Melrose Kind
MISSION STATEMENT
MelroseKind aims to promote acts of kindness in Melrose and beyond through a variety of initiatives and events throughout the year.
ABOUT MELROSE KIND
The MelroseKind organization was started in 2016 by a Melrose Mom and writer. Its creation was a direct response to a negative incident at a local middle school where students had labeled November 20th as "Kick a Ginger Day," emulating a television show and causing harm to classmates. She took to social media and encouraged the community to consider offering gestures of kindness instead, cultminating in the city's first Kindness Day.
To continue to counter the negativity, Melrose Kindness Day was established on that same date - November 20th - in 2017 to "take the day back" and focus on the good within the community. What began as a social media letter-writing campaign evolved into a permanent nonprofit mission to celebrate the town's compassionate spirit.
In the years that have followed, the team has expanded and transitioned leadership, but continues it dedication to the mission and has expanded its reach to positively impact other regional non-profits. In September 2026, MelroseKind joined the Foundation Trust as a partner program.
Key Initiatives and Events
MelroseKind organizes several recurring community programs designed to foster connection:
- Annual Kindness Day: Held every November 20th, this citywide event encourages residents to perform small acts of kindness, such as visiting neighbors or sharing treats with local workers.
- Letter Writing Campaign: Each Kindness Day, students from Melrose Schools write thousands of handwritten letters to senior citizens, hospital staff, and impactful teachers.
- Kindness Porch Drives: Inspired by local resident and veteran Scott Forbes, these drives collect specific items—such as socks for veterans or menstrual products for Dignity Matters—via community drop-off locations.
WHO WE ARE
Co-Chairs
Stephanie Nelson
Stephanie is a co-founder of MelroseKind and joined the Melrose Chamber of Commerce in March of 2022. She has an extensive background in sales, marketing, consulting, and event planning. She has managed sales support teams in financial services, led corporate sales for Healthworks and worked in public relations and sales for the Boston Red Sox. A lifelong Melrose resident, she has two children and is involved in educational and civic committees and on a number of local nonprofit Boards. Stephanie is also co-founder of Melrose Kind, the organization behind the annual Random Acts of Kindness Day in the city and her passion for the mission is evident in her enthusiasm for what it represents.
Kelly Hourigan
A Melrose resident since 1991, Kelly came on board in year 4 to help coordinate and expand monthly donation collections. She has used her background as a project manager, to contribute to many community endeavors such as Hoover room mom, driving conversion from paper to email communications at Hoover, communicated monthly school announcements as well as being a founding driver of Melrose Grad Night. She stepped up as co-chair of MelroseKind to continue the mission when the founder stepped back to pursue other endeavors. Kelly is passionate about the work the team does and the non-profits we support and values giving back to the community.
The Team
Marleen Callahan
Marleen has called Melrose home since 2002, where she and her husband, Jeff, have raised their three sons. A longtime volunteer at the Winthrop School, she has always enjoyed finding ways to give back and strengthen the community. After years of supporting Melrose Kind through its community drives, joining the team was a natural next step. Marleen is passionate about bringing people together, spreading kindness, and helping make Melrose an even stronger, more connected community.
Jodi Dwyer
Jodi has been a Melrose resident since 2006. She works as a clinical oncology social worker at a hospital in Boston and is passionate about supporting patients and their families during their cancer treatment and hospitalizations. When not working Jodi keeps busy volunteering with her Irish Doodle, Finley, who is a certified therapy dog through Pets and People Foundation. Jodi previously served on the Melrose Alliance Against Violence (MAAV) Board of Directors for 12 years and loved being involved in the community. When her time at MAVV ended she looked for other opportunities to give back to the community and stumbled upon Melrose Kind which felt like the perfect place to land. Jodi loves the grassroots feel of the organization and that it is able to make a difference in so many peoples' days just by spreading kindness!
Elaine Foley
Although not a Melrose resident, Elaine has developed a deep love and appreciation for the community. Since 2004, she has worked in Melrose with community banks and credit unions, helping clients achieve the dream of homeownership through grants and down payment assistance programs. For years, Elaine admired the work of Melrose Kind and participated in its charity drives, donating everything from socks and peanut butter to diapers. She eventually became a volunteer herself and quickly found a community of kindred spirits united by a shared commitment to kindness, compassion, and helping others. In addition to her work with Melrose Kind, Elaine volunteers with the Friends of Melrose Memorial Hall and the Stoneham Historical Society & Museum. She is grateful for every opportunity to give back to the communities that have given so much to her.
Christine Rocha
Christine has proudly called Melrose home since 2004. She and her husband, who grew up in Melrose, raised their two children here, both of whom attended the Melrose Public Schools. Christine has been actively involved in the community as a Girl Scout troop leader and as a volunteer for numerous Grad Night celebrations. She is also the Broker/Owner of Residential Realty Group, where she has been helping families buy and sell homes throughout the area for more than 15 years. Christine joined Melrose Kind because she loves that it makes it easy for neighbors to give back locally and support the nonprofits that make such a meaningful difference in the community.
Paige Rocha
Paige is a lifelong Melrose resident who made her way from Winthrop Elementary to Melrose High, graduating in 2021. She then attended Smith College in Northampton, MA, and is back home after four years. Paige is a realtor at Residential Realty Group, alongside her mom, Christine, who originally got her involved with Melrose Kind in the fall of 2025. She loved Melrose Kind’s versatility, learning about non-profit organizations, and the ability to have a direct, positive impact on people in the Melrose community. In her free time, she volunteers as a lacrosse coach at Melrose High School, is an avid crocheter, and she recently ran her first half marathon.
Melrose Kind in the News
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Would you like to contribute to MELROSE KIND?
Follow MelroseKind's Facebook and Instagram pages for monthly drives and event updates. You can also contribute to their Amazon wishlist here. To volunteer, please contact Stephanie at stephanie@melrosekind.com or Kelly at kelly@melrosekind.com.