Kindness cards promote seniors inclusion in community

A new campaign to help keep seniors included in things going on in the community has been launched by a coalition of groups in Summerside, P.E.I.

'They are all little non-cost, non-risk ways of including people'

Gail Harding · CBC News ·
The Social Inclusion Group has printed 8,000 kindness cards that suggest ways Islanders can reach out to seniors. (Gloria Schurman/Submitted)

A new campaign to help keep seniors included in things has been launched by a coalition of groups in Summerside, P.E.I., with cards suggesting ways people can carry out small acts of kindness. 

The mandate of the Social Inclusion Group is to lessen isolation and promote inclusion of seniors in the community, says Gloria Schurman, executive director of the East Prince Seniors Initiative, one of the dozen groups involved in the project. 

    "It's really a very simple thing. It's a reminder to people about being neighbourly and it doesn't cost anything to give a smile or a wave," Schurman said.

    "They are all little non-cost, non-risk ways of including people." 

    List of kind acts

    The coalition has printed 8,000 cards they will hand out at events. They list ways a person can show kindness, such as a phone call, opening a door, going for coffee and more. 

    "You can put it on your fridge or pass it on to someone else," Schurman said of the cards. 

    Schurman said they see good things happening already to help local seniors but says there is always more that can be done. 

    "We'd love to see young people look at them and maybe do something. We're even hoping a few schools might like to give them out to their students," she said.  

    The Social Inclusion Group will be handing out the kindness cards at the Choose Summerside event May 12 at Credit
    Union Place. The cards are also available at the East Prince Seniors Initiative office. 

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      With files from Laura Chapin