About Us — Your Site Title

Our Mission

Be Kinder Than Necessary is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to nurturing empathy, dignity, and confidence in children by meeting their basic needs with compassion. We believe that the most powerful way to teach empathy is to model it.

Through our Kindness Closets—installed in libraries, faith-based organizations, and other community spaces—we provide children with free access to nourishing food, books, hygiene products, games, and other essential resources. Each closet also includes a confidential wish list, ensuring that every child who needs a coat, shoes, or other essentials can receive them without shame or barriers.

Our mission is simple: to help every child feel seen, supported, and cared for, while inspiring a community culture rooted in kindness, generosity, and humanity.

About the Founder

Claire Criscuolo is the co-founder (with her late husband, Frank Criscuolo) of Claire’s Corner Copia, the iconic family-owned restaurant in New Haven that has been serving the community with compassion, generosity, and homemade vegetarian, globe-trotting cuisine for over five decades. Throughout her life and career, Claire has believed deeply in the power of kindness, dignity, and human connection to transform lives and strengthen communities.

As the founder of Be Kinder Than Necessary, Claire, and a dedicated Board of Directors are dedicated to creating programs and partnerships that encourage empathy, emotional well-being, and compassionate action in children and families. Her vision is to build a culture where kindness is valued as an essential life skill and where every person feels seen, respected, and included. Through collaboration with supporters, sponsors, educators, and community leaders, she hopes to expand the organization’s impact and inspire meaningful change for future generations, starting with food pantries for children ages 18 and under.