Wow!! What a surprising year it has been for all of us. This year has been challenging but we have all had to learn some valuable lessons. This pandemic has affected us all in some way, shape or form. Our lives have been transformed as we know it, whether it be due to virtual celebrations, cancelled weddings, or postponed travel plans, we have all had to make some adjustments to our lives. In spite of this, we have risen above and supported each other through this challenging and difficult.
We here at Fernie have modeled kindness and gratitude to our fellow team members by purchasing small items and attaching personalized notes to show appreciation for each staff member. We have also reached out to our Community Partners and Open Facilities to let them know that we are thinking of them and missing them during this difficult time. We also created some smiles by providing a team lunch.
Over the Christmas Holidays, we at Fernie were happy to spread some COVID kindness to the families that we work with. Collectively, we were able to support one mother with 3 children, put gifts under their tree and enjoy a family Christmas Dinner. We were also able to extend this kindness to 4 other youth during the holidays by providing them gift cards to help them make their Christmas wishes come true.
For these beautiful stories to come true, we must also be kind to ourselves by prioritizing self-care. A little outdoor time, reading or drawing, or enjoying a sip of your favourite drink, can all help with the process. Then, we can spread some love by a simple act of kindness to those around by dropping off a coffee to a friend, check in on co-workers that you haven’t heard from in a while, or even schedule quality time on a zoom call with friends and family.
We need to spread the love to ourselves and those around us at this time of global difficulty. An act of kindness can go a long way to help individuals through their emotional and financial struggles at this time of social isolation. A simple phone call or a smile can make someone’s day. Let’s all take a moment and to model COVID kindness as we have here at Fernie.