Worldwide I Matter, You Matter Day

Saturday, March 28th, 2026

I Matter, You Matter begins with you…

It’s as simple as taking a moment to share a “you matter”, smile, a wave, a hug, a card, a text, a phone call, whatever…

Take a moment to stop, take a deep breath, say “I matter…” to yourself: Then remind your family, parents, grandparents, nieces, nephew, cousins, friends, work associates, care givers, healthcare workers, service people and people you may not know that each one of us matters…

But don’t wait until March 28th to share your caring.
Start Today!!

a message from salley

Thank you for joining us in sharing the “I Matter, You Matter” message…

…a message we all need, especially today… Each one of us does matter and deserves to be treated with respect.

I’m inviting you to join us in celebrating “Worldwide I Matter, You Matter Day” on March 28th! It’s a day to remind ourselves and each other that each one of us does matter…

“Worldwide I Matter, You Matter Day” was initiated 14 years ago by the You Are Never Alone Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-denominational organization I created in Manchester, VT, which fostered caring, connection and hope with little wooden Caring Coins as little gifts of hope. I chose March 28th simply because it was available on the world calendar as much as I could tell. Over the last 14 years, thousands and thousands of people all over the world have celebrated this day by sharing the “I Matter, You Matter” message with family, friends and people they may not know. The impact of this day and its message continues to grow and grow.

My own personal experience has shown me that when I share a smile, a hi, a wave, a text, a caring coin, people usually respond with the same. So many say “I really needed to hear this today…” Many share a story…it may be a joyful story or a sad story of a loss or loneliness and sometimes it’s just a nod that it’s just nice to be acknowledged.

The first celebration in 2012 was at Friendly’s Restaurant in Manchester, Vermont. Local families and schools shared the message with family and friends. Over 6,000 invitations were shared through Facebook around the world. In 2013, over 17,430 people here in the US., our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, people in Puerto Rico, England, Italy, Spain, Bangladesh, Nepal, Korea, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Haiti and places we don’t even know celebrated “I Matter, You Matter Day”. The Towns of Manchester, Vermont and Dorset, Vermont proclaimed “I Matter…You Matter Day” which continued for several years.

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, of Vermont, has shared Caring Coins and the I matter…You matter message with staff and visitors to his offices in Washington, D.C. and Burlington, Vermont. Senator Leahy stated that “…this I matter…You matter is a message that reminds us all to value humanity.”

The response to the “I Matter, You Matter” message continues to grow every year…which is so evident as I remind my 1,185 Friends on Facebook that they matter and they respond with stories of their own or maybe just a Heart Emoji.

I especially enjoy hearing from my friends who were part of the very first celebration; hearing from then young international counselors, now adults with children who shared the message at Camp Agape, a camp for children with a parent in prison; a then college student who signed a card at Green Mountain College for a child in Bangladesh; a young student here who remembers me sharing the message with him at my grandson’s class last year, the RN ambulance driver I met while sharing Caring Coins with the immigrants in Mexico: or my friend who had just lost her Mother and requested Caring Coins with the Remembering Cards for her family… the list goes on and on with many examples of what the “I Matter, You Matter” message means…

The “I Matter, You Matter” message is especially meaningful for our children and youths. This is so obvious as I hear their messages of caring when I share at schools and different youth programs.

They are our teachers… like the students who created a mural outside of their classroom which was filled with all of the kind deeds which they shared throughout the school and with family, friends, teachers and others. And students who made a video of students sharing what they appreciated about each other; students who made posters and stickers which they passed out to teachers, other students, family and friends and others in their communities. And there are so many others…

Businesses also join in sharing this message, like a business that challenged their staff to participate in the “Kindness Challenge” to perform 500 Acts of Kindness by Worldwide I Matter, You Matter Day on March 28th after which they had Celebratory Lunches!!!

Joseph Wooten of the Steve Miller Band has been part of Worldwide I Matter, You Matter Day since the very beginning and shares this message wherever he goes!

Mahmudul Karim has shared the I Matter, You Matter Day since the very beginning sharing the message for a peaceful world at the MusliHajj pilgrimage.

And our “Worldwide I Matter, You Matter” message made it to the Marque of the Historic Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich, RI reminding everyone they matter.

The list goes on and on…These pictures tell the story…