BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Sometimes all you need is a little bit of paint and a rock to make someone’s day.
“I went to go grocery shopping and when I got out of my car, I saw something at the base of a tree and I went over to see what it was, and it was a rock with a little turtle on it," said Lashawnna Gleghorn.
Lawshanna is just one of the many Bakersfield residents to come across a painted rock like those in the above video. The Facebook group Bakersfield CA Rocks hides them for others to find.
“I thought this is the most amazing thing. People are painting rocks to bring people joy," she said.
Lashawnna joined the group and now hides rocks herself. Fellow group member Rosemarie Guerra said she found her first rock during an especially hard week. It made her day and inspired her to join the group.
"You see a lot of people that [are] smiling and saying, 'Thank you. You made my day.' I posted on there and I actually became a part of the group, and started painting and wanted to hide my own rocks and bring joy to other people," said Rosemarie.
She said making people feel the same way she did when she found her first rock is rewarding.
“When people send me messages just telling me, 'You know what, I was having a bad day of my own and you brought joy to my face, my children's faces,' [it] made me feel good because wow, they’re feeling the same joy I felt when i found that rock that one day," said Rosemarie.
When you find a rock, you can keep it or re-hide it. Lawshanna said the Facebook group has a true sense of community.
“It's fun meeting new people and bringing smiles to people’s faces. I really enjoy it," said Lawshanna.
And Rosemarie said it’s extra special during the pandemic. Due to heart and lung issues, she really can’t go out right now. This group has given her a way to be creative while staying safe.
“We start painting and then you come closer as family like me and my kids. We’re able to start painting again. It gives us something to do," she said.
If you’d like to join, visit the Bakersfield CA Rocks Facebook group page.
Lawshanna said she hopes the group makes Bakersfield a little brighter.
“We just want to make people happy. There’s so much going on nowadays and I know people are having a hard time, so we just want to, you know, bring a little joy into people’s lives," she said.
If you know someone who should be featured in Kern’s Kindness, email us your idea at kernskindness@kero.com.
