Acts of kindness tend to have a ripple effect. Local resident Janet McCormack is doing her part to set some kindness in motion during the holidays.
“I believe in doing things to help other people out and with COVID it feels like people might need a little nudge to remember the Christmas spirit,” she says. “In the holiday season it’s fun to think of others and what you can do to help make people happy and feel special.”
With that in mind, she created a ‘kindness tree’—a Christmas tree decorated with small bags containing kindness challenges that children can complete—and placed it in the driveway of her home and office at 14 Florence Street E.
The kindness challenges “range from making a thank you note for the garbage and recycling staff, to leaving little paper hearts around the house to remind their family they love them, to secretly doing a chore for someone and watching how they react, to writing or drawing a love letter to their parent,” explains McCormack.
“All of the challenges are small and easy to do but have the ability to make the kids feel pretty special for the contribution they will make to their family or community. We tell kids that it is better to give then to receive but then often don’t give them the opportunity to give. In my experience working with kids, they love the feeling of watching someone react to their kindness gestures.”
The bags also include a small toy—some water beads—that the children can play with after they’ve completed their challenge.
A few years ago, McCormack, who works with children with autism and other learning needs, also placed a little free library just for kids in her front yard.
She hopes that with this new initiative, “a child would feel the magic of Christmas as they come to a tree decorated with lights and bags and feel excited to take one. Then have the wonder of what their kindness challenge will be and end with the excitement of planning it and completing their mission,” she says.
“Christmas is for kids and I just wanted to find another way besides the library on the front yard to help kids make some special memories.”
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Janet really is the best! ❤️
Wonderful idea. What a fun surprise this will be for those these kids will be blessing and what a learning experience this will be for the children taking part in the giving of themselves.
It brings joy all around.
God bless you Janet McCormack