Good to Go Greenville rewards kids’ efforts, no report card required.
Parents know how different siblings can be. Cameron Kendrick, owner of Good to Go Greenville, saw it firsthand with her three children: good grades come so naturally to one, while it’s such a battle for another.
Why, she wondered, are the academic skills rewarded every nine weeks with pizza, doughnuts, and other report card-related goodies–while other vital, laudable skills go unnoticed?
She decided to make a change in her grab-and-go market on Antrim Drive. Kindness Club, held each Friday, rewards kids for acts of empathy, big or small.
Staff members gather around to hear stories of sharing, honesty, and thoughtfulness. One mom wiped away tears describing how her daughter decided to keep showing kindness to someone who wasn’t being kind. A grandmother noted how her grandson went to talk with a child who was alone at recess.
The kids notice, Kendrick says. Yes, they take away a cookie, but the bigger takeaway is something even more rewarding: they realize their efforts are being seen. “The kids hear themselves being praised, and they see, ‘My mom noticed I was doing something good.’ It’s about noticing children that are carrying out acts of kindness and taking a break from this narrative of grades, grades, grades.”
Kendrick founded Good to Go in 2011 after earning the moniker “Casserole Queen,” selling on the honor system from a freezer in her garage. She added meal delivery in 2013 and opened the brick-and-mortar store in 2021.
Academic skills are valuable, and it’s great that kids are recognized for their efforts in that area, she says, “but that’s already in place. I wish someone had said to me, or my daughter, I recognize you for the talents you have, and it’s going to be okay.”
While having more people visit the store is always a plus, the Kindness Club is not a marketing effort. “It’s just an idea that has been simmering for me,” she says. “Food is love, and feeding people is my mission, but it goes a lot farther than one meal. We want to expand on that idea of showing the people of Greenville love, and small acts of kindness really do add up.”
Join the Kindness Club
When: Every Friday, 10am-5pm
Where: Good to Go Greenville, 209 W. Antrim Dr., Greenville
What: An adult can bring in a note, paper or digital, telling briefly of a child’s kindness. Or, share the story verbally; the staff loves to gather and listen.
The child gets: A cookie from the Chocolate Shoppe (call ahead for allergies); lasting pride and confidence.
Find out more: goodtogogvl.com, 864.283.0347
