What We've been BUILDING

OUR STORY

Every movement begins with a moment. For Builders of People Initiative, that moment happened in Chicago.

In 2017, Richie Patterson sat in a theater watching the Broadway stage play Hamilton. When the song

"I am not throwing away my shot" echoed through the room, something stirred inside him.

He watched Alexander Hamilton rewrite the Constitution again and again - rewriting, refining, refusing to waste his chance to impact history. In that seat, Richie made a quiet promise: He would not waste his shot either.

THE BIRTH OF A BOOK

Richie returned home with a fire he couldn't ignore. He began writing - and didn't stop. Night after night. Rewrite after rewrite. Sacrifice after sacrifice. He rewrote his first manuscript ten times, pouring in his father-son journey, his healing process, and his belief that kindness can rebuild what trauma tears apart.

And in April 2018, after a full year of relentless work, his first book came to life: "This Is the Kindness."

THE MESSAGE BECAME MUSIC

Richie didn't just write about kindness - he sang it, produced it, and composed it. He created an original EP titled "The Kindness Project." His music includes: "Patient Love Is Kind" and "This Is The Kindness."

THE MESSAGE BECAME A PODCAST

Richie launched the Kind Culture Podcast - a mental health platform with over 300 episodes covering emotional wellness, identity, manhood, healing, confidence, and resilience.

THE POWER OF PRESENCE

The message moved him into classrooms, community rooms, senior homes, churches, and homes.

Presence transforms. Presence restores dignity. Presence heals hearts. Presence became the foundation of Builders of People Initiative.

BUILT WITHOUT GOVERNMENT FUNDING

Every act of service was built with community support, personal sacrifice, volunteers, compassion, belief, and presence - not one dollar of government funding.

A LIBRARY OF HOPE

Builders of People now includes books, workbooks, and tools for youth, families, seniors, men, singles, and couples.

A MOVEMENT TO BUILD PEOPLE

Builders of People Initiative was created to build people - children, youth, men, seniors, families, singles, couples, and communities.

WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED

What began with a musical, a lyric, a conviction, a manuscript, a podcast, music, and service has grown into a full movement of kindness, healing, and emotional transformation.

THIS IS OUR STORY

A story sparked in a theater. A story shaped through writing. A story amplified through podcasting. A story sung through music. A story strengthened through presence. A story sustained by community. A story rooted in kindness.