Helping Hands

A glitter of glimmers

“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”

~ Howard Zinn

I came across this quote this week and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Every day, we have the opportunity to do something for other people. It may seem like a small thing to you – holding a door open, offering your seat on a crowded bus, paying for someone’s coffee, taking a neighbour’s bin to the curb, sharing a kind word or an inspiring thought. We never know the impact of our actions, yet as Howard Zinn suggests, we are changing the world one small act at a time.

Photo: J Wise

Each of these acts offers a glimmer to someone else, doesn’t it? Imagine what would happen if all of these glimmers connected, creating a light so bright and steady, the dark shadows would vanish. Wishful thinking? I don’t think so. Here are some stories of communities doing just that.

In Portland, Oregon, the city has taken a different approach to homelessness. Recognizing tent cities generate waste and most homeless people need housing and a job to build a new future, the city began a new program in 2021. G.L.I.T.T.E.R. provides litter and waste collection at homeless camps by hiring the people who live in these sites. The crews go out weekly, gather waste and leave it at designated pickup sites. Clothing waste is taken to Hygiene4All for washing and redistribution. Non-recyclable material is used for rags.

The program has proven beneficial to workers as well as to the city. Workers earn hourly wages and gain access to a range of support services. All of the workers who lived in tents during their first pick-up shift have now moved to temporary or permanent housing. Eighty-three percent are now in permanent housing. From 2021 to 2024, over 87,000 pounds of waste was diverted from the landfill.

A great example of small acts making a big difference.

Another story of shifting perspectives to meet community needs comes from Denmark. Old city buses have been transformed into mobile grocery stores to bring fresh produce to people living in rural areas. Refitted with shelves, refrigerators and a check-out counter, the buses bring locally-sourced fruit, vegetables and dairy products to community centres. Designed to meet mobility needs of older residents, the mobile mini markets have ramps, low floors and wide aisles. Some even include solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint.

Meanwhile, in Bogotá, Colombia, “Care Blocks” (Manzanas del Cuidado) are transforming access to care by establishing neighbourhood hubs with free services like childcare, eldercare, laundry, legal assistance, adult education, mental health support and job training. The city recognized that women are the primary caregivers for children, elders and people with disabilities. Their services are unpaid and leave them little time or financial ability to access the support services they need. By bringing these services into neighbourhoods, within a 15 minute walk, caregivers are able to finish their highschool education, go to appointments and work outside the home. There are also Care Buses for those who live in rural areas as well as Care Home Delivery for caregivers who require special care within their own home. By 2024, 24 Care Blocks were operating across Bogotá with a plan to implement 45 by 2035.

An innovative approach to urban planning that centres care where it is needed.

I hope this array of glimmers will inspire you to recognize how each of your “small” acts may be creating ripples that spread wider than you can imagine.

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