If people in Connecticut are starting to act nicer to each other, they may have Ken Engelman to thank.

He’s the guy planting the “Please Be Kind!” signs that are sprouting up like daffodils all over the state.

They started in Branford, spread into Guilford, East Haven and North Branford, and now they’ve been spotted as far as Waterbury, New London and Hartford.

Not a bad use for old election lawn signs, Engelman, an advertising guy from Branford, thinks.

“When I was volunteering for one of the elections as a poll worker, I went outside on a break and I saw so many lawn signs all around the Branford school that I was in, and I thought, Wow, that’s a lot of garbage after this election is over,” Engelman, 54, said.

“And then I thought to myself, What if we repurpose them? These are miniature billboards. What if we put a positive message on them, and that really is what started this little campaign that’s grown very quickly,” he said.

At first, Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove was reluctant to have them on town property because of the commercial signs that get planted without permission.

“But after the third sign was out there, town officials started calling me, asking me for signs, So we have them on the Branford library property and a bunch of other town properties with approval,” Engelman said.

Next, the Guilford parks and recreation director called, and “it snowballed,” he said.

Engelman had an idea for what to put on the signs that would have been way too many words. Then a friend suggested “Please be kind. That was it,” he said.

“I’m asking, I’m not demanding. I’m not being what some people consider telling them what to do,” he said. “So I added ‘Please be kind.’ And I added the exclamation point, just as a little bit more of an assertive ‘please be kind.’ And it was short and sweet. And it was so simple of a message that the people I asked about it all said, it’s perfect. So I just ran with it.”

Branford’s signs are red because that’s the Branford High School Hornets’ color, so it’s the town color. No politics. In fact, there are two highway bridges that have two signs each: one red, one blue, to make sure no one thinks he’s being political.

So Guilford’s signs are green, North Branford’s are purple. He’s had to look up towns on the internet to find out what their high school colors are.

With the help of volunteers, he’s in Hartford, Waterbury, New London “and most towns in between,” Engelman said. “Those areas have at least one sign. Average is five signs per town.” He estimates there are about 100 around the state so far.

“Now I do go around and I ask other volunteers to go around and make sure that the wind or a past snowstorm didn’t destroy the signs,” he said. “Make sure they’re upright. Make sure that they’re still in good condition and I replaced some of the ones that have broken spikes, the metal stands. We’ve had some crazy winds lately.”

He always asks permission. “We don’t just put them in places,” he said. “We knock on doors and explain the mission. And so far everyone has said, Oh yeah, we need more kindness. Are you kidding me? Go ahead and put it out there.”

“I thought it was a nice idea,” said Sal Esposito, owner of P.S. Fine Stationers on Main Street in Branford. “Now if everybody pays attention to them and follows through, we’ll be all set.”

“People need to be kind at all times. There’s a lot of unkindness in the world,” said Mary Sawicki of Branford.

“I love them. That’s what I say to my kids,” said Mary Pont, also of Branford. “There’s so much conflict in the world, it’s scary. You may not know what anyone’s going through. To me, just be kind.”

Seeing Engelman with the signs seems to give people permission to open up, seeing him as embodying the message.

“A lot of people would stop and talk to me, and they share some of the most intimate stories and experiences of how terrible their situation is at that moment,” he said.

“I’ve heard people telling me about (how) they’ve learned that their loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. I’ve been told that a person lost their job, that their pet passed away, or they’re going through a divorce, things strangers don’t usually share with strangers. But people seem to want to stop and talk to me,” he said.

“Seeing a kindness sign just gives them some hope and makes them feel not alone, because usually kind people are more compassionate, empathetic people, and a lot of times they have nowhere to go to share their thoughts and emotions, and so they see this and I’m learning this from them as an outlet for them to feel better, while also creating a ripple effect and inspiring people in their sphere, to be kind to each other,” Engelman said.

“And it’s been proven that if you be kind to others, you feel better about yourself because you’re making somebody smile,” he said. “And if you experience somebody being kind to you, you feel better. So you’re not going to be as angry or frustrated. And there’s so many valuable benefits to mental health by spreading kindness, engaging with kindness.”