Rosemary Ford

Imagine a world where everyone performed a kind act for someone else-every single day. That would be a wonderful world. Of course, all our troubles wouldn't disappear. But take together, all of those deliberate acts of kindness couldn't help but change the world and make it a better, brighter place in which to live. That's the idea behind The 365Z Foundation. Our mission is to provide ideas, guidance and resources that will encourage, inspire and challenge individuals to perform conscious acts of kindness-to make the decision to help someone in some way, everyday; and, in doing so, help perpetuate a community-wide kindness movement. The "Z" in The 365Z Foundation stands for Zachary Ford, whose death in 2011 inspires us to bring more kindness and light into the world. Zach tragically took his own life at age 20. In the days and weeks following his passing, his family heard countless stories about Zach through his own acts of kindness, had made a positive, lasting impact on the lives of so many others. Soon after, his mother, Rosemary, was invited to be a guest lecturer at a local college for a course entitled Death and Dying and its Effect on Families. At the conclusion of her talk, the professor asked Rosemary how she continues to deal with Zach's death on a day-to-day basis. Rosemary replied that she remembers and honors her son's life by her commitment to perform acts of kindness every day. There and then, Professor Paul LaCava suggested the idea for The 265Z Foundation. He recognized that individuals acts of kindness will create overlapping ripples that, eventually, might reach around the world, creating light in and through the lives of people who are touched by them, who commit to continue the kindness in turn. See less