Through the Youth Neighbourhood Small Grant, I was able to execute this Gardens of Kindness project for the second year, impacting children in my neighbourhood and the broader community. After gaining valuable experience from the project’s inaugural year, this time I focused on streamlining the logistics and expanding the scope. This project involved children creating greeting cards that were packaged with flower seed packets and a biodegradable planting pot, which were later distributed to people in the Steveston community. This year, I also launched a Wix website with project details and a digital kindness board, where people could share encouraging messages. I also had an “Ambassador Package” option that included two additional flower seed packets labelled with the project details, intended for the Ambassadors to share with others; thus, spreading kindness even further.
This project required extensive planning in arranging times for kids to create the cards, which was difficult when people were travelling in the summer. I incorporated the card-making sessions into our Block Parties; however, we still did not have enough cards. I accommodated by creating take-home kits, where I added sheets of cardstock, markers, stickers, and a snack for kids to make the cards at home with their family and friends. Later on, they returned the bags with completed, quality cards. In the end, we had six kids from the local neighbourhood who distributed 120 Gardens of Kindness packages.
The distribution aspect was a heartwarming experience. Kids offered packages in public parks, and many recipients expressed gratitude and joy. One memorable moment was when a large party of people, after receiving packages, shared lemonade with the kids, which was a simple but powerful exchange of kindness. These encounters highlight how small acts can spark meaningful connections between people who might not otherwise meet.
From this experience, I learned that small gestures can make a genuine impact. This project was an idea that I had last year, and it would not have been made possible without the NSG!
