Caring for the homeless and other acts of kindness by Calgarians

Throughout the month of December, CBC stations across the country invite you to help Make the Season Kind as we celebrate the kindness of others with special programming and coming together in support of local charities. 

In Calgary, for 37 years, residents have been donating to the Calgary Food Bank through CBC/Radio-Canada's annual Food Bank Drive, raising more than $22 million. This year, from Dec. 2 to 15, join us for special broadcasts, events, auctions and online sales while helping us reach our goal of $1 million to the Calgary Food Bank. Or attend one of our coffee and mug sales to make a donation and receive this year's limited edition One Knight Only mug and coffee beans from Fratello Coffee Roasters.

A new report says food banks in Canada have seen a major surge in visits throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and the high cost of living and ongoing economic disruption is bound to create countless new clients in the months ahead.

• Click here to donate to the Calgary Food Bank

Many of us have been impacted financially by the pandemic, limiting us in ways we might traditionally contribute. But there are many opportunities to spread generosity and kindness aside from making monetary donations. You can also put a smile on your face — and the faces of others — by spreading acts of kindness in your community.

Share your story with us of how you showed or received an act of kindness this year and be entered to win a local prize pack. Your act of kindness may even be featured on CBC Calgary. No act of kindness is too big or too small.

• See a full list of events happening throughout the month

Maybe you or someone you know picked up groceries for an elderly neighbour? Someone shoveled your walkway? Got a call from a long lost friend that made your day? 

Here are some of the wonderful stories we've received so far, with thanks to all who wrote or called in to CBC Calgary — and even more, to all of those who are carrying out these random acts of kindness in the community. We'll share more of these heart-warming acts that have been shared with us in the days ahead, on the Calgary Eyeopener, The Homestretch, News at 6  and the CBC Calgary's website and Instagram.

From Agnieszka Matejko:

The cashier at our local grocery store always has a smile on her face. Even when she asks simple questions like if I'm paying with cash or credit, her warm tone makes me feel like she just paid me a compliment. One day, I noticed that she was unusually sombre and withdrawn. We began to chat and I asked her what was wrong. She said that since the pandemic had started, some customers have been increasingly aggressive, impatient and rude. Considering that frontline workers have been getting more media attention and public gratitude, I was shocked. Since then, I haven't been able to get her out of my mind and regularly exchange a few friendly words with frontline workers. It's not much and not nearly enough, but it is a small way of saying thank you to all the people we meet momentarily, while doing daily chores. Sometimes that makes all the difference in a day.

From Nikki Ryan:

There was a man sitting outside Safeway asking me if I could buy him and his dad some food. I told him to come inside the store with me and pick out whatever he needed. We shopped around for about 20 minutes and he got essentials and some treats. We left the store and he walked over to his dad sitting across the parking lot and gave him a huge hug. He was so thankful and appreciative.

From Erika Lange:

My retired neighbour regularly uses his gas-powered backpack snow blower to clear the snow on my sidewalk and driveway since they know I have breathing issues in the cold. It should be the other way around. I always bake cookies for them to show my sincere gratitude.

From Thomas Neukom: 

My wife Rikki has been running her family fundraiser, 40 Books in 365 Days, for 10 years.  With it, we support a friends mom in Kenya, and through that we help 16 kids there to go to school. Every year since she started, we've felt so proud to be part of this amazing community. Any chance Rikki has, she puts herself second. Rikki is awesome and so kind.

From Lynne Dunsmuir:

My elderly Scottish Deerhound has undergone several surgeries in the past two weeks and has to wear a large surgical dressing on her abdomen to ensure that her wound heals. Her dressing came apart while we were traveling in the car and I knew that I would need an extra pair of hands to assist me in trying to rig some sort of temporary bandage until we could make it to an emergency vet clinic. I stopped at the first building I came to and thankfully the owner of Wildcat Coffee Company was in his shop. Even though he was going to attend his son's birthday party, he immediately came to help, offering to hold Siusaidh while I attempted to fix her bandages and even offering extra bandage supplies from his own first-aid kit. His willingness to help a near hysterical woman with her extremely large dog can't be thanked enough. His act of kindness made such a difference, not only for my state of mind but for my dog's outcome, as we managed to piece her bandages together enough to allow us to drive to the emergency clinic to have her wound properly packed and prepped for her upcoming surgery.

Again — you can share your story with us of how you showed or received an act of kindness this year through our online form here. You can also share your act of kindness by calling and leaving a message for the Calgary Eyeopener at 403-521-6209 or The Homestretch 403-521-6244.

You'll be entered in a chance to win prize packs that include: 

• Julie Van Rosendaal's You Are Human and You Need Cake cookbook
• A Sunnyside Milk Jar candle
• A $50 gift card to Bowtie Pizza
• Custom cookies from Cookie Momster YYC
• Chocolate gingerbread people from cōchu Chocolatier
• A custom CBC stocking from One Apparel
• A wooden CBC-engraved tree ornament
• A 12oz bag of One Knight Only coffee beans from Fratello Coffee Roasters
• A limited-edition One Knight Only coffee mug
• CBC Calgary winter swag (socks, toque, scarf)

Deadline to enter to win is Thursday, December 15 at noon MT.

• See the full schedule of events and more details about CBC Calgary's Make the Season Kind in support of the Calgary Food Bank here