Philanthropy

Making Mountains Move through Kindness

One of the most powerful ways to change the world is to start by changing ourselves—to make the decision to hold ourselves to a higher standard of conduct, even when the world or those around us might tell us otherwise.

At the heart of this belief is a simple but profound truth: we can all make the world a better place by choosing to live a life of intentional kindness.

This means intimately knowing what kindness truly is—because many people wrongly believe that big change must come from grand, dramatic acts. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Real, lasting impact often begins with small, deliberate acts of kindness.

When we truly understand the power of kindness—especially when we’ve experienced what it feels like to need it—we come to see how transformational even the smallest gesture can be.

This is the heartbeat of the Intentional Acts of Kindness Foundation—a charitable endeavour inspired by exactly that: the small but powerful acts of kindness that were poured over our family during a time of deep darkness.

Read the full story below.

💛 The Heart Behind the Intentional Acts of Kindness Foundation

A Seed Planted in the Darkest Moment

The Intentional Acts of Kindness Foundation was born in the middle of one of the darkest, times of my life.

It was 2008. My eldest daughter was just four years old when something suddenly changed—seemingly, in minutes. I watched her little body grow increasingly uncoordinated over a very long and confusing 24-hour period. Her bright, curious mind began to fade—regressing to the cognitive state of a baby. She was unable to maintain any sort of balance, feed herself, produce clear words, or walk in a straight line. We knew something was wrong—very wrong—but nothing could have prepared us for what came next.

We took her to Children’s Hospital, where she was immediately triaged and quickly bypassed a full waiting room of other children. She was escorted to a back room where a team of neurologists surrounded her. She was admitted for investigation, and the days that followed were a blur of fear and medical chaos.

After a CAT scan, it was discovered that there was a mass in her brain. The inflammation around it was pressing on her cerebellum, which explained her lack of coordination. But no one could tell us how it got there, what it was, or if it would go away. And worst of all, no one could tell us if she was going to survive.

The next few months brought countless tests, scans, and sleepless nights. We were plunged into a terrifying, life-and-death waiting game.

When Kindness Became Our Lifeline

But in the middle of that storm, something incredible happened: people showed up. And I don’t just mean physically—though many did. I mean they showed up with their hearts. With compassion. With love. With kindness.

I still get emotional thinking about it. The tiniest gestures felt like lifelines—like oxygen when we were drowning.

A short note from a friend.
A hand-coloured rainbow drawn by a 5-year old we didn’t know
Home-cooked meals delivered to us nightly to keep us healthy
A $5 Starbucks gift card from someone who just wanted us to stay awake during another sleepless night by our daughter’s bedside.
Someone paying for our parking when it was overdue.
Family and friends taking sabbatical leave from work to be on home base.
Teachers dropping by after a long day to read my daughter a book.
Prayer blankets knit together by elderly ladies in the community.
Local churches (who didn’t even know us) bringing frozen meals to our house.

…and the list could go on.

It was overwhelming. I couldn’t understand what we had done to deserve such an outpouring of love and support. It felt as though we were being carried—suspended on clouds of compassion. We still had moments of despair, times when hope felt faint—but we never broke.

These weren’t grand acts. But they were intentional. And they were everything.

Glimmers of Purpose

As someone deeply spiritual and grounded in my Christian faith, I believed that experience wasn’t meant to be tucked away in the past—it was meant to become something more. It felt like a calling on my heart that I simply couldn’t shake. I had to respond. I couldn’t accept that we’re merely meant to be reservoirs of kindness; rather, we are called to be conduits—vessels through which love, compassion, and intentional care flow outward into the lives of others who may be walking through storms of their own.

Even better, I’m happy to share that our daughter healed. She’s doing great today, but that season is one I will never forget.

Turning Pain into Purpose

That season of suffering taught me something I’ll never forget: even in the deepest pain, the smallest act of kindness can breathe life back into a weary soul, spark hope in the darkest places, and begin healing in wounds we didn’t even know we carried.

And when that kindness is shared, it spreads—like ripples in water—touching hearts we may never even see. It creates a wave of goodness, a domino effect the world desperately needs.

Life will never be free from pain. That’s just the truth. No matter how hard we try to outrun it, heartache finds us. But pain can either harden us—or it can mold us into something stronger, more compassionate, and more intentional.

We get to choose.

And that is how the Intentional Acts of Kindness Foundation was born.

Pain into Pumpkins?

The Portable Pumpkin Patch

One of my favourite examples of turning pain into purpose—and serving through a deeply personal struggle—is the story of the Portable Pumpkin Patch.

You might be wondering, How could a pumpkin patch possibly be an act of intentional kindness? That’s a fair question—and I’d love to tell you.

For years, visiting the pumpkin patch was a cherished family tradition. As a big family, it was a highlight of the fall season—muddy boots, hot chocolate in hand, the hunt for the perfect pumpkin. We’d make the annual journey from Burnaby to Richmond—about twenty of us in a convoy—embracing the rain, the mess, the laughter, and the memories. It was Thanksgiving time: a season of gratitude, of connection, of community.

But in October 2012, everything changed. I nearly lost my life to a massive 15-inch blood clot. Doctors were minutes away from amputating my leg to save me. Miraculously, I kept it—but recovery was long and painful. I was on crutches for months, and there was no navigating a muddy pumpkin patch like that.

That’s when a new thought began to bloom.

Across the street from my home was a school with over 40 students using mobility aids. For them, the traditional pumpkin patch experience was all but impossible. Something my family had enjoyed for years was completely out of reach for them.

So we decided: if they couldn’t go to the pumpkin patch… we’d bring the pumpkin patch to them.

That was the beginning of the Portable Pumpkin Patch.

But it didn’t stop there. Within that little patch, we invited students and teachers to go beyond just picking a pumpkin. We challenged them to use their pumpkins to spark ripples of kindness throughout the community—and wow, did they rise to the occasion.

Some roasted pumpkin seeds and handed them out to neighbours. Others repurposed leftover hay bales into decorations for senior centres. One class painted their pumpkins, delivered them to a local care home, and stayed to play bingo and connect with the residents.

We even opened the event up to local preschools and passersby in the neighbourhood—creating unexpected moments of joy, inclusion, and connection.

And from there, the idea grew. Other schools heard about it and started their own portable patches. The kindness kept spreading.

It all began from a place of pain—but it blossomed into something truly beautiful. A living, breathing reminder that even in our hardest moments, we can choose to create joy, connection, and kindness in the world.

Ambassadors of Kindness

Where does it begin?

When I thought about how to make the world a better place through intentional kindness, I found myself asking: Where does it all begin?

And then it hit me—the youth.

If I could reach children in their formative years—if I could give them more opportunities to experience the joy of giving and help them see how powerful their contributions can be—not only would their communities benefit, but they would also grow in empathy, compassion, and purpose.

I believe children are incredibly powerful. Their imaginations are limitless. Their honesty is refreshing. Their innocence and unwavering belief that anything is possible? That’s the kind of magic that can change the world.

If we can walk alongside them—support them, guide them, and create space for them to lead with love—they will move mountains. Not just for their own generation, but for generations to come.

That’s why we love working on school-based kindness projects like this one.

Gilmore Elementary took kindness to a whole new level. Through their creativity, compassion, and countless hours of effort, they brought light to so many lives. Their actions helped community members in need feel seen, valued, and cared for—and in doing so, these students proved that even the smallest hands can make a mighty impact.