麻豆传媒

ESTEVAN — The Estevan General Store took a chance to prove that kindness is contagious, and the experiment's results are indeed inspiring.

Spearheaded by owner Kendra Sutherland, the store's inaugural Kindness Drive has inspired the community to unite in support of two valuable local nonprofits: the Estevan Salvation Army and the Estevan Humane Society.

The campaign, which began two weeks ago, has captured the hearts of local businesses and some residents alike, with donations pouring in to help those in need. The drive's motto is "Every Little Bit Builds Big Change. Together We Thrive!"

In an interview with the Mercury and SaskToday, Sutherland said the inspiration for the campaign came from observing similar efforts online.

"I've seen a couple of people do something like this last year, and I thought it was a great idea. I just changed it up a little bit," she explained.

Rather than imposing strict guidelines or limits on contributions, the General Store's Kindness Drive encouraged donors to give what they can.

"I was thinking my little two or three grocery bags that I donate to the Salvation Army isn't going to add up to much," Sutherland said. "And I thought, well, maybe other people feel that way, so maybe if we do it all together, we can create this huge event."

The choice of charities was deeply personal for Sutherland.

"The Salvation Army has helped me in the past," she shared. "And the humane society is just amazing. Nobody loves the animals like they do."

What began as a modest idea quickly grew into a community-wide movement. Sutherland adopted a tag-and-nominate strategy to encourage participation, starting with three local businesses.

"When they brought their donations in, they tagged three more businesses. And it just snowballed from there," she said.

The results have been staggering. As of Dec. 12, close to 90 local businesses were nominated, out of which over 50 joined the drive and more were expected. The General Store had already delivered one vehicleload of donations to the charities, with enough collected to fill another one. Additionally, nearly $3,000 in cash and gift cards had been donated.

"The response has been phenomenal," Sutherland said, recalling the overwhelming moment she saw the store floor packed with contributions. "I had no idea it was going to blow up the way it did. I was off for the weekend, and when I got here yesterday, you couldn't even walk out there — it was so full."

The Estevan Salvation Army and humane society have both expressed immense gratitude for the support.

"The Salvation Army was just stoked because I took a full carload. I couldn't have squeaked any more in if I tried," Sutherland said with a smile.

The wish list for the Salvation Army includes, but isn't limited to, canned goods, peanut butter, dry pasta and sauce, rice, cereal/oatmeal, crackers and personal hygiene products. The humane society wish list consists of large breed dog toys, cat toys, cleaning supplies, a large cat tree or gift cards to put towards one from Walmart. The shelter also noted the animals are on a specific brand of food, so people are asked to donate gift cards from Pet Valu for food. 

The campaign is set to wrap up on Dec. 14, but there's still time to contribute. Donations can be dropped off at the Estevan General Store, where staff will ensure they are delivered to the chosen charities.

Sutherland hinted that the Kindness Drive might become an annual tradition.

"I'd like to make it an annual thing," she said. "It's been so great to see how the community has come together."

Looking ahead, Sutherland hopes to expand the initiative to include other nonprofits.

"There were a few others I wanted to include, but I didn't want to make it too complicated," she said. "Maybe next year, we can bring in the youth centre or other groups."

Beyond the Kindness Drive, the Estevan General Store has been experimenting with other community activities. Recently, it hosted a kids' shopping night where children could select gifts for their family members and have them wrapped — all without the watchful eyes of parents.

"The kids were so excited to pick their own gifts for mom and dad," Sutherland said. "It was fun to see them running around the store."

For more information, visit the Estevan General Store's Facebook page, and to participate in the Kindness Drive stop by the store with your donations before the end of the day on Dec. 14.