges Photographics
Q: How did winning the Sun-Maid contest snowball into other opportunities?
“We started the Raisin Kindness project so that Colton’s friends and students at other Elementary Schools received free snacks as well and then our project spread throughout the whole Governor Mifflin School District,” says Heather Brady, Colton’s mom. “The word got out to local donors and other school districts, and they wanted to get involved… Now we have snack boxes with all of Sun-Maid’s flavored raisins, Goldfish and Milano cookies in about 30 different classrooms in 14 school districts.”
Q: What else did you work on during your position over the 2022-2023 school year?
On Zoom, we talked with Chef Duff [Goldman] about making his Truce Cookie recipe, half oatmeal raisin and half chocolate chip, to leave them out for Santa. We had to send a video to Sun-Maid when we were making them. Then they made a cool video with all of [the Board of Imagination members'] videos.
Click below to read the full interview.
What we learned:
Follow our Raisin Kindness Facebook Page to share kindness ideas throughout the year!
The most appreciated acts of kindness completed during our first annual Raisin Kindness Mission were:
Hand written thank you cards & posters! Especially to our mission sponsors and Colton himself! What a surprise that truly made a lasting impact.
Bus Driver Gifts & Cards.
Janitor Office surprise gratitude decorations!
*We will add more awesome write-in acts as we go through the cards one by one to share!
Have ideas for Raisin Kindness? Colton’s only 8 years old, so snail mail is the best way to share them! His Raisin Kindness’s Mailing Address is:
Immanuel Church of Shillington
To Colton Brady, Raisin Kindness
99 S Waverly St
Shillington, PA 19607
FAQs
Who started Raisin Kindness?
7-Year-Old Colton Brady from Brecknock Elementary School who won the Sun-Maid Raisin National Contest in March 2022.
What does The Raisin Kindness Mission do?
Encourage elementary aged students to complete random acts of kindness to earn snacks for their classroom.
Why is this project important?
Hungry kids struggle to focus. Kindness is needed now in our schools more than ever.
How can you help?
Talk to your kids about fun ways to spread kindness throughout their classrooms and beyond!
Join our Raisin Kindness Mission!
Please like our Raisin Kindness Facebook Page and watch for updates and help spread the word on this awesome mission!
-
More about Colton
" Hi, I am Colton! I served on the Board of Imagination at Sun-Maid Raisins in the Fall for the 2022-2023 School Year. Part of my prize was winning a bottomless snack locker full of snacks for a year for my school, Brecknock Elementary! My friends loved it! Trying to stay focused on learning when your belly is growling is near impossible!
I started Raisin Kindness to raise enough funds to expand snacks for a year to Cumru, Mifflin Park, and Immanuel Preschoo (the other GM Elementary schools & my brother’s preschool). Shortly after stocking their classrooms with the awesome sour raisin snacks, I was getting requests from neighboring school districts who also wanted to try out my favorite raisins!
With the help of my family, my church, and our awesome local business sponsors; I developed the Raisin Kindness Mission which launched February 2023 that allowed any classroom in Berks County to complete acts of kindness (using our postcards) for the chance win snacks for their classroom.
-
More about the Mission
In addition to the awesome variety of Sun-Maid Snacks, we will also be adding delicious pretzel snacks from Tom Sturgis, Pepperridge Farms, Dieffenbach Chips - all manufactured close to Berks County!
Fun Fact: Colton picked pretzels because they are “Pennsylvania’s cracker” and they also look like a hug.
-
More about Colton's BOI Contest:
Visit our Blog to read articles about Colton's Journey through the Board of Imagination National Contest at Sun-Maid which won Brecknock snacks for a year!
Colton encourages local kids to consider competing for next year's Board of Imagination with Sun-Maid . Like Sun-Maid's Facebook page to stay up to date on when the application process begins.
This activity is not associated with Sun-Maid Growers of California.
Connect.
This activity is not associated with Sun-Maid Growers of California.