Gem's Pay it Forward

Part 1
What is "Pay it Forward"
Pay it forward to me is showing the act of kindness to people and expecting nothing in return. Doing something nice and having them do the same by paying it forward. One person can make a big difference. That one person can lead into a whole group of children and adults contributing to make that change. I believe that all of this starts with you. It starts with you, to show others that making a difference does not have to be a big deed to make a change. Sometimes something simple can make the biggest difference.

Part 2

What was your Pay It Forward act of kindness?

The act of kindness Jessica Tran and I did for Pay it Forward were various acts of difference making like giving out notes, cookies, notes, and many more. Giving a gift to the Firefighters, donating money to Salvation Army and also providing mittens, tuques, and hats for "Koats for Kids" We also collected a few more pennies to add to our penny bag! 

Why did you choose this activity? 

We chose this activity because we wanted to make people smile through our act of kindness. We also think that a lot of people especially kids have less than others should be able to feel that they can have the things that we do too. We also think that we need to let others know that there are people out there that wants to make a difference. We also believe that sometimes something so simple can make a big difference. As you can see the little things we did today, made people smile and helped our community realize that we are the start of change. We make the change. 

Who did you help?

I may not know who exactly my peers and I have helped throughout our act of action, but I do know that whoever these people may be, they are people who have gone through the most lowest. 

What did you do?
The act of kindness Jessica Tran and I did for Pay it Forward were many various acts of difference making. The first thing we decided to do was to go to Polo Park Mall and give out notes to people and also put notes that explained what Pay it Forward is on people’s windshields of their cars at Polo Park’s parking lot. Second thing we did was give out Dad’s cookies to random people as an act of kindness. As we gave out the cookies we made a lot of people smile and it felt really good after. As we were walking around Polo Park we saw a girl and a guy standing beside a Salvation Army bucket asking for a donation. Jessica and I both looked at each other and we knew right away that we wanted to donate. We told the girl about the activity our school was doing and we gave in money. We both smiled as we walked away and it felt really good to know we made another difference. Another thing we decided to do was to say thank you to the firefighters. Jessica and I both decided to buy a box of cookies at Shoppers and give it to the firefighters as a little thank you for risking their lives for our community. We also made a letter to the fire fighters that said we were very thankful for all the things they did for us and we also told them on the note what Pay it Forward was to us and what our School is doing. Jessica and I also thought of the idea of donating to Koats for Kids. After Polo we went to Dollarama to buy tuques, hats, and scarves for the kids that we will be donating for Koats for Kids. We went to the fire department and Jessica and I both gave them the cookies we bought them and also the items we purchased at Dollarama. After that, Jessica and I were very happy and proud of ourselves because we truly believe that we did make a difference. `

When did you do you act of kindness?

I did my act of kindness on the 1st day of December 2012 with Jessica Tran at Polo Park Shopping Mall around 12- 2pm and at the Fire Department Service on Sargent Avenue at around 3pm.

Part 3

How did your act of kindness go?

I think my act of kindness went really well. I believe we did make a big difference in our world and community.

What Happened?
Can you imagine so much can happen in one day! First of all Jessica and I started off giving out cookies. When we would approach a strangers we would tell them that our school is doing a project called "Pay it Forward" and we offered them a cookie. After a few of those, we decided to go outside and put notes on peoples windshield and lastly we we did was go to the Fire Department Service on Sargent Avenue to give the firefighters a box of cookies and we also donated winter clothing to Koats for Kids. An addition act of difference making we also collected pennies to help the school out on the  project we were doing to help fill up bags of pennies to provide someone water. 

How did you feel?
I had so much emotions inside me as we were approaching people and giving out cookies. At first I was very nervous and scared because I didn't know if they would accept the cookie we were giving out or not. Most of the people that we offered a cookie was very polite and nice and accepted them so  after a few of those I was pretty happy. I felt very proud of my partner and I too because we only had one day to do all of this and we did it!

How did the person or people react?
Some people that we handed out cookies seemed confused at first but after we explained what we were doing they automatically had a smile on their faces when we said we were doing it to Pay it Forward. When we went to the Fire Department the firefighter that opened the door for us was very nice and he said that he really appreciates what we did for them! One special person that popped out in my head was an old man that we went up to ask him if he wanted a cookie and we told him we were from Sargent Park and he told us that his father used to be the principle of Sargent and he said that he was very proud of what Sargent is now. It made me smile and it made me feel really good about myself.

Did you ask the person or people to "Pay It Forward"?
Yes, I did ask the person to "Pay It Forward" 

How did they react to your request?
After I asked them to Pay It Forward some of them told us that they would try to remember to pay it forward to someone else during the day or week. Some of them seemed very surprised and amazed of what we were doing to Pay it Forward.

If you did not ask the person to "Pay It Forward" how come?

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Part 4

Why is the idea of "Pay it Forward" important?

The idea of "Pay it Forward" is important because it teaches people especially young people like me, that it does not have to be big to make a difference. Even starting off someones day with a smile is one of the most simplest yet greatest thing to do as an act of kindness. Making someone smile is the best feeling in the world especially when you know you did it coming from your heart. We need to let everyone know how to Pay it Forward and especially because Paying it Forward is one of the most simplest things to do to make a difference in our world and community. Just think about it, making someone smile or donating a pair or boots that you've grown into is a start to paying it forward.

Has your act of kindness made a difference?

My act of kindness made a difference for those people that are not as fortunate as us. My act of kindness also helped those who are cold by providing them mittens, tuques, and hats. My act of kindness will help those who do not have food to eat, and a roof to protect them, or even clothing from the money we donated to Salvation Army. 

Thank you to Selena Santos and Mae Concepcion for helping Jessica and I take pictures/video along the way! :)