THUNDER BAY – With our eyes glued to the screens of our phones we often miss out on the opportunity to connect with others. The potential for good deeds is all around us – just waiting to be discovered. Local Scouts are challenging the community to look up from their screens, discover someone in need and perform a Good Turn during the 7th annual Scouts Canada Good Turn Week from April 22 – May 1, 2016.
Initiated in 2009 by Scouts Canada, Good Turn Week isn’t just for Scouts; it’s a national movement. Let’s bring it to our community. Simply perform a Good Turn and encourage the recipient to pay it forward to help spark a cycle of goodwill across our community.
Last year from coast-to-coast, a homeless youth shelter in Kelowna, BC got a much-needed facelift; a student in Markham, ON gave blood; kids in need in St. John’s, NF received healthy school lunches and snacks – these are just a few of the countless acts of kindness that took place. This year Scouts Canada will launch 34 major community projects, more than double the number in 2015, made possible by a generous donation from RBC Foundation.
Simple and easy to perform, Good Turns can change someone’s day. From effortless tasks that take seconds, to small projects, Good Turn opportunities are there for the taking. They can help make our community friendlier and stronger, not to mention creating healthier, empowered youth and adults at the same time. That’s right, performing an act of kindness is good for the body and mind.
So to discover your bright side during Good Turn Week, here are some ideas that might get you started down the Good Turn Week road:
- Tech Wizards: Help organize files or clean up the memory on an older relative’s smartphone or computer.
- Outdoorsy Types: Organize a group to pick up litter in a public park or woodlands.
- Friendly Neighbours: Volunteer to do yard work or run an errand, or bake treats and hand them out on your street.
- Animal Lovers: Walk someone’s dog, or donate old pet toys, beds and accessories to the Humane Society.
- Foodies: Make a special meal for your family, or help serve dinner at a homeless shelter.
- Workplace Karma: Surprise colleagues with a tasty, homemade snack or lunch.
- Reuse and Recycle: Give to a food bank, or donate clothing and blankets to a homeless shelter. For bookworms, donate some of your home library to a school or medical facility.
- Surprises: Buy a hot drink for someone who makes a difference in your life, such as a bus driver, police officer or teacher.
Scouts will carry the load this Good Turn Week. Literally. They’ll be portaging non-perishable donations in canoes across major cities. At the local level, they’ll be involved in various projects from handing out umbrellas on a rainy day or meals to the homeless, to building bat boxes, butterfly gardens and accessories for Habitat for Humanity homes.
Find out more or share your Good Turn by submitting it via Scouts.ca/goodturnweek, or on social media by using #GoodTurnWeek and tagging @ScoutsCanada
