09/03/2026
What if the most important legacy we leave is simply how we made someone feel safe? For our founder John Cooper, that person was his grandmother, Mozelle.
She didn't have great wealth. She lived on Social Security. She grew vegetables in her garden and shared them with others. She made cakes for friends and neighbors. Her door was always open to people who needed somewhere to go.
And during a childhood that could often feel frightening and uncertain, she gave John something even more important: Safety.
Years later, John created the Cooper Charitable Foundation in her honor because he wanted the way she lived to continue.
In his newly released TEDxRaleigh talk, The Kindness We Pass On, John shares Mozelle's story and something he has come to understand more deeply: The Foundation itself isn't Mozelle's legacy. Her legacy lives every time the kindness she gave one child is passed from that child to someone else.
Today, we're proud to share the story behind why we exist.
Who was the person in your life who made you feel safe, seen or cared for when you needed it most?
Watch John Cooper's TEDxRaleigh talk, The Kindness We Pass On, at the link in our bio.
