Life Vest Inside (LVI) is a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...

non-profit

grassroots organization A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...

based in New York City. Life Vest Inside acts to prevent social issues such as

bullying Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...

, depression, and

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

from village man by taking a proactive approach.

Founder

Orly Wahba is an

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...

, entrepreneur, and

community activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

. In 2011, Wahba founded Life Vest Inside, with the goal to empower and unite through the power of kindness. Through Life Vest Inside, Wahba encourages people to embrace the incredible power of giving and recognize that in times of hardship, kindness, like a life vest, keeps the world afloat. LVI gained international acclaim when Wahba's short film ''Kindness Boomerang'' went viral, reaching over 80 million people and counting; landing her a spot to speak at TED2013 on the magic of kindness. Wahba frequently tours giving talk at schools, college campuses, companies and organizations that are interested in incorporating a culture of kindness in their establishments. She is represented by the MacMillan Speakers Bureau. Wahba received her Bachelor's Degree from

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

Film Production Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through screenwriting, casti ...

and English. She also received a Master's Degree in Jewish History from

Touro College Touro University is a private Jewish university system headquartered in New York City, with branches throughout the United States as well as one each in Germany, Israel and Russia. It was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971 and named for Isaac an ...

. In November 2012 Wahba was elected to the International Council of the World Kindness Movement. She is currently working on publishing her book, a Guide to Kindness, through MacMillan publishers.

Activities

LVI has been featured on '' The Today Show'',"Hoda Kotb dances to kick off the Season of Kindness"
''Today'', November 16, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2016. NBC, CBS, and other media outlets.

Film and Media

In October 2011, Life Vest Inside posted a video called ''Kindness Boomerang''. Shot all in one take, it shows a chain reaction of random kindness, as strangers are helped—and then help others—through a bustling cityscape. ''Kindness Boomerang'' was shot on September 1, 2010. Revolution of Love: released November 13, 2015, set to LVI's original song "Revolution of Love" in which a struggling musician utilizes his talents to help a homeless man find hope in a time of despair.

Dance for Kindness

In 2012, Life Vest Inside initiated

Dance For Kindness Dance For Kindness was initiated by Life Vest Inside (LVI) in 2012. It is a worldwide event in celebration of World Kindness Day which falls on November 13. Groups from across the globe join together to perform a Kindness Freezmob/Flashmob to the s ...

, a WorldWide event in celebration of World Kindness Day. Groups from across the globe join together to perform a Kindness Freezmob/Flashmob to the same song, same dance, all happening on the same day. The purpose of Dance for Kindness is to show that regardless of the differences in race, religion, ethnicity culture and background — the common thread that ties us together is kindness. The Dance for Kindness flagship location is in the heart of NYC, Times Square. In 2015, several Celebrity Ambassadors joined Life Vest Inside including: * The Today Show's

Hoda Kotb Hoda Kotb ( ; arz, هدى قطب, ''Hudā Quṭb''; ; born August 9, 1964) is an American broadcast journalist, television personality, and author. She is a main co-anchor of the NBC News morning show ''Today'' and co-host of its entertainment ...

Peter Scolari Peter Thomas Scolari (September 12, 1955 – October 22, 2021) was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Michael Harris on ''Newhart'' (1984–1990), Henry Desmond on ''Bosom Buddies'' (1980–1982) and Wayne Szalinski on ''Hone ...

"Peter Scolari of HBO's "Girls" and Fox's "Gotham" challenges 'bosom buddy' Tom Hanks to Dance for Kindness"
''GlobaNewswire'', September 27, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2016. * Rachel Marie Thomas
''Jenny Burgartz'', November 1, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2016. ''Dance for Kindness Stats:'' * 2012: 15 Countries, 30 cities, 3,500 participants * 2013: 25 countries, 30 cities, 5,000 participants * 2014: 30 countries, 80 cities, 10,000 participants"Official Dance for Kindness 2014 (Worldwide Montage)"
''Youtube/Life Vest Inside'', May 1, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2016. * 2015: 50 countries, 100 cities, 12,000+ participants ''DFK Group Leaders:'' Each city is run by LVI fans that sign up to become a Group Leader in their region. Group Leaders organize the events under the guidance and leadership of Life Vest Inside.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Non-profit organizations based in New York City 501(c)(3) organizations