When you’re inspired to
“be the change,” you just have to get out there and
take action – no matter your age. A group of kids in Canada is doing just this, and inspiring many in the process.
CBC News reports
that activist Tara Smith-Atkins, her eight-year-old daughter, and seven
of her daughter’s friends took to the streets to dress up street poles
in Halifax to
help homeless folks this winter.
It all began when Smith-Atkins was fretting over how to help the
homeless
stay warm during the coming winter months. After some brainstorming,
she began asking her community for coat donations and winter items still
in good shape.
It didn’t take long for people to respond. Over a period of two weeks, bags of winter coats, hats, and more started flowing in.
By November 15, the family had plenty of
items to distribute.
Because friends and family were coming to town to celebrate her
daughter’s eighth birthday, Tara figured that event would also be the
perfect opportunity to ‘dress up’ the town and share the
donated goods.
She, her eight-year-old daughter and seven of her daughter’s friends
gathered winter coats and mittens and tied them to street poles
throughout the city for
homeless individuals to claim. Each item had a tag that read
“I am not lost! If you are stuck out in the cold, please take me to keep warm!”
Their
compassionate efforts
did not go unnoticed. Photos of the fashionable poles soon began
circulating on social media, with people wondering who was behind the
kind gesture.
Said Smith-Atkins:
“They definitely learned the importance of it. When we
got back in the car after an hour on the street, they were all freezing
and crying for the heater to be on and complaining because they were
cold. And they were bundled up.”
Smith-Atkins
told CBC
that every year she reaches out to her community for donations of
coats, and is already planning a coat drive for next year. She wants to
get the word out ahead of time so people who need
warm clothes can track them down. In addition, she wants to add $5 fast food gift cards with each coat so the recipient can get a
hot meal.
