Why Dina Lohan Got Involved with the Kindness Is Cool Campaign That Supports Survivors of Domestic Violence (Exclusive)

Dina Lohan felt a natural pull to get involved with the nonprofit The Luisa Diaz Foundation.

Lohan, 62, who has experienced domestic violence, called the cause “very close to my heart” to PEOPLE and felt that the message behind its “Kindness Is Cool” campaign was “so important” that she needed to be involved.

“One one act of kindness can change someone’s mindset immediately, and we never know what someone is going through,” she says.

Luisa Diaz, founder of The Luisa Diaz Foundation, adds: “The whole intention is to promote that kindness is cool and positioning kindness as a strength because sometimes when you talk about it, people think that [if] you are kind, you are weak. So we are giving a makeover to kindness.”

To support The Luisa Diaz Foundation, Lohan starred in a public service announcement alongside Candace Bushnell, Nicole Miller, Julia Haart, her daughter Aliana Lohan, Nick Adams, Brandon Cole Bailey and Patrick McMullan. Their “Kindness Is Cool” campaign aims to remind people that “compassion, empathy, and humanity” are “true markers of leadership and lasting change,” per a press release.

When Lohan was approached about being involved, there was “no question” that she wanted to sign on. “I choose charities obviously that are close to my heart,” she explains.

Lohan will serve as the co-chair of The Luisa Diaz Foundation’s 11th Annual Mi Amor Graciousness (MAG) Gala on Tuesday, May 6, an event dedicated to celebrating kindness and empowering survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and other adversities.

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“We support two amazing charities, Safe Passage Heals and Hope’s Door,” Diaz explains. “The money that we raise, that’s going to be allocated to these amazing grassroots organizations.”

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For Lohan, the organization’s focus on domestic violence hit home.

“If one woman or anyone hears my story and it changes them, it’s a beautiful thing for me,” the mom of four says. “I can give advice because I’ve been through it.”

She also wants to foster hope: “It’s a journey, but you can get to the other side — and I’m living proof.”