Little Cards of Kindness

Residents receiving food and medicines from Renfrewshire Council will soon see little cards of kindness appear in their deliveries to help bring a little joy to their day.

Around 1,500 households in Renfrewshire will receive postcards in their support parcels, offering a sense of connection at this difficult time and the wider community is also being encouraged to get involved, with more cards being distributed by Neighbourhood Hubs.

The cards, known as Postcards from Home aim to encourage people to keep in touch in a creative way. The first postcard residents receive is a positive, illustrated poem, which can be coloured in, that evokes summer and better days to come, from Brian Whittingham, Tannahill Makar for Renfrewshire.

The public are being asked to share their drawings, poems, quotes and art on social media using the hashtag #KindnessCounts which may then be turned into postcards to be shared in the coming weeks.

The support parcels, which include items such as freshly prepared meals, toiletries and dry goods like cereal and tea bags, are delivered to residents by teams from across the council. The teams which includes redeployed staff, have been prepping and cooking fresh meals, packing bags and delivering food parcels to the doors of those most in need in the community, all while adhering to physical distancing guidelines.

This is a combined effort by teams and individuals across the council and Renfrewshire Leisure coming together to provide this vital service to the community.

Renfrewshire’s Provost, Lorraine Cameron, said: “In times like these a little kindness can go a long way and that’s the inspiration behind Postcards from Home.

“For those receiving the support parcels, who may be feeling isolated at the moment, I hope these little cards of kindness will help them feel more connected to their community.”

Chair of Renfrewshire Leisure, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, said: “Creativity has the power to inspire and lift people’s spirits.

“The first of the postcards featuring a poem from Brian Whittingham, Tannahill Makar for Renfrewshire, will, I’m sure, help brighten people’s day with its uplifting message of better times to come.”

Postcards from Home is part of Renfrewshire Council’s Kindness Counts campaign which aims to share uplifting stories about the acts of kindness that are currently taking place throughout Renfrewshire during the pandemic.

The public are encouraged to share their uplifting stories and creations on social media using #KindnessCounts.