When It Was Needed Most, Melrose's 'Kindness Day' Delivered

MELROSE, MA — It doesn't take much to be kind. But it takes a lot to spearhead an entire city being kind, and that's what some local residents did this past week.

Random Acts of Kindness Day was Friday, Nov. 20. It was the local holiday's fifth year being celebrated in Melrose, though like everything else, it looked a little bit different in 2020.

There were no hugs this year, but Maribeth Darwin, Stephanie Nelson and their cadre of of "kindness warriors" didn't let the pandemic stop them from sharing the love.

Darwin pretty much turned the better part of November into a source of kindness, setting up a "kindness challenge" for residents.

But the kindness crescendoed last Friday. Everyone from state legislators to City Hall employees to schoolchildren played a part in making someone's day a special one.

Local restaurants donated $2,000 worth of gift cards that elementary students handed out to janitors and nurses, while Darwin and Nelson gave them crossing guards and mask-makers.

"It's just a small 'thank you,' but people were blown away," Nelson said. "And we feel like this year more than ever people need that stuff."

People lent a hand without any fanfare. State Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian brought the Department of Public Works employees breakfast, Mayor Paul Brodeur surprised his staff with snacks.

But the real key was allowing residents to contribute without even knowing it. Shaw's gave 28 complete turkey dinners, which in turn went to Melrose Together, an organization that will help families in need get a Thanksgiving dinner.

Those dinners were made possible by small donations made at the cash register.

"If you went into Shaw's you contributed to it," Nelson said.

(In total, Melrose Together is helping give 134 meals thanks to various donations.)

There were also Kane's donuts delivered to MelroseWakefield morning workers, handmade student cards and carnations for patients and 400 $5 Dunkin' gift cards for those working afternoon and evening shifts; Handmade student cards and carnations for seniors across the city; Twenty Petrone's pizzas delivered to MelroseWakefield (courtesy of Cambridge Savings Bank;) Girl Scouts delivering cards and treats (courtesy of Sweet Spot Bakery) to the fire department; and Boy Scouts doing the same for the police department.

The outpouring of kindness started as a pushback to some negative attention an ill-conceived incident brought to the school district in 2015. Since then, Darwin has expanded it. The next step could be bringing in money to allow for "kindness grants" for people who simply want to do something for someone else.