‘Random Acts of Kindness’, showing up in our community and how Carebee can help
It’s winter and some time has passed since the holiday season, perhaps enough for us to feel slightly detached from friends and family. With that said, there is sometimes more in our control than we think and we are here to tell you, that the week of February 17th is ‘National Random Acts of Kindness Week’, so spread the word! There are plenty of important volunteer and donation opportunities in and around Toronto - and we also believe that a random act of kindness doesn’t need to take much effort and is as simple as an intentional kind gesture. We hope the following list of ideas helps inspire random acts of kindness amongst us all! Let’s start a trend!
Hold the door for a neighbour, even if they are slightly behind, and let them know to continue spreading the kindness!
Organize a free library in your apartment building or neighbourhood - share your favourite book or two with your neighbours or swap books! Connect with others through sharing knowledge and the love for reading and help make it more accessible.
Are you crafty? Do you like drawing or creating collages? Create a sweet card and share it with a stranger passing by or a neighbour! Kindness is contagious and it is bound to put a big smile on their face - and yours too!
Help organize a canned food drive in your community or apartment building; or a charity game. Small actions can inspire big outcomes.
Ask a neighbour if they need help with their recycling/garbage. We sure know how dreadful it could be getting down to that recycling room with all the boxes, or simply taking out our garbage bins on garbage day.
Host a ‘Carebee Rolodex - Senior Services Database’ presentation in your apartment building, community or church group. Did you know that we do presentations within the community on the senior services database and show our audience how to best use it? It’s free and we thoroughly enjoy meeting our community members and hearing more about their need and what they want to see. To book a presentation write to us at hello@carebee.ca
Happy Random Acts of Kindness week (month and year)! If you need any further tips, or ideas you can reach out to us anytime! Through our monthly member events we have some experience and tips on games and fun activities that you can organize in your community - you can find more information on our member events on the Carebee Member Portal. If you are not a Carebee member yet you can register at www.carebee.ca. Once registered, you will have Free and unlimited access to the Rolodex Listing of Senior Services under the Main Portal Page, along with access to member events and Short Educational Videos.
Thank you for reading!
Bzzz,
Team Carebee
Further initiatives around Toronto to spread kindness and help in the community
Care Packages and Volunteer efforts for people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity in the GTA
Assemble small care packages that can include essentials like snacks, socks, hygiene items, or gift cards for food.
They can be distributed directly to people or dropped off at organizations like:
Each of these organizations also have multiple ways to get involved, from accepting donations, putting together drives within your community, or volunteering your time. They are simple, cost-effective ways to show kindness, and it allows people to make a personal connection with their community.
2. Community Garden Programs
Participate in or start a community garden project. Many neighborhoods in Toronto have community gardens that are open for volunteers to help plant and maintain. Through organizations like Evergreen and **FoodShare** individuals can donate their time or even garden supplies.
3. Stock a Community Fridge
Help stock a local community fridge through the Community Fridges TO initiative. CFTO is a Toronto-based mutual aid initiative created to nourish our communities and our neighbours. They firmly believe access to food is a right, not a privilege. These refrigerators provide neighbours the opportunity to donate food as well as take what they need, ensuring accessible food 24/7.
From donating foods, to donating time to maintain and spread the word on this initiative, there are tons of opportunities to volunteer!
