The late Princess Diana once profoundly said, “Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” World Kindness Day, marked yearly on November 13, spotlights the positive power of good deeds. No act is too small, as Seasons Retirement Communities residents know. Here are some examples of how they create a ripple effect of kindness in their community every day.
Seasons Amherstburg resident Pat carpools with her friend Annette monthly to Windsor to drop off donations to “Street Help” and “Hiatus House.” They have also purchased frozen turkeys for Christmas and donated them to The Downtown Mission of Windsor. Now, other residents contribute to Pat and Annette, including blankets, clothes, knitted hats, mittens, scarves, and small household appliances to pay it forward.
Seasons Dufferin Centre resident Matt is the first person to introduce himself to new residents and talk to them in the bistro before service to ensure the servers have enough time to support everyone. Matt is always helping residents if they need assistance. When asked why he is so helpful, he simply says, “Because I still can!”
Seasons Drayton Valley’s Dorothy makes special treats like butter tarts, muffins, and pies for everyone. She adores baking because it keeps her busy, but most importantly, it makes others smile. Shirley loves having nice nails and long-lasting polish, so she’s purchased gel nail polish and special nail tools to educate other residents about gel nail wear and care. Finally, Kay spreads kindness all summer with the community garden; she keeps it thriving by cleaning and feeding all the flowers and plants. Other residents thanked her for all she did to make it look beautiful for everyone else to enjoy.
Seasons Owen Sound has a few folks that attend the home’s weekly “day away” on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sydney and Margaret are regulars. They have even been spotted walking together, holding hands. Being the gentleman he is, Sydney always ensures that Margaret gets on the bus and back safely to her room.
Seasons Milton’s Catherine is one of the home’s Welcome Ambassadors. She greets every new resident, making even the shyer and quieter residents most comfortable. Catherine leads the ongoing Seniorosity™ activity of knitting hats for the Milton District Hospital; she was a nurse for decades, and her caring heart has been a gift to residents and team members. Jean is passionate about uplifting the lives of everyone around her. She leads the home’s resident-run “Glee Club” every Monday morning, which fills the hallways with joy. Jean is also the point person for Euchre every Thursday. She is a great leader with a huge heart, always encouraging new residents to join activities and reminding long-standing residents that it’s never too late to start participating. John is one of this home’s original residents. His wife passed away a few years ago, and he is determined to stay connected daily. John is the first to greet team members in the morning and always opens the front door when people enter; John’s also the first one up out of his chair to do the Waltz or Twist and lead the conga line at the weekly “happy hours.” He is the Santa Claus every holiday season! Fun Manager Jennifer muses, “John is a class act in every sense of the word; is he our rock, our compass to kindness, and the face we never tire of seeing with a smile every single day.”
Seasons Royal Oak Village’s Barbara thoroughly enjoys caring for the home library’s vast book supply. Before she retired, she was a University Librarian. Barbara organizes the books and ensures they are labelled for easy retrieval by residents. She shares her love of books with everyone. Gene has volunteered at Pointe West Golf & Country Club for over 28 years! He acts as a “starter”: this person controls and maintains the tee time schedule and ensures members/guests have what they need. Gene goes to the golf course every Friday morning and has only missed two days in 28 years. He does it because he loves meeting people, making jokes, and welcoming new members. Finally, Glenna lives in one of the townhomes. Every Monday, she plays the piano at both supper seatings and then stays after the second one to do a sing-a-long with upwards of 20 residents. Glenna’s even made the Fun Manager Karyn songbooks for this, too!
Seasons Welland’s has revived its Wednesday afternoon knitting group. Paused during the pandemic, they shifted to knitting solo during their free time. This group now meets weekly once again, knitting and crocheting while enjoying some well-deserved social time with light refreshments and snacks. New scarves, hats, dishcloths, and blankets have been made; the group currently has over two bags of their handmade items to deliver for donation to different organizations, such as local churches, the hospital, and women’s shelters over the next couple of months.
Seasons signature Seniorosity™ (a clever combination of the words ‘seniors’ and ‘generosity’) program is a volunteer-driven initiative allowing over 200 residents from their residences across Alberta and Ontario to dedicate their time to community service through charitable donations, fundraising efforts and random acts of kindness. If you would like to learn more about these initiatives, please click the Locations tab on our website and contact one of our Fun Managers at the Seasons location nearest you for more information.
