After nearly a decade of helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness throughout the Blackstone Valley, Leslie Reichert, Founder and CEO of the Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter (BVES), has transformed those experiences into a children’s picture book designed to teach empathy, kindness, and hope.

Hope the Bear Finds Kindness tells the story of Hope, a gentle bear whose life unexpectedly changes when she loses her home. Through simple acts of kindness from strangers, Hope discovers that even during life’s most difficult moments, compassion can restore dignity, friendship, and hope.

The book was inspired by the countless stories Reichert has witnessed since founding BVES in 2017. During that time, the organization has grown into a regional leader in addressing homelessness through emergency shelter, homelessness navigation, police partnerships, volunteer engagement, and innovative housing initiatives serving communities across the Blackstone Valley.

“Many children notice people experiencing homelessness but don’t understand what they’re seeing,” said Reichert. “I wanted to create a story that helps parents and teachers answer those difficult questions with honesty, while reminding children that every person deserves kindness and compassion.”

Unlike many books that focus primarily on homelessness, Hope the Bear Finds Kindness centers on the power of ordinary people to make a difference. The story encourages children to look beyond circumstances and recognize the humanity in every person they meet.

The book is intended for children ages 4 to 8 and is an ideal resource for families, elementary schools, libraries, churches, and community organizations seeking to foster conversations about empathy, inclusion, and caring for neighbors in need.

Reichert believes children’s literature has a unique ability to shape how future generations see the world.

“When we teach children kindness at an early age, we help build communities where people look out for one another. If this book inspires even one child to treat someone with greater compassion, then it has accomplished exactly what I hoped.”

Proceeds from Hope the Bear Finds Kindness support the mission of Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter, helping provide emergency shelter, crisis intervention, homelessness navigation, and housing stabilization services to individuals and families throughout the region.

Since opening its doors, BVES has mobilized hundreds of volunteers and built partnerships with local police departments, faith communities, healthcare providers, businesses, and civic organizations to ensure that no one faces homelessness alone.

Reichert is available for interviews and is also scheduling author visits, school readings, library story hours, church presentations, and community events throughout Massachusetts. The book is a 5-star bestseller on Amazon: https://a.co/d/01UyVDuD

About Leslie Reichert

Leslie Reichert is the Founder and CEO of Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter, a Massachusetts nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness move from crisis to hope. Through innovative community partnerships and volunteer engagement, BVES has become a regional model for compassionate, collaborative homelessness response. Hope the Bear Finds Kindness is her first children’s book.

About Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter

Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter mobilizes the community to ensure no one faces homelessness alone. Through emergency shelter, the Police Partnership Program, homelessness navigation, volunteer engagement, and Hope Housing, BVES helps individuals and families transition from crisis to stability while restoring dignity, hope, and opportunity.

Media Contact

Leslie Reichert
Founder & CEO
Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter
Phone: 508-751-0799
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.bvemergencyshelter.org