Leap of Kindness Day was invented by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce in 2016, when Chamber members and their employees donated time, talent, and treasure to support local nonprofits, seniors, first-responders, health care workers, animal shelters and more. In 2020, more than 200 communities in the US, Canada, and Ireland participated in Leap of Kindness Day, and now, in 2024 the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce is joining in the efforts to embrace Leap of Kindness Day in our community.
To make this happen, local nonprofit organizations can send an email to Sarah Smith at sarah@chatham-kentchamber.ca to share what your organization needs in 2024. These requests will be shared as they are received.
The Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce hopes to inspire others in the community to be a part of Leap of Kindness Day as well.
To help you be as kind as possible on February 29, 2024, we have complied a list of requests from local Chamber organizations that could use your help.
Please click on the name to learn more about the organizations and their programs.
Chatham-Kent Hospice – Our Hospice kitchen, like your kitchen, is the hub of our Hospice home. Volunteers lovingly prepare meals for our residents and soup, baked goods and snacks for family and guests. We also go through a LOT of coffee at Hospice. We recently learned that our coffee station machines will need to be replaced. We have 2 stations and the replacement cost is $3,500 each (total $7,000). Any support to help towards the cost of replacement would be wonderful. Another practical way to support our Hospice families is gift cards to local grocery stores or drug stores. We use these to purchase food as well as personal care products for our residents. Since opening our doors 8 years ago, we have cared for over 1,300 families from across Chatham-Kent. When you consider the ripple effect when you consider each resident’s family, the people impacted by local Hospice care is quite substantial. That is thanks to the amazing support and compassion of our donors and community. Thank you!
Art and Heirloom Shoppe is a not for profit that can use a little help on Leap of Kindness Day. We give classes and need a card table and 4-6 folding chairs. Thanks in advance for your help.
Chris Ford
Kenesserie Camp needs your help. On June 15th 2023, without warning, CKPHU deemed any property and buildings within 150 feet of the Lake Erie bluffs unsafe to use. This included 6 of our 14 camper cabins and our kitchen and dining hall. With 2 weeks of time we figured a way to make it work for 2023. Now we need to make permanent changes by June of 2024. This includes moving 4 buildings, constructing a kitchen addition on an existing hall, and upgrading our electrical infrastructure. This comes at a total cost of $500,000. Can you help with a monetary donation or services in kind? Call Dan Richards at 519.674.2497.
Noelle’s Gift to Children is a registered non-profit; charitable organization. Our purpose is to provide schools and established administrators in Chatham/Kent & Sarnia/Lambton immediate access to funding for elementary and secondary school-age students that will provide nutrition, clothing and educational equipment for those families in need. Through community support, fundraising events, personal donations and memorial gifts — we are able to continue Noelle Paquette's legacy of caring & giving.
PAWR Animal Shelter Needs Your Help!
At PAWR, we're dedicated to providing love, care, and shelter to our furry friends in need. But we can't do it alone—we need YOUR support to continue our mission of compassion and kindness.
Here's how you can make a difference:
To donate, please visit PAWR Animal Shelter or contact us directly for more information. Together, we can continue to provide love, care, and second chances to animals in need. Thank you for your support!
Here are some ideas of ways to participate in Leap of Kindness Day 2024.
1- Organize a drive for essential items and personally deliver the collected goods to a local charity on February 29.
2- Express gratitude to first responders by delivering meals or snacks to your local fire, police, or EMS station on Leap of Kindness Day.
3 -Dedicate February 29th to enhancing a public space — a park, trail, or playground — by cleaning, beautifying, or fixing amenities in need.
4- Encourage your children to write and deliver heartfelt thank-you notes to educators, custodians, bus drivers, and others on February 29th.
5 -Reach out to local care facilities, hospitals, senior or youth centers, and agencies assisting those with unique needs. Collect and deliver items tailored to their specific requirements on Leap of Kindness Day.
