‘Happy Endorphins’ as Care Home Residents Stage Random Acts of Kindness
Kindhearted residents and staff of Colten Care homes have been spreading a little happiness in and around their communities.
Their activities were part of Random Acts of Kindness Day which takes place every February and encourages participants to ‘make someone’s day’ with a kind gesture.
From Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst, Hampshire, resident John Denby went out and about in the nearby village centre to invite locals in for a free cream tea and make friends.
John, accompanied by Companionship Team Member Jo Anderson, handed out formal invitations along with seed paper hearts.
Jo said: “As well as the beautifully presented invites to come in and see us, we thought the recipients could plant the seeds in their gardens to enjoy a wildflower display later in the year, the idea being to watch love grow.”
John said: “It was clear people were touched by our gesture. Some couldn’t thank me enough. I enjoyed going out in the community and explaining what Random Acts of Kindness is all about. Being the New Forest, I even had a wandering donkey approach me interested in what we were doing!”
At Kingfishers in New Milton, residents boxed up gifts of freshly made shortbread, adding messages of their own and labels that read ‘From us to you, made with care’ and ‘Spread a little kindness’.
The home’s Customer Advisor Tracy McCallum then distributed the boxes to contacts in the town including the local GP surgery, church, school and community centre.
Kingfishers resident June Price said: “This was such a lovely idea, to thank our friends in the community for all the hard work they do.”
At Canford Chase in Poole, residents painted messages of inspiration and joy on ‘kindness rocks’ and added designs to felt hearts and flowers.
Companionship Team member Justin Corder, who brought in homemade cookies for everyone as his own ‘random act’, said: “We started off the day by discussing what kindness means and then once we began our painting, we decided we would place the finished rocks outside in the garden and other places where people would see them.
“We agreed that the simple act of giving a token gift, a flower or making someone smile helps you release happy endorphins and boosts the soul.”
At Amberwood House in Ferndown, one theme of Kindness Day involved caring for plants in borders right outside the building.
Gardener Lyn Read was aware that wisteria vines, a rose bush and a fuchsia might have to be lost because of renovation work being done to the dining room and lounge and a lack of alternative garden space for replanting.
She carefully dug out the plants and rehomed them with Liz and Jon Doyle, daughter and son-in-law of resident Mary Whitehouse, after the couple expressed a wish to save them.
As well as taking plants for their own garden, Liz and Jon have donated some of the vines to the Blandford Museum Gardens where they volunteer.
Companionship Team member Sharon McVicar said: “This was a lovely act of kindness from all parties involved as otherwise these poor plants would have been left to die.”
Amberwood House was also one of several Colten Care homes where residents wrote ‘postcards of kindness’ to be delivered to people and organisations in the local community.
