DARTMOUTH – Hearts and heads are a little warmer today, as several special deliveries were handed out on the streets of downtown Dartmouth Monday morning.
A group of about 20 children and members of the Take Action Society delivered homemade scarves, hats and mittens to members of their community.
“This is like giving a bunch of people out there a hug from the Take Action Society, just to let them know we care for them,” said Roseanna Cleveland of the Take Action Society.
The project, called Santa Under the Bridge, started in April and saw people from North End Dartmouth gather to learn how to knit once a week. The project was a good way for the community to get together and for people of all ages to learn a new skill.
READ MORE: ‘Knit one, purl two.” Volunteers help less fortunate with knitting
Over the course of a few months, the group made more than 100 scarves, which were then paired with hats and mitts. Monday, the Take Action Society hit the city streets, handing them out as random acts of kindness.
“We all came together and now it feels really good to able to go and give these to everyone now,” Cleveland told Global News.
“They might be cold and don’t have a home to live in like we do, so we wanna give them scarves so they can be warm,” said 8-year-old Kayla Livingstone, who helped pass out the scarves.
On top of receiving the handmade apparel, people also got a Christmas card made by the children, with a special holiday message inside.
“The cards are very important because there’s people out there that don’t feel special and we just want to make them feel special,” said Lyssa Peters with Take Action Society.
The group passed them out to people waiting for buses and ferries in Dartmouth, as well as people in need. A goodwill gesture that caught many off guard.
“It was just really sweet,” said Pat Anderson, who got a delivery while waiting for the bus.
“The little girl asked me if I wanted a scarf, it was a good cause so I said yes. She was adorable as well. I got a card as well from the kids. Just a sweet story, it’s what the holidays are about, really.”
The Take Action Society says it was important for them to get the young people in the community involved in the project.
“We want to teach the youngsters that it’s better to give back than it is to receive,” said Peters.
“It’s so important, especially in the winter months, people are less fortunate than what we are. We just want to show a point that somebody out there really cares.”
The whole idea of the Santa Under the Bridge project was to get the community involved and help lift the spirits of people over the holidays. A sentiment that carried on, with many people who were handed a scarf planning to do their own goodwill gesture and pass it on to someone in need.
“The kids gave it to us but I don’t really need it,” said Meryl Cook.
“So my sister and I are walking up Spring Garden Road so there’s lots of people on Spring Garden who could use a scarf, so we’ll give them away on the other side.”
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