It has been said that no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Here at Newington Parks and Recreation, we couldn't believe this to be truer. To emphasize this and recognize those in our community who perform acts of kindness, we are adopting a new movement called Kindness Counts. We would like to encourage members of our community to perform acts of kindness for their fellow Newington residents and, in return, be recognized as outstanding and thoughtful individuals. Some examples of acts of kindness include: helping with your neighbors lawn/leaves, baking them a pie or bringing them a hot meal, giving them a ride, and any other selfless demonstrations of kindness. The recipient of this act of kindness can then call the Parks and Recreation office at 860-665-8666 or fill out a Kindness Counts Nomination Form, which can be found below, nominating the kindness provider and describing the act performed. Once received, volunteers from the Parks and Recreation Department will drive to the provider's home and place a green and white sign in the front yard, indicating that this person has demonstrated an act of kindness and recognizing the generosity displayed. Our hope is that other residents who see these signs will be inspired to perform an act of kindness and the whole movement will become infectious, covering the town with our attractive signs in a short period of time to recognize the importance of being kind to others.
Anyone of any age is able to contribute to this movement. Kindness Counts provides dozens of teachable moments for parents to deliver positive messages to their children about doing good and being kind. Hopefully Newington will set a trend for doing good and being kind.
The program will begin on May 16, 2019 and end on July 18, 2019. To culminate the two month movement, we invite all residents that proudly host a Kindness Counts lawn sign to Mill Pond Park on Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. during the Bring Your Own Cheese Party (BYOC) to enjoy a night of fun and town-wide recognition. A live concert will feature the band "What It Is", an eight-piece party and dance band.
We encourage all Newington families and residents to get involved. Let's help bring more kindness to the world and make Newington a better place to live, work, and play. Together we can make a difference and continue working towards "Building a Strong Community".