The Ones Who Do

Somebody should do something. We all say it, we all mean it, and then life moves on. But there’s a moment when that sentence turns into a mirror, when a problem keeps tugging at you and the next thought lands hard: what if that somebody is me? That’s the heartbeat of Kindness Matters, and it’s where this conversation begins. 

We walk through how meaningful community change actually happens, not through a single heroic gesture, but through ordinary people who notice what others have learned to overlook. We talk about the tiny first steps that matter, like making one call, volunteering one shift, starting one drive, or simply checking on the person who seems invisible. If you’ve ever wondered how nonprofits and community projects really start, you’ll hear the truth: the need comes first, and the organization comes later, if it comes at all. 

We also name what people rarely post about. The unglamorous work behind kindness includes paperwork, budgets, grant applications, fundraising emails, and the sting of rejection. You’ll hear why “no” is part of the process and how persistence can be grounded in humility, not ego. And we spend time on sustainability, because caring deeply can drain you fast. Helpers need kindness too, and stepping back to breathe is sometimes the bravest, most responsible move. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the size of the world’s problems, you’ll leave with one clear question to hold onto: what have I noticed, and what is the next thing I can do? Subscribe for more stories and reflections, share this with someone who needs a nudge to start small, and please leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

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Kindness Starts Before The Spotlight

SPEAKER_00 0:00

This is the Kindness Matters Podcast, a space for stories that inspire, challenge, and bring us a little closer together. If you've been looking for a reminder of the good in people, you're in the right place. Because kindness matters, and so do you. It's kindness we are. There's a moment that happens before almost every organization, every charity, every nonprofit, every community project ever gets started. And it usually doesn't look very impressive. There's no ribbon cutting, there's no big announcement, no logo, no website, no board of directors sitting around a conference table. Sometimes there isn't even a plan. There's just one person who sees something that isn't right. Someone is hungry. Someone is lonely. Someone is being overlooked. Someone doesn't have the resources they need. A family is struggling. A neighborhood has a problem. A group of people isn't being heard. And somewhere in the middle of seeing that problem, something happens. A person says, Somebody should do something about this. And then comes the really important part. They ask themselves, what if that somebody is me? I'm Mike Rathbun, and this is the Kindness Matters podcast. And today I want to talk about those people. Those people who don't just notice a problem, the people who decide to do something about it. Part

Noticing What Others Overlook

SPEAKER_00 1:55

one. It starts with noticing. I think we sometimes have this strange idea about how change happens. We imagine somebody's sitting down with a brilliant idea. They have a business plan, they have funding, they have connections, they know exactly what they're doing, and then they launch an organization and change the world. But I don't think how that's how most of these stories begin. I think they begin with somebody noticing something that everybody else has learned to overlook. That's an important distinction because we're all surrounded by problems every single day. We see people struggling, we see poverty, we see loneliness, we see hunger, we see kids who don't have what other kids have. We see elderly people who don't have anyone checking on them. We see veterans struggling to find their footing. We see people dealing with addiction. We see families trying to survive circumstances they never expected. We see animals that need homes. We see communities that need resources. We see all of these things. And most of us keep moving. That's not necessarily because we're bad people. It's not. It's because there's only so much we can carry. If we stopped, every time we encountered a problem in the world and tried to fix it, we'd never make it through the day. But every once in a while, something gets our attention. Maybe it's something we've personally experienced. Maybe it's something that happened to somebody we love. Maybe we meet one particular person whose story stays with us. Maybe we walk into a situation and think, this isn't right. And we can't quite shake that feeling. That's often where kindness becomes something more than an individual act. Becomes a mission. Part two.

Turning “Somebody Should” Into “I Will”

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Somebody should do something. Think about that sentence. Somebody should do something. It's a sentence we hear all the time. Somebody should help these people. Somebody should clean this up. Somebody should feed these families. Somebody should create a program for these kids. Somebody should help people who are aging alone. Somebody should make sure these veterans have what they need. Somebody should, somebody should, somebody should. And there's nothing wrong with recognizing that something needs to be done. But there's a difference between saying somebody should do something and saying, I'm going to see what I can do. The second sentence is where things get interesting because now it's personal. Now you're responsible for taking the next step. And the next step might be tiny. Maybe it's making one phone call. Maybe it's asking for one person for help. Maybe it's starting a food drive. Maybe it's collecting coats. Maybe it's organizing a neighborhood. Maybe it's creating a Facebook group. Maybe it's volunteering somewhere. And sometimes, maybe that little first step eventually becomes a nonprofit. But there's something I think we forget. The nonprofit isn't the beginning of the story. The need is.

The Unglamorous Work Behind Help

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Part three, the unglamorous part. There's something I don't think we talk about very much. We love this story of the person who starts a nonprofit. And we love the photographs and we love the success stories. We love the moment when somebody receives the help they desperately need. But there's a whole lot of unglamorous work in between, right? I want to help, and we're actually helping people. There's paperwork. There's permits. There are meetings and budgets and grant applications and fundraising emails. There are phone calls, there are spreadsheets. There are websites. There are social media accounts. There are people who don't return your calls. And then there are people who tell you your idea won't work. There are people who say, I love what you're doing. I love your idea. And then don't actually help. There are bills and deadlines and disappointments. And there are days when the person who started the whole thing probably wonders, what in the world have I gotten myself into? Because kindness sounds simple, but building something that delivers kindness consistently, that's work. Serious work. And that's one of the things I admire about people who build organizations to help others. They don't just have compassion, they have persistence, and they keep showing up. Part four. The

Hearing No And Trying Again

SPEAKER_00 8:04

first no. If you've ever tried to build something, you already know this. You're going to hear the word no. Probably a lot, maybe more than the parents of a toddler. No, we can't fund that. No, we don't have the resources. No, that's not possible. No, we're not interested. No, we're already doing something similar. No, no, no. And eventually, somebody has to decide whether those no's mean this isn't worth doing, or I haven't found the right way to do it yet. That's a huge difference. Because sometimes persistence looks like refusing to accept the first answer. Not because you're entitled, not because you think you're always right, but because you believe the problem deserves another attempt.

Building A Team That Sustains

SPEAKER_00 9:10

Part five, you cannot do it alone. There's another lesson here that I think every successful nonprofit founder eventually learns. You can't do it alone. You might start it alone, but you can't sustain it alone. Eventually, somebody else has to believe in the mission, then another person, then another. And suddenly you've gone from I want to help to we want to help. And that's when something really powerful happens. The kindness becomes bigger than the original person. It belongs to the community. Think about that for a moment. One person notices a problem. One person cares. One person takes a step. And another person joins them. And another. And another. That's how communities change, my friends. Not because one extraordinary person swoops in and saves everybody. But because ordinary people decide this matters enough for me to give something. Maybe it's money. Maybe it's time. Maybe it's expertise or a truck or a kitchen. Maybe it's a building. Maybe it's an hour on a Saturday morning. Maybe it's simply telling someone else about the mission. Everybody has something that they can contribute. Part six.

The Price Of Caring Too Much

SPEAKER_00 10:56

The price of caring. But there's another side to this story, and I think it's important. Because when you care deeply about something, it can become very easy to give too much of yourself. The people who start organizations to help others can become the people everybody depends on. And eventually, they're tired. They're overwhelmed. They're answering emails at midnight. They're worrying about money. They're wondering where the next donation is coming from. They're trying to solve everybody else's problems. And sometimes you forget that your people too. That's something we should probably talk about more when we talk about kindness. Because the person doing the helping needs kindness too. The nonprofit founder needs somebody to say, How are you doing? The volunteer needs somebody to say, you don't have to do everything. The caregiver needs somebody to say, Let me take this one for a while. The person everybody calls when they need something needs somebody they can call when they need something. Because here's the uncomfortable truth. You cannot pour endlessly from an empty cup. And sometimes the kindest thing a person can do while they're doing good work is to step back long enough to breathe.

Why People Keep Showing Up

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Part seven, why do they do it? So why? Why would somebody take all of this on? Why would they spend nights filling out paperwork? Spend weekends at fundraisers, ask strangers for donations. Why would they deal with the rejection? Why would they keep going? When it's exhausting. The answer I think is different for everybody. Some people have lived through the problem themselves. Someone lost somebody else. Maybe they were helped by somebody that when they were young and never forgot it. Some folks simply can't tolerate seeing another person go through something that they've experienced. Some have a particular skill and realize they can use it for something bigger than themselves. And some people they just care. That's it. They see something that needs to change and decide that they want to be part of that change. They don't necessarily think they're extraordinary. They don't think they're necessarily that they're changing the world. They just think I can do something. And then they do. This episode

Kindness Without A Nonprofit

SPEAKER_00 14:28

isn't a sales pitch for starting a nonprofit. Please don't listen to me today and think, great, Mike wants me to start a nonprofit. No, no, please don't. Because we don't need everybody starting a nonprofit. We need people doing what they can. That's different. Maybe your thing is volunteering once a month. Maybe it's helping out at the food shelf. Perhaps it's mentoring a kid. Maybe it's checking on your elderly neighbor. Maybe it's donating five dollars. Perhaps it's buying school supplies for a classroom. Perhaps it's making meals for a family going through a difficult time. Or simply noticing the person sitting alone. Kindness doesn't require incorporation papers. It doesn't require a tax ID. It doesn't require the board of directors. And it certainly doesn't require a logo. Sometimes kindness is just I noticed. Followed by what can I do. Part

The Ripple Effect You Never See

SPEAKER_00 15:54

nine, the ripple effect. And here's what I love about the people who decide to build something bigger. Their actions oftentimes create ripples they will never see. Imagine someone starts a nonprofit helping children. Years later, one of those children grows up. Maybe that child becomes a teacher. Maybe a social worker or a nurse. Maybe they start another organization. Maybe they simply become the kind of adult who notices when another kid is struggling. The original act of kindness has traveled farther than the person who started it could possibly know. That's the thing about kindness. We rarely get to see the whole story. We see the moment, but we don't always see what comes after. A meal you provide might get someone through the worst day of their life. A scholarship might change somebody's career. A ride to an appointment might prevent somebody from giving up. A conversation might keep someone from feeling completely alone. And you may never know. That's okay. Because kindness isn't an investment where we get to see the return, right? Sometimes the return is simply knowing that for one moment somebody's life was a little easier because you were there. Part

One Next Step You Can Take

SPEAKER_00 17:42

10. So what about us? So maybe the question isn't, should I start a nonprofit? Maybe the question is, what have I noticed? What problem keeps getting your attention? What situation makes you think someone should do something about that? And then what if you asked what can I do? Not everything. Not all of it. Not the whole problem. Just the next thing. Because I think we sometimes become paralyzed by the size of the world's problems. Poverty is enormous. Loneliness, hunger, homelessness, mental health challenges. These are all enormous problems. There are problems in our communities that no single person could ever solve. But that's not the assignment. The assignment isn't solve everything. It's do something. And then let somebody else do something. And somebody else. And somebody else. The people who decide. I've always believed that kindness matters. But I think I'm becoming more convinced that commitment matters too. Because it's one thing to feel compassion, it's another thing to act on it. It's one thing to say, that's terrible. It's another thing to say, how can I help? And it's another thing entirely to say, I'm going to keep helping. That's where change happens. No one in giant heroic moment, but in a thousands of ordinary decisions. One person notices, one person cares, one person takes a step. Then somebody else joins them. And eventually, what started as one person's concern becomes a community's commitment. So if there's something you've been thinking about, something you've noticed, something that bothers you, something that makes you wonder why somebody isn't doing something about it. Maybe don't start by asking how you're going to solve it. Start smaller. Ask what's one thing I can do. Make the phone call. Make the donation. Volunteer for the shift. Take the meal. Send the message. Make the introduction. Listen. Show up. And maybe just maybe somebody will see what you're doing and decide to join you. And then you'll discover something wonderful. You didn't change the world by yourself. You didn't have to. You simply gave somebody else a reason to believe that change was possible. And sometimes that's how communities begin. This episode

Thanks, Support Options, Final Challenge

SPEAKER_00 21:09

is made possible by the generous support of people like Sue Jackson, Dave Lewis, and John Teblin. I appreciate you so much for tuning in to this episode of the Kindness Matters podcast. If you found value in the episode, it would mean the world to me. If you shared it with a friend, or a family member, or a co-worker, or took a moment to leave a comment or review. So one of the best ways to help others discover this show. If you'd like to support the show like John and Sue and Dave, we have both tiered and one times support options available over on finding a copy as well as the merch code. You'll find both links waiting for you in the show notes. That's completely okay. The most meaningful way you can support the show is by doing one small ad of random kindness each day. It truly does make a difference.