9-Year-Old Girl's Small Act Of Kindness Snowballs Into Major Volunteer Project

April 9, 2021

An act of kindness by 9-year-old Hana Fatima at an Ontario grocery store last year has since snowballed into a major volunteer project to help seniors and people with disabilities.

Good Neighbour Project
Hana Fatima and Tariq Syed / Credit: CBC

In March 2020, just two days before Ontario's first lockdown, Fatima and her father, Tariq Syed, were at the grocery store trying to stock up on toilet paper and other necessities.

"I was panic shopping, to be honest," recalled Syed. "Naturally, I was focused on me and trying to get my list as quickly as possible."

He remembers people having some difficulty, but it wasn't something he was paying attention to. That is, until Fatima noticed an elderly woman in the check-out line struggling with her groceries.

"It made me think of my grandparents," Fatima recalled. So, she pointed the woman out to her father and the two offered to help carry her purchases to her car.

It was a simple act of kindness, but the woman's reaction stayed with Fatima.

"She got really happy," Fatima told CBC.

 

When they got home, Fatima and her father decided they wanted to help more seniors.

Together, they launched The Good Neighbor Project, a volunteer delivery network that connects available, able-bodied individuals with people in need.

The way it works is simple: someone posts a callout looking for a volunteer to run an errand or make a delivery; group members who are willing to take on the task sign up in the comments; and presto: community-organized assistance for people in need.

So far, more than 6,000 volunteers have contributed over 22,700 hours and helped over 8,600 isolated seniors, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable persons.

"It's just a network of good-hearted Canadians who came together to help the community during unprecedented times," Syed said.

"When I saw the elderly person, I thought that was my opportunity to go and help somebody," Fatima said. "Because whenever you get a chance to be helpful and kind, you just go and do without thinking about it. Everybody should do that."


Click Here For The Most Popular On Sunny Skyz

feel good videoCouple Rescues Prairie Dog From Their Dog's Mouth, Then Decides To Adopt It

feel good storiesHungry Elephant Casually Walks Into Grocery Store For Snacks In Thailand

feel good storiesWild Orcas Keep Giving Humans Gifts, Leaving Experts Puzzled

feel good storiesMy Girlfriend Gifted Me My Father’s Handwriting To Keep Forever

feel good storiesWe Can’t Stop Looking At These Adorable Baby Loon Photos Taken On A Lake

feel good storiesThis Couple Built A Grass Patch For Their Cat, And She’s Obsessed With It

feel good videoBaby Elephant’s Trunk Steals The Show In Adorable Treat Time Video

feel good video'Am I Allowed To Be This Happy?' The Moment A Nervous Foster Dog Finally Lies In A Dog Bed

feel good videoGrandma Thinks She's 60. Her Reaction To Learning She's 90 Is Priceless

feel good videoWhat Happens When A Man With A Hose Meets A Group of Kids? Pure Magic

feel good videoChicken Or Pigeon? The Internet Can’t Believe This Bird Is Real

Chris Filippou 12:17 PM (3 minutes ago) to me