She said it to strangers
You are beautiful.
Love, Delaney
Delaney Kilbane was eight years old, and she had a habit of telling people the thing they most needed to hear. We are keeping that light alive.
The girl who noticed people
Delaney saw people. Not the version they were presenting, the actual person underneath. She would spot the classmate sitting alone and go sit with them. She would find the one adult in the room who looked tired and tell them something true.
In a grocery store one afternoon, she took a stranger's hand and told her she was beautiful. The woman lived alone and had not spoken to anyone in months.
Delaney had epilepsy from infancy. In February 2026, after a severe seizure, she passed at eight years old. In the weeks that followed, her family decided that a light like hers does not get to go out quietly.
So we say it now, on billboards, in classrooms, in kindness kits, and to strangers in checkout lines. You are beautiful. She meant it, and so do we.
What we do
Core programsKindness Kit Curriculum
A ready to use kindness program for elementary classrooms, centered on daily acts of kindness inspired by Delaney's way of seeing everyone as beautiful. Helps kids practice empathy, inclusion, and everyday service, with age appropriate options and reflection tools, for both Catholic and public school settings.
See the curriculumKindness Drops & Outreach
Meaningful acts of kindness that strengthen our communities, supporting food banks, foster care, nursing homes, schools, and families in need. Helping every person feel seen, valued, and loved, just as Delaney did.
See our outreachLaney's Light Scholarships
Honoring students who live kindness, empathy, and everyday service. These recognize children who show up for others and lead with heart, prioritizing character over achievement, and celebrate the ripple effect of compassion in schools and communities. The first was awarded this year to Meredith Quinn, an eighth grader at Delaney's own school.
About the scholarshipsHow you can help
Three ways inGive
Funds the kits, the scholarships, and the classroom materials. Nobody on our board draws a salary.
DonateVolunteer
Pack bags, staff an event, or bring the curriculum to your school. An hour is genuinely useful.
Get involvedSay it out loud
Tell someone they are beautiful and mean it. Then tell us about it, so the next person hears it too.
Share a storyWho has shown up for us
Recent momentsDonated 9 billboards across Cleveland, carrying "You are beautiful, love Delaney" from I-480 into downtown.
Thank you, Lamar. Wigton HomesNamed a home model after Delaney. Every Delaney model gets a butterfly stamped inside, and $1,000 from each sale comes back to the foundation.
Thank you, Wigton Homes. Harlem WizardsDedicated a game to Delaney and presented the family a custom jersey, reaching 1,200 people with her story.
Thank you, Harlem Wizards. Emilie's Coffee House & Wine BarA one week fundraiser for the foundation raised over $4,000.
Thank you, Emilie's. Inner Bliss Yoga StudioHosted "Flowing with Kindness," a class taught by owner Tammy Lyons in Delaney's honor.
Thank you, Inner Bliss. Big M PizzaDonated a full dinner for the crew at the Avon Lake Fire Station as part of a monthly Kindness Drop.
Thank you, Big M Pizza. J. McLaughlinHosted a sip and shop fundraising event at their Rocky River store.
Thank you, J. McLaughlin. Estella BoutiqueHosted a sip and shop fundraising event at Crocker Park.
Thank you, Estella Boutique. Lisa QuineGave us our logo, the very image that carries Delaney's light everywhere it goes, as a gift, simply because she believed in what we are building.
With so much gratitude, Lisa.Live like Delaney
It costs nothing to notice someone. She proved that at eight years old, and it changed a stranger's life in a grocery store aisle.