Local woman's rock project helping others around the world

BARNSTABLE, Mass. — A Cape Cod woman is changing the world, one rock at a time.

It started with just a few rocks. It has taken off and now you can hundreds of them, all over the world. They have messages of inspiration and hope, along with messages of remembrance and sympathy for people who have lost loved ones.

The Barnstable mom who started the project wants to remain anonymous, because she doesn't want it to be about her, but instead the rocks.

The idea began when she started collecting rocks along the beach, while reflecting on the loss of her parents and searching for guidance raising her teenagers. She found the rocks inspirational, and she thought maybe others would too.

She started painting inspirational messages on the rocks, with help from her teenagers. She began leaving a few here and there on beaches in the Barnstable area.

"I dropped a rock outside of Whole Foods that said "Don't give up" and when I got home, a woman put up on Facebook the rock and said, 'Thank you so much today was my last chemo day and I'll keep this rock with me forever,'" she told FOX25.

Last August, she officially launched "The Kindness Rocks Project". She left a sign on Sandy Neck Beach, along with pre-painted rocks and markers and she asked people to leave their own messages.

It took off like wildfire.

"I get the chills when I think about it," she said.

She's now had people contact her from as far away as Europe and New Zealand about starting their own Kindness Rocks Projects. It's also taking off on social media with the hashtag #thekindnessrocksproject.

"I receive hundreds of messages every day when I wake up -- and  I want to reply to every single message, because it has meaning," she said.

The organizer told FOX25's Heather Hegedus she's now writing a book with the stories of some of the people who have reached out to her through the project.

There are several places you can see the rocks throughout Massachusetts, including the Sandwich boardwalk, the Bridge at Gray's Beach in Yarmouth Port, Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable and Village Green in Hyannis. Woburn has an installment, along with Walpole.

If you want to learn more, visit The Kindness Rock Project's Facebook page and participate in International Drop Inspirational Rock Day on July 3.

Cox Media Group