You'd be amazed at t he difference the simple things in life can make.  Think about how an unexpected and kind comment made you feel, or when another driver let you into traffic. Perhaps your neighbour shoveled the sidewalk in front of your house or a friend brought you coffee.  All this generosity cost the giver virtually nothing however ,the impact on you went on and on.

Starting on October 29 and in the days leading up to Friday, November 9 which is Random Act of Kindness Day®, you are invited to share acts of kindness and generosity to others and then share what you did and how you felt.  We also want to hear about the nice things that have been done for you.

Why is this so important?
We live in an amazing region full of opportunities.  Many of us are busy and not able to take the time to fully appreciate just how lucky we are.  Our goal is to encourage people to do something nice for someone and ask nothing in return other than they do something nice for someone else.  It's a simple and effective way to build a better community.

What can you do?

Part of the beauty of this is that it doesn't have to cost a cent.  Hold a door open, share words of thanks and encouragement, tell someone they've done a good job - these are the kinds of acts that everyone can do to 'pay it forward' during this special time.   Use your imagination and follow your heart.

October 29 to November 9 is an opportunity to do something kind for someone else, to appreciate your fellow citizens and for community building.  It is NOT about fundraising or giving money.  It is just a time to celebrate kindness.

Proud Sponsor of Random Act of Kindness Day

Remember

Part of the fun is sharing your acts of kindness; the ones you carried out as well as the ones you received.  Visit the  Kindness page to share and to read what others have done.

Who can get involved?

Everyone is invited to take part:  schools, businesses, individuals, retailers, membership organizations and individuals.

How can you get involved?

Pictured above are representatives of the charitable organizations who benefited from the "Power of Philanthropy" auction package that was purchased by Canadian Tire at the 2012 Inspire Invest Forever Gala.   This is the third time that Canadian Tire has purchased this package.  Representing Canadian Tire was Ron Regnier (back row, fourth from left).

As in past years, the "Power of Philanthropy" auction package was a hotly contested item at the recent 2012 Community Foundation gala.  And as in past years, the successful bidder received nothing in return for their winning bid except for the knowledge they had supported charitable organizations whose services can be felt by communities throughout the Peace region.

"We were very grateful to Grande Prairie Canadian Tire for purchasing this year's package and for continuing to be a very strong supporter of the Foundation and our communities," said Tracey Vavrek, Executive Director of the Community Foundation.  "They have purchased this package every year since we started offering it in 2010 and we thank them."

The philanthropy package can be thought of as a three-way collaboration that allows the Community Foundation to meet the short and long-term needs of local charities. 

Foundation staff work with charitable organizations to identify their short-term needs, the business community sponsors items identified by the charities, and the successful bidder purchases the package at the gala which allows the Foundation to continue to support the charitable community in the long-term.

Over the coming months, we will be sharing stories of the 10 charitable organizations that benefited from the "Power of Philanthropy" package and the effect this generosity has had on their operations and the Peace region. 

This month's focus is the GP Hospice Palliative Care Society which required a desktop computer, printer/scanner, office supplies and paper.  Future Shop provided the computer, Watson's Foto Source; the camera and, Sunlife Financial provided the printer/scanner and office supplies.

Working throughout northern Alberta, GP Hospice Palliative Care Society advocates for increased awareness of hospice palliative care, provides educational opportunities for individuals who provide end-of-life care and ensuring patients and their families have access to needed equipment.

"We believe in both living well and dying well," said Heather Manarey, Executive Director of the Society.  "We are working very hard in northern Alberta to make this a reality." 

In the past year, the Society provided educational opportunities to 300 healthcare workers and volunteers who deliver palliative care.  The Society was instrumental in the creation of 10 palliative care rooms at the Points West Facility in Grande Prairie and six rooms at the QEII Hospital.  They also work very closely with home care to ensure individuals and their families have access to the things they need to live out the end of their life in their homes.

As one of the many charitable organizations that the Community Foundation of Greater Grande Prairie works with, Tracey Vavrek, Executive Director of the Community Foundation takes great pride in the Society's success.

Heather Manarey

"As a Community Foundation, our focus is on supporting our charitable organizations so they can meet the Peace region's needs both now and in the future," said Tracey.  "In addition to building our fund base so we can provide long-term support, we also try to meet short-term requirements whenever we can such as through the 'Power of Philanthropy' package."

"As a small society, this is huge for us" said Heather.  "Without the generous donations of

 the camera, computer and printer we would have to use our own personal equipment." 

"Thank you to the Community Foundation for including us in the package and to the individual companies for their generosity."

This is the second year that the Community Foundation included the Palliative Care Society in the Philanthropy Package. 

(l-r) Tracey Vavrek, Executive Director with Board Members: Brad Cameron, Roger Arcand, Fred Gardner, Leonard Scharbach (Chair), Kim Gravengard, Ryan Blais,  Corey Sawchuk, and Pat Cyr.

Forever is a very real concept for anyone who works or volunteers for the Community Foundation.  And, when we met this October to review the Foundation's goals and practices, we also reaffirmed our commitment to families, businesses, the charitable community and our donors in northwestern Alberta that our focus is forever.  This notion is fundamental to our decisions.

Thanks to Camp Tamarack for the use of the Ainsworth Cabin for this year's board retreat.  The day was facilitated by Kim Bater, Community Foundations of Canada Regional Coordinator, and was quite intense with some light hearted moments.  In particular, teams were tasked with describe how the Community Foundation would look in 2017. 

Amidst the laughter, all aspects of the Foundation were examined; from its name to community interactions, strategic goals to board training and growth of our endowment funds.  Nothing was missed.  And at the end of the day, board members had identified some very important goals and strategies to undertake.  Although there is still some work to do to finalize the plan, it should be completed fairly soon and the steps required to meet these goals will be developed.

It was a great opportunity for new board members and staff to ask questions and learn more about the Community Foundation.  For those individuals who have been around for a couple of years, they were able to reinforce their knowledge, share best practices and learn from new members who bring fresh ideas and outlooks.

Overall, it was a very successful and informative planning session that allowed us to reinforce our commitment to the region that we will be effective in providing for future generations.