When the pandemic struck, she was laid off. Before long, she was back in the nonprofit world, this time at the helm of Little Kindness.
Her motto: “Something small makes a big difference.”
She started her kindness gestures with chemotherapy bags for patients at Troy Hospital’s Cancer Care Center. The project was close to her heart following the loss of a close friend and her sister-in-law to cancer.
“I knew the things they needed while sitting there going through the chemo. They get really cold, their lips dry out,” she said.
“I feel like God put it on my heart to start doing these bags,” Hale said.
Throughout this difficult year, people in our community like Hale have persevered and gone out of their way to help one another. This month the Dayton Daily News will tell the stories of individuals who have inspired others in a new series called Inspire Dayton.
Each bag Hale puts together contains a water bottle; handmade afghan, prayer shawl or quilt; socks and scarves in winter; lip balm; lotions and other care items. While most of the bags have been given to referrals from the cancer care center, others were provided to patients suggested by churches, family and friends.
She purchases some items for the bags while others are donated, including the handmade items. She’s driven to areas from St. Paris to Fairborn to pick up donations.
When COVID limited the opportunities to provide the chemo bags, Hale turned to the cause of teachers.
“They just tug on my heart. They are going through so much trying to reach the kids” in the pandemic learning environment, she said.
She made 120 back to school cards for staff at Tipp City’s Nevin Coppock, Broadway and L.T. Ball Intermediate schools. The cards had a grading pen and a candy “hug” on each. She later made 60 lunches for staff at the Tipp City Middle School.
She posts inspiring and uplifting quotes daily on the Little Kindness Facebook page.
Hale also wrote 225 inspiring and encouraging cards to every neighbor in her Tipp City housing plat when the state shut down earlier this year due to COVID-19.
Little Kindness also provided around 400 inspiring cards to The New Path food pantry at Ginghamsburg Church in August.
“These were cards that were sending encouraging messages to folks that would visit our food pantry. We simply placed the cards in the food pantry boxes we handed out,” said Bill Lutz, New Path’s executive director. “It was a gentle reminder that tough times don’t last.”
The nonprofit has been a positive for her during the days of COVID-19, Hale said.
“I really think this is a God-thing, not something I dreamed up myself,” she said.
Inspire Dayton
Throughout the month of December, the Dayton Daily News will tell the stories of people who have persevered and inspired others during this challenging year. Read all the stories at DaytonDailyNews.com/inspire-dayton. Tell us who inspired you in 2020 by emailing jordan.laird@coxinc.com.
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