Kindness in Action began innocently in 1993, over a cup of tea at a kitchen table. When founder, Dr. Amil Shapka of St. Paul, Alberta, wrote a cheque with his mouth, offering to help the poor of Honduras, a friend doing development work there at the time cashed it. A dental team of four was the result. The sincerity, warmth, and gratitude of the campesinos would touch and change them all, inspiring them to return annually.

From that simple beginning, Kindness in Action would develop a life of its own, growing into an organization with over two hundred volunteers working on weekly projects in seven countries.

In the early years before Kindness in Action was officially incorporated, we struggled with a label that would capture the spirit of exactly who we were and what it was we are doing. Out of the sweaty, suctionless and often blood stained crucible of the makeshift Honduran dental clinic, the "Escoupa Groupa" was born: "escoupa" being the Spanish word for spit. For many of our veterans, the phrase holds a special place in their hearts, a reminder of our humble beginnings, friends made and the goodness of being alive and able to serve.