Ben’s Bells Project Founder and Executive Director Jeannette Maré arrived in Newtown Friday, August 1, to visit the Ben’s Bells Newtown studio on Church Hill Road. She was also a participant on Saturday at the 2014 Kindness Conference: Building the Science of Kindness Together, held at Walnut Tree Hill Church in Bethel.

“One of the main reasons for the visit was not only for the conference and Kindness Education Program, but to see the new studio [located on Church Hill Road],” Ms Maré said Friday afternoon.

“It’s really, really exciting to see the studio in working order, it’s sort of overwhelming! It’s really cool to see all this progress and kindness come from the community. There’s so much positive energy and it’s great to see that happening,” she said.

It was Ms Maré’s fourth visit to Newtown, and the first time she had the opportunity to see the first Ben’s Bells studio outside of the project’s home base in Tucson, Ariz.

On Sunday, August 3, Ms Maré and registered participants created beads for future Ben’s Bells, handed out Kindness Coins, and hung bells around Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport as an act of kindness.

“The act of kindness is so important and many people are realizing this,” Ms Maré said. “We are at a very tipping point in time, so people are taking [the act of kindness] seriously.” 

For more information on the Ben’s Bells Project visit www.bensbells.org.facebook.com/BensBellsNewtown. Details about the local studio, including hours and special events, can be found at BensBellsNewtown.org as well as on Facebook at