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Surrey blogger a link in the kindness chain

Raj Thandhi part of 30-day movement to help and connect with others; is collecting donations for young moms.
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Blogger Raj Thandhi is participating in a 30 days of kindness campaign by collecting donations for the Growing Together daycare at Guildford Park Secondary in Surrey.

Raj Thandhi has always believed that people are basically kind and want to do good, but that many, including herself, don’t always know where to begin.

The Surrey blogger recently added “completing 35 acts of kindness” on her list of things to accomplish before she’s 35, when she happened to bump into fellow blogger Marc Smith.

Last year, Smith created a movement called 30 Days of Kindness with the hopes of getting his readers to connect with people, especially strangers. Now in its second year, the initiative coordinates people and organizations throughout the Lower Mainland, Victoria and Nanaimo, who perform a unique act of kindness each day. The acts range from children delivering cookies to a seniors’ home, to an inn giving parents of special needs kids some time away.

Thandhi, who publishes Pink Chai Style, quickly joined the campaign. Her assigned day to do her bit to make the world a better place is Nov. 29. That’s the day she’ll go to the Growing Together Daycare at Guildford Park Secondary and spread a little joy to 30 young moms.

Growing Together Daycare operates out of Guildford Park Secondary and is for girls 13 to 19 who are pregnant or have babies or toddlers and want to complete their high school education. The program offers food and diapers, as well as child care so the teens can attend classes.

“As a mom, I can truly appreciate that every mother wants to give her child the best no matter what situation she might be in,” Thandhi writes on her blog.

She’s currently collecting basic care items for the teens, such as soap, toothpaste and shampoo, but has also asked that contributors include a message of praise and encouragement.

“I wanted it to feel for these girls not like it was charity, but more like it was saying ‘way to go, good job, you’re making an effort’,” she says.

The note she’s written for one of the packages reads: “I want to congratulate you for choosing to do better for yourself and for your child.”

She’s solicited donations from family and friends and readers of her blog. And so far, her efforts have spread far beyond Surrey’s borders, with donations coming from readers from Alberta, California and Arizona.

“We’re trying to use our reach in a positive way as bloggers,” Thandhi says. “It’s nice the kindness chain is sort of working.”

Thandhi is still welcoming donations she can deliver. The daycare has also mentioned it’s in need of diapers, baby formula and tissues, and Thandhi would like to be able to include other feel-good items such as fuzzy socks or nail polish with the girls’ gifts. Anyone wanting to contribute before the Nov. 29 delivery date can contact Thandhi at rajthandhi@gmail.com.