LYNN — Residents of the Adult Emergency Shelter on Willow Street were treated to a kindness brunch on Sunday and reciprocated in giving back to the community by participating in The Kindness Rock Project.
The brunch was organized by the Lynn Shelter Association and HELPIS, a Burlington-based nonprofit that connects people in need with people and organizations who want to help, according to Samantha Wheeler, director of development for the Lynn Shelter Association.
Wheeler said donors and board members cooked for the guests. Food was also donated by Sophia’s Greek Pantry in Belmont and Weston Road Cafe in Wellesley.
“Kindness is the root of what we’re trying to portray to our clients,” Wheeler said. “(We want to) give them a lift up. The holiday season can be kind of tough so we’re trying to make the shelter feel as homey and at home as we can. Today is surrounded by kindness.”
Stu Sklaver said he’s been at the shelter for about a year and was sitting down to the meal.
“It’s always nice to see them doing something like this,” Sklaver said. “It gets us all together. We’re all family here. It gets us happy when it happens.”
Emily Trask, vice president of HELPIS, said little acts of kindness make such a difference.
“It’s our hope to also spread that (so) someone who receives that will reciprocate it and spread it further,” Trask said.
Wheeler said guests of the shelter were also painting rocks during the brunch, which will be placed around the city. She said the Kindness Rock Project is about the simple gift of a rock being at a bus stop or coffee shop.
Jasmyn, who asked to be identified only by her first name, was painting a rock for the initiative on Sunday and said she thinks “art can take you away from your stress.”
“It’s an opportunity for our clients to give back to the community that gives us so much,” Wheeler said. “We’re doing this to show that our clients want to give back as well.”
