Bartlett Joins in on Mayor's initiative to Spread Kindness
In honor of the Stamford Kindness Initiative put forth by the mayor in December 2023, the Bartlett Arboretum ran specific programs dedicated to kindness.
At the beginning of the month, the Bartlett partnered with The Villa Maria School, which caters to neuro-divergent elementary and middle school students, to bring kindness to senior residents at The Villa at Stamford. Bartlett’s Outreach Coordinator, Michelle Vitaglione, led students and a few visiting senior citizens in an activity making pinecone bird feeders to be hung at The Villa at Stamford. The students had made the bird feeders once before and hung them around their school property. They thought that attracting lots of birds just outside the windows of The Villa at Stamford would help bring some joy to those who may not be able to go out as much during the winter. Students also crafted handmade cards for each residents at The Villa.
A second program, was done in concert with children at Inspirica, an organization designed to break the cycle of homelessness. The children at Inspirica made necklaces for children living in another nearby shelter. Each child decorated tree cookies and wooden leaves to be used as pendants on the necklaces. The necklaces were packaged in organza bags and delivered prior to Christmas to Open Doors in Norwalk, a housing and homeless service organization that provides resources for individuals and families on the path to housing stability. The children who attend the after-school program at Open Doors now plan on doing something for the kids at Inspirica, which will continue to perpetuate a lovely cycle of kindness.
“We can all use a little kindness and a reason to smile every day, all year-round. Often the act of being kind is even more gratifying than receiving kindness. Kindness does not have an expiration date and I’m thrilled to continue running these programs on behalf of Bartlett all year long. I can’t wait to see the sunshine that our community helps spread to others!”