Joy is one of Joanna's cousins who lives in Alberta. Our family has many fond memories of visiting with her in Carnduff while spending time at her parents' home. Joanna's dad would often share stories about his time with his cousins, "the Sanders Girls" during his summers in Carnduff. We hope your generosity made a difference in the life of this young person. Thank you for your inspiring story and for helping us to share our love.  

Act of Kindness Story submitted by Joy Elefson: 
I've just returned from a conference in the mountains. The scenery was jaw dropping and the service at the conference was exceptional. One of the staff at the conference centre really stood out. Her name was Claire. 

I first met her at the breakfast buffet on Friday morning. She was cheerful and her smile was one of those that can light up a room. She told me that she was down east and that she would be returning to school in the fall. 

As my colleague and I arrived for the breakfast buffet on Sat morning we were again met by Claire and her smile. That day she asked us about the conference that we were attending. She seemed genuinely interested in what we had to say. 

On Sunday morning Claire asked us more in depth questions about our careers. Her service at the buffet was excellent and it was her warm friendly persona that I was most impressed with. Sunday was the last day of the conference and we had a large gathering for the luncheon and the speaker to follow. Who should appear to help with that large gathering but the ray of sunshine- Claire ! She approached our table to say how nice it was to have met us. I certainly felt the same about her and I told her so. She got busy with the luncheon crowd and I saw her across the room. I thought about what a university student really needs and I withdrew a substantial tip from my wallet. I went to her with it and placed it in her hand. I let her know that her presence at the conference had made a great weekend even better. She smiled and thanked me. I hope that my small token of appreciation will be helpful to her as she continues with her own career path. 

Kelly is one of Jeremy's cousins that lives in Regina. Over the past few years, they have been working together on the administration of their uncle's estate.  During this time, we have both witnessed the kindness and generosity both Kelly and his wife Renate demonstrate on a regular basis. They are always happy to host us at their home or give us a calla lily for our garden after touring theirs. We were very touched to get this story from Kelly. Thank you for making a difference in our community and for helping us to share our love. 

Act of Kindness Story submitted by Kelly Mohr: 
The North Regina Little League is a not-for-profit, volunteer run organization that operates out of Kinsmen Park North in Regina. Recently, the NRLL concession stand had a new kitchen exhaust system installed that required insulating. To assist the organization, Kelly supplied the material free of charge and donated his time to install it. It was nice to see the concession stand in operation and that an act of kindness made such a difference. 

Today we received a story about a random act of kindness from a colleague. Thank you for your kindness and for helping us to share our love!

Act of Kindness Story submitted by Susan Nedelcov-Anderson: 
I love your idea of acts of kindness. On Friday I gave a car ride to a stranger. He was at the awards ceremony for the CWSF and waved me down in the parking lot. He needed a ride back to the university. During our car ride I found out that he arrived in December from Nigeria to study at the university. Quite a shock for him to see everything so white with snow!​

We were very excited to receive this beautiful story over the weekend from Jeremy's former boss, Matt, and his wife, Barb, in Thunder Bay. We are so thrilled that we have inspired you to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us to share our love!

Act of Kindness Story submitted by Matt and Barb Szybalski: 
Joanna & Jeremy's wish to have us help others as their wedding gift is such an awesome thing. We live in one of the wealthiest nations on earth and yet at the end of the day many people in Canada go to bed hungry. This always seemed wrong to us. Joanna and Jeremy have inspired us to set aside a little bit each shopping day for the Regional Food Distribution Association of Northwestern Ontario. We have now made this part of our regular shopping list and will continue to do so. Thank-you Joanna & Jeremy. You rock!

How lovely to receive a submission today from a co-worker who would like to remain anonymous. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us to share our love!

Act of Kindness Story submitted by "anonymous": 
My act of kindness was a donation to the Regina Humane Society. So many animals need help in our society today. This is my way to support Joanna and Jeremy's wedding wish.

I have known the Kissin family since I was a little girl.  Their daughter Alexei was one of my best friends growing up. Our moms were very close and spent a lot of time together. This family was always so kind and generous, often thinking of others with thoughtful gifts and lending a helping hand. We are sure that this act of kindness is appreciated by the many people in Thunder Bay who get to enjoy fresh and tasty veggies from their garden this year. We were thrilled to receive this story from them and can't wait to see them all at our wedding in June. Thank you for sharing your story and helping us to share our love!

Act of Kindness Story submitted by Margaret and Stephen Kissin: 
We donated cabbage, cucumbers and zucchinis from our garden to Shelter House and the Salvation Army hostel. We plan to do this again this summer.