Haley loved writing uplifting ‘Notes of Hope’
“Haley is a super star ‘Notes of Hope’ volunteer. She lives outside of Guelph and was looking for a way to complete her volunteer hours during a pandemic” says Hannah Senitt, Volunteer & Student Coordinator from the Guelph Community Health Centre.
Haley Burnett was looking for a place to volunteer to “spread kindness and give back to the community, and that’s when I found The People and Information Network…that’s where I found the project Notes of Hope” says Haley. It was a way for Haley to use her artistic talent and fill her compassion for others’ needs while completing her required Community Involvement Hours for high school.
Haley is an avid reader and reads a variety of genres of literature, which is very important to her. She can usually be found reading a good book in her spare time and believes in the power of volunteering and helping those around her.
Throughout her volunteer experience with ‘Notes of Hope’, Haley completed well over 100 notes -all of which “were beautifully crafted, included loads of colour and a positive uplifting message. All were original and different” says Hannah.
One image can be seen here:
The ‘Notes of Hope’ Initiative is to help clients and volunteers feel more connected to the community and the Guelph Community Health Centre (GCHC). Volunteers are making it a special day by writing positive messages that are being sent to clients of GCHC or included in the ‘Groceries from the SEED’ and ‘Food Access Baskets’. Notes of Hope is a self-lead project, so Volunteers can make as little or as many as inspiration and time allow. They can create notes on their own, with friends or with their family.
For Haley, the highlight of this opportunity was the thought of giving others a kind message and the hope that it would bring to their day as well as the positive way it contributed to her day.
Haley says “I loved writing out these uplifting notes to ensure the community had someone telling them something as simple as ‘Have a wonderful week’ or ‘We hope you’re safe and well.’ It lets people know that their community cares and is looking out for them. I think words of affirmation, such as those, can go such a long way. I thought the prospect of this project was very powerful.”
The opportunity to volunteer and complete ‘Notes of Hope’ for others in our community was “absolutely inspiring…I kept thinking about how valuable it was to help and uplift other people.” shared Haley. The opportunity to volunteer in this way inspired Haley to volunteer in other ways after this opportunity. For her, by volunteering and giving back to your community you are “not only spreading kindness and helping others, you’re also allowing your heart and your mind to grow along with the experience.”
Thank you, Haley, for using your creativity and spreading kindness in our community.
To learn more about the Notes of Hope volunteer opportunity, see here and to learn about Guelph Community Health Centre, see here.
