Strategy November 08, 2018
Autistic Teen’s T-Shirts Seek To Kindle Kindness Across America
The “Be Kind to Everyone” tees have sold in all 50 states.
Jordyn Moore wearing one of her “Be Kind to Everyone” T-Shirts. Image from here.
Incivility, anger, presumption and divisiveness dominate American discourse these days. But there’s a sweet-hearted teen with autism who is doing her best to remind the cantankerous nation of the Golden Rule. And she’s using imprinted T-Shirts to do it – a heart-warming entrepreneurial effort that has garnered 17-year-old Jordyn Moore of Cumming, GA national attention.
Because of her autism, Jordyn struggles with motor skills, communication and socialization. Still, as Fox 5 Atlanta reported, her mom and dad wanted her to learn job skills before she graduated high school. Enter “Jordyn’s Summer Shirt Project.” The initiative involves the creation and selling of T-Shirts – and a necklace too – that are imprinted with “Be Kind to Everyone.” Helped by occupational therapy, Jordyn handles the packaging. She rolls each shirt, adds a wristband, signs a thank you card, and puts the tees in packages to ship. It’s accomplished with the instrumental assistance of Sarah Chirchirillo, a friend and typical teen from Jordan’s high school.
Jordyn and Sarah. Image from here.
Since starting a few months ago, Jordyn’s venture has shipped more than 8,500 shirts to all 50 states. Meanwhile, her Facebook page has nearly 5,000 followers. She has been featured in the news, including the recent report from Fox 5 Atlanta’s Alexa Liacko.
Here's a look at Jordyn's Shirt Shop in her family's home. The teen with autism works with a typical teen from her high school two days a week to fulfill the orders for her "Be Kind to Everyone" shirts. Here's how you can get one: https://t.co/T3sEqrdeqb pic.twitter.com/CvlB65sQpE
— Alexa Liacko FOX 5 (@AlexaLiackoFOX5) November 7, 2018
Given all the success, the “summer project” has turned into something longer term. Jordyn plans to keep at it. "The confidence she's gained through it has been amazing," her mom Jackie Moore told Fox. "Everyone in school knows her. Her teachers come up and ask her about the project. Suddenly people are talking to her about what she's able to do.”
Jordyn’s story appears to be getting ever more attention at just the right time. In the wake of acrimonious midterm elections and on the cusp of National Kindness Day (Nov. 13), perhaps we all need to be reminded of the importance of simple, everyday human kindness now more than ever. We love that Jordyn and Sarah are providing a gentle heads-up on that. And we love that they’re using T-Shirts to do it. That’s apparel activism we can certainly get behind.
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