Our Take on the Free Hugs Project
The Story Behind the Our Version of the Free Hugs Project
When I was in my 20s, I was tripping on mushrooms one night at a dive bar in the small town I grew up in in my teens. I saw something I hadn’t expected. Looking around at the people, rednecks, jocks, a guy in a motorcycle jacket, women dressed sexy/trashy with make up on some on the prowl and others adorning their men’s side… I could see past the armor, the identities, the personas everyone was wearing.
Beneath it all, I glimpsed the vulnerability, fear, and humanity at their core. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what that vision meant. It was just a raw moment of clarity, a sense that everyone is carrying something heavy beneath the surface. A vision of all the masks we wear to NOT be seen as the scared and fearful individuals we are.
Over the years, through my own struggles, suffering, and exploration, I found my way to Buddhism. The teachings of the Bodhisattva path… striving to help all living beings find healing and awakening, not just ourselves really resonated deeply with me. I realized that living a life of love isn’t just about inner peace; it’s about showing up, even in small ways, to ease the suffering of others.
This insight connected back to my early life, my upbringing, and my reflections on love. I had grown up in a family that gave me stability and care in the ways they could, though I sometimes not in expressions of more sensitive love… hugs, kisses, words, and sometime calm presence.
Growing up, I was required to attend church every week. The experience left me with one lasting impression: a yearning to live like Jesus, to embody love in the world. As an adult, I reflected on what that could truly mean. For me, it came down to one simple, profound principle: love. I spent years exploring how to live love in daily life, and the Free Hugs Project is one way I feel I might put love love into action. It’s rooted in my youth and the life my parents gave me, love in their way and many teachings on love. It stuck.
As a parentI remember this one day specifically where I made a conscious decision early on to show my children the love I wanted to embody as an adult and now a dad: hugging, kissing, holding, and telling them I loved them, even when it felt new or awkward for me.
The Free Hugs Project is an extension of all these threads: the glimpses into human vulnerability, the desire to live love intentionally, and the spiritual path of giving without expectation. It is part spiritual practice, part and altruistic gift, and part healing.
I don’t have a lot of money or vast resources to save the world, but I do have two arms, a big heart and can offer a hug, a simple, human expression of connection and care. One hug can’t fix everything, but it can remind someone that they are seen, valued, and not alone.
This project is my way of offering what I can: a small, tangible act of love, compassion, and presence. It’s an invitation to step into connection, soften armor, and honor the shared humanity that binds us all.
Living Love in Action: Our Free Hugs Project Rollout
The Free Hugs Project began as a simple intention, to live love more fully in the world. What started as a personal reflection may become a living, breathing practice of compassion, presence, and community healing. My vision is to share this energy in small, heartfelt ways that ripple outward.
Phase 1: Wearing Love
The first step is simple: I’m creating Free Hugs t-shirts and wearing them regularly… at the store, on walks, in the community. The shirt itself becomes an open invitation for connection, a reminder that love doesn’t need a special occasion. Each time I wear it, it’s a small act of courage and presence… a way of saying, I’m here, open, and willing to share a moment of kindness.
Phase 2: Community Events
Next, I’d like to host Free Hugs gatherings, mindful, community-centered events that bring people together to practice connection. Imagine a day of mindfulness where sangha members and neighbors gather to offer free hugs, listen deeply, and share moments of warmth. Each hug begins with consent and awareness… an opportunity to teach and practice “hugging meditation.” We might even bring this to places where connection is most needed, including communities experiencing homelessness or maybe juvenile detention centers or prisions, shelters, abuse centers, schools, churches, or whereever we can make connections and offer love and maybe healing.
I’d love to see this be a tool we use for healing divides in politics, through interfaith dialogues/connections, connecting rich with the poor, elite whites with BIPOC communities, straight communities with LGBTQ+ communities, able bodied and (dis)abled bodies, or anywhere there is a divide or misunderstanding between communities.
Phase 3: Healing Retreats
Eventually, I envision Free Hugs retreats… spaces where participants can rest, heal, and reconnect through meditation, art, and mindful movement. The hug remains the foundation, a symbol of presence, trust, and shared humanity, but it’s supported by practices that deepen self-compassion and collective care.
How You Can Support
This project is growing from the ground up. If the message of living love resonates with you, I welcome your support. Donations will help fund:
Free Hugs t-shirts
Hugging meditation instructions
Heartfelt note cards explaining the project’s purpose
The first community events and outreach efforts
Supporters will receive a shirt and resources to share hugs mindfully in their own communities, spreading love and awareness one embrace at a time.
Together, we can make kindness visible and teach that love is something we can live, not just talk about.