Ripples of Hope was inspired by the words of Robert F. Kennedy who said, "Each time a man stands up for an idea, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." Cape Town, South Africa, June 6, 1966

In June 2008, Ripples of Hope made its first service journey to New Orleans. Two years after Katrina devastated the city, New Orleans continued to need support and rebuilding. We partnered with the Samuel Green Charter School and worked on several community revitalizaton projects. In 2009, in response to the economic crisis facing our country, Ripples of Hope decided to stay closer to our home base in Boston by connecting with local non-profits around issues of homelessness and poverty. Both of these projects partnered with exisiting non-profit organizations and local leaders to address ongoing issues in their communities.

Kristen Atwood, Founder

Throughout her life, Kristen Atwood has devoted her energies and passion to uniting our global community through service, cultural enrichment, and the profound impact of friendships that bridge geographies, sectors, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

As a founding staff member of City Year, the international youth leadership corps, Kristen spent two decades immersed in the transformative power of service.  From a community garden in Boston's South End to shanty towns in South Africa, Kristen bore witness to the human impulse to give, serve and love.  Regardless of zip code or language, there was a powerful truth.  Service is our international passport to change lives, open hearts, and forge bonds of understanding and humanity.

Ripples of Hope is built on that simple premise and profound understanding.  It is an ideal first demonstrated by Kristen's father, a Presbyterian minister, and one that is the foundation of the family she has created with her husband Jim.

Ripples of Hope is an expression of Kristen's hope for our world and belief that families united in common purpose can be a global force for humanity.  Her greatest joy is building the Ripples community, one family at a time.