Mother/daughter duo spread holiday joy to seniors across Simcoe County
An Alliston mother-and-daughter duo who call themselves the 'The Nice Ninjas' is making seniors in Simcoe County feel extra special this holiday season with an initiative that started three years ago.
Shannon Kastner and her daughter Senna started 'The Kindness Project,' and soon shifted their focus to seniors during the holidays.
A mother and daughter duo from Alliston, Ont., compile hundreds of cards to give to seniors during the holidays. (CTV News/Molly Frommer)
"During COVID, I know a lot of people couldn't see their families, and we really felt that - we felt lonely, we were missing people, and we thought that they would be as well, and it just keeps going because you never know if people have family if people can't have visitors. So, we just want to make people smile and know that they're thought about," said Shannon.
The 'Nice Ninjas' create holiday cards and small gift bags for seniors across the region, with the numbers increasing every year.
"I think we started off with probably three centres, and now we're at five or six different centres at least, if not more. Last year was about 560 gifts and cards we were able to get to everybody," Shannon said.
A mother and daughter duo from Alliston, Ont., collect gifts to give to seniors during the holidays. (CTV News/Molly Frommer)
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
So far, more than 400 cards have been created for residents at various centres in the area, and each bag consists of multiple items.
"We do gloves, hats, candies, crossword puzzles, adult colouring books, coloured pencils, slipper socks and just stuff like that," said Shannon.
One location receiving these gift bags during the holiday season is Aspira Kingsmere Retirement Home in Alliston.
"Quite a few of our resident's families are far away, so the staff and those around them become family, and having someone come in and actually gift them with something and give them that little bit of attention and acknowledgement during the Christmas season. It's something that's very enduring to them, and they certainly love it," said Marlene Robertson with Aspira Kingsmere Retirement Home.
The 'Nice Ninjas' will collect items until December 15 and can be contacted through Facebook or Instagram. The following week, all centres will receive their holiday cards and gifts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.