North Island Secondary School grade 12 students Kaia Mackay and Gabriella Peake wanted to give back to the Port McNeill seniors community before graduating, and that's exactly what they ended up doing on Thursday, March 13 when they went door to door and delivered baskets full of goodies.
"They're pretty amazing students and they're very generous with their time and energy," said Michelle Tremblay, child and youth worker at NISS. "They wanted to do something nice before they leave us and head off on their journey to university."
When asked how the idea to give back came about, Peake said it was back in the fall when Tremblay had "come to Kaia and I and mentioned there was an opportunity for us to do something very selfless for the older community. Kaia and I kind of started brainstorming about it over the Christmas break, and we really just wanted to do something that would really brighten up everyone's day."
Mackay noted that was when they decided to take a trip to the Dollarama in Port Hardy, where they bought 20 baskets, 20 fluffy socks, planters, plant pots, soil, seeds, "and we also got supplies to make homemade candles from Michelle, so we took some time to make the candles, put it all together, and then we bought some candy to fill the baskets with and also a few watercolour cards with a personal message on each one."
The girls went and handed the baskets out at the town's senior housing complex, which Peake said was a really nice moment because they were able to give back to the community that has given so much to them over the years.
"It's just such an eye-opener helping people around the community," Mackay said. "I think it's honestly the best thing someone can do to make their own mood feel better, if not make everyone else's mood feel better, because whenever I help out around the community or do things like this with my friend, it makes me feel so good, and seeing people happy is the best thing you can possibly see."
"I want to thank them both for doing this," added Tremblay. "I think it's such a selfless and beautiful thing for them to have done for the community."
