Creating a Better Brantford, One Random Act of Kindness at a Time

Creating a Better Brantford, One Random Act of Kindness at a Time

By Deron Hamel

Tina Barkhouse says being involved with the Random Acts of Kindness Group makes her feel more connected to the community by making others feel good through the friendly gestures she and other group members make.

And making others feel good makes her feel good, Tina adds.

“I like to be part of a community, and if we can help inspire somebody with a little gift or just a random word to say, ‘hey, you’re part of a community,’ it makes you feel (good),” she says.

The Random Acts of Kindness Group is one of Belonging Brant’s many citizen-led community initiatives. The group meets on the third Monday of every month to brainstorm ideas to enrich the community in small but meaningful ways.

This can be anything from giving people a random gift or simply making a surprise visit to say hello to someone who might need to see a friendly face.

Tina Barkhouse and friends embarking on some Random Acts of Kindness.

The group is obviously making a positive impression on people. When Tina started with the Random Acts of Kindness Group, there were just a few members. Today, there are about 12 people involved.

Another benefit of participating in the Random Acts of Kindness Group is that connections are created between group members and other community groups, and support networks can be forged through those relationships, Tina says.

“It’s so great to know different people, and you get those resources from other people,” she says.

The group has partnered with The Kindness Card Project, to hand out cards during the holiday season, with the Paris Painted Rocks group to decorate and leave rocks in Brant County and with Sydenham-Heritage United Church Crafty Friends, that made “worry worms” to spread happy thoughts throughout the community.

Looking ahead, Tina says she’s hoping the Random Acts of Kindness Group can reach more people and organizations across Brantford.

“I think people get to know who you are, and I think that’s good because maybe that person knows somebody else that can help contribute something to somebody or to another group or an organization, and maybe (we) can branch out to other smaller cities,” she says.

Click here to learn more about the Random Acts of Kindness Group.

Be A Newsmaker!

What If Belonging Brant Became a Lasting Community Beacon?

Belonging Brant is already a light in our community. It is the place to be. With three years under our belt and our initial funding coming to an end this October, we have the opportunity to fashion our future anew. We’d love to hear what you’ve loved about Belonging Brant, what you’d like for it to become, and what you might like to do to make that dream come true. Consider taking a few minutes to share your answers to these questions.

Join our mailing list to to receive a bi-weekly newsletter containing invitations and media related to Community Living Brant.