The Birth of Our Platform

 

My name is Li-Yun. I grew up in Taiwan, spending most of my childhood outside with the neighborhood kids. We rode bikes, made up games, and knocked on each other’s doors without thinking twice. Those everyday moments shaped me in ways I didn’t fully appreciate until I became a parent.
 

In 2023, my husband and I moved from Seattle to Bremerton, Washington, with our energetic five-year-old son, Caleb. As we settled into our new community, I realized how different childhood looks today. Many of our kids don’t roam the neighborhood the way we once did. We may not even know the families who live just a few doors down.
 

Like many parents, I wanted something simple but meaningful: connection.
A way to meet other families with young children. A way for our kids to grow up seeing familiar faces, building friendships, and learning not just from school, but from everyday life and the people around them.
 

Parents are already sharing their passions with their own children—whether that’s skiing, gardening, cooking, building, or creating. I began to wonder: what if we shared those passions a little more widely? What if the things we love could also spark curiosity in another child, or even another adult?
 

That idea became Kindred Gathering, a Bremerton-based nonprofit created to bring parents, caregivers, and community members together. Through simple, welcoming gatherings, families connect, children build friendships, and everyone has space to play, explore, and grow—together.