Someone is leaving sweet notes all over Toronto to help people who are having a tough time
To say people in Toronto are feeling exhausted, defeated and outright depressed more than a year into the global pandemic is a massive understatement, and that's precisely why one resident is leaving anonymous, uplifting, hand-written notes all over the city.
The new initiative, called Greetings Toronto, was founded by a Toronto resident and her two childhood friends — all of whom have asked to have their names withheld to keep in line with the anonymous nature of the project.
"I was going through a bit of a rough patch during the pandemic where my mental health took a decline and my days began feeling dull," the founder of Greetings Toronto tells blogTO of what inspired her to start the initiative.
"While scrolling through social media one day, I came across a post that spoke about the benefits that positive affirmations can have on your mindset. I decided to give it a try, and as I began practicing saying kind and positive things to myself, I noticed instant changes in my overall mood."
As soon as she noticed the positive effects of these affirmations, she says she immediately felt the urge to find a way to brighten other people's days with uplifting messages as well.
And so, Greetings Toronto was born, and the founder and her two partners have been leaving inspirational notes all over the city ever since.
"With the onset of what seems like a never-ending pandemic paired with long, uneventful days in Toronto, I wanted to sprinkle a bit of sunshine in a city that is normally filled with colour," she says.
"It is important that now, more than ever, we remind each other that better days are ahead and to keep the faith while we get through this."
The founder says they've chosen to mostly leave the notes at highly-visited areas around the city, including Queen's Quay along Harbourfront and U of T's campus.
Within those areas, she says they've been leaving notes in both busy and quiet spots, such as secluded benches and crowded bus stops.
"The idea is that we want to spread love with anyone and everyone in the city. So whether you're on a busy road commuting to work or you're simply looking for some peace and quiet in a park, we hope that you'll come across our messages and feel uplifted either way," she says.
And while some of the notes do contain well-known quotes, the majority feature original messages that the founder says come from imagining what she and her partners would tell their dearest loved ones if they were having a hard time.
A plan is also in the works to allow people following the Instagram account to submit messages that they would like to see on the cards, she says.
So far, the founder says they've received tons of love, support and gratitude from people around the city in response to the initiative.
One woman who recently moved to Canada from Brazil even reached out to express that she had been having a hard time starting over and finding one of these notes made her day.
"We want our notes to be sincere and heartfelt and have people feel as though it is speaking directly to them," says the woman behind Greetings Toronto.
"I hope that people's days are instantly brightened when they see our notes and hope that they may even feel inspired to pay such kindness forward, making the world a better place!"
Greetings Toronto
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