From Small Act to Big Impact: How One Kind Gesture Sparked an Annual Tradition of Giving

Melissa Severin, an Ontario-based project manager with First Onsite, shares her story of how a simple act of kindness between two friends blossomed into a cherished tradition.

“Approximately 9 or 10 years ago my best friend and I decided to make a donation on behalf of each other for Christmas instead of buying Christmas gifts. That first year, we donated self-care items to the cancer centre to support those undergoing treatments and to the pediatric ward at Kingston General Hospital during the holidays. We turned this into a tradition, which inspired me to start making tie blankets and adding toys to gift packages for the pediatric ward. Initially, these packages provided comfort to just three to five children during the holiday season.”

Over time, this small, personal initiative grew into something meaningful for children, parents, and families spending Christmas in the hospital. While many great causes, like Toy Drives and Coat Drives, focus on community needs during the holidays, I wanted to concentrate specifically on the pediatric floor. Christmas is such a memorable time for children, filled with traditions that shape us as we grow. My hope has always been to bring smiles to these children’s faces and to inspire others to carry forward a tradition of kindness, not only at Christmas, but all year round. You never know what battles someone might be facing behind a smile.

What began as a small act of kindness expanded last year in ways I never imagined. I could not have done it on my own. When people caught wind of what I was doing and began to make donations to help with supplies, it made it bigger and more rewarding than I ever anticipated. I was thankful and touched by the support of First Onsite, who generously donated funds and other resources to help along with other businesses such as Stonecity Woodworks, Memory Lane Flowers & Gifts, All Things Esthetics, Findlay Foods as well as members of the community, friends, and family.

With all the support, we were able to provide a small amount of comfort to not only children but also for their siblings, parents, and even the nurses who cared for them over the holidays.

The tie blankets remain the cornerstone of this effort because they represent where it all began—me making blankets at my kitchen island the first week of December to bring comfort to others.

There is something about knowing that I’ve helped ease someone else’s burden, even in the smallest way, that brings me a sense of purpose.

My happiness has always been deeply rooted in making others happy, whether it’s buying someone’s coffee behind me in a drive thru, paying for someone’s groceries in a line up, or just being there when someone needs an ear or a voice. Even a brief moment of joy for someone can be transformative.

Energy is contagious. When someone is joyful or excited, their energy can lift others around them.

My hope is to inspire and motivate others to help one another. Acts of kindness benefit both the recipient and the giver, creating a cycle of positivity that can ripple outward and transform individual moments into a larger movement.

I do not seek recognition for this. My only wish is to continue helping more people and engaging others to do the same. If this message inspires even one person to help someone else, then its mission is completed. That’s how the ripple effect begins. Christmas is the spirit of giving without the thought of getting.

As I always say “just be kind, and be a good human.”

Melissa Severin

We are grateful to Melissa Severin for sharing her inspiring story with us!