Two companies have joined forces to bring a taste of something sweet to Canadians during trying times.
Antigonish-based company Peace by Chocolate and Toronto-based media company Goodable have partnered up to give chocolate to those who are showing acts of kindness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
By tagging @Goodable on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, people in Canada and the U.S. can share how someone they know is spreading kindness. At the end of each day, a winner or multiple winners will be chosen to receive a full month’s supply of assorted chocolates and treats from Peace by Chocolate.
Muhammad Lila, founder of Goodable, a company whose mandate is to share good news, said the campaign is meant to not only show Canadians acts of kindness amid the public health crisis to uplift their spirits, but to also celebrate kindness throughout Canada.
“There are amazing acts of kindness taking place everyday in neighbourhoods across the country, and we feel as a media network we want to share them,” said Lila.
GOOD NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT:
— Goodable (@Goodable) April 14, 2020
At Goodable, we want to make make kindness go viral. So we're giving away the world’s best chocolate.
No strings. Just show us how you’re being @Goodable.
The best stories will get a full month’s supply of amazing @PeaceByChoco.
Let's do this. pic.twitter.com/j5G3OMiAhy
“We want to show people, ‘Hey, look, this is what happened in Nova Scotia, this is what happened in P.E.I., this is what happened in Burnaby, this is what happened in Scarborough.’”
Lila said he struck up the partnership with Peace by Chocolate founder Tareq Hadhad to launch the campaign because he and his company “represent what is the best of Canada.”
“To us, Tareq represents a lot of what’s amazing about Canada – a refugee who came here with nothing, built up a successful business, has an amazing product, he does so much for the local community, he does so much to support entrepreneurship, so much to support refugees, and we thought, what better partner can we find than Peace by Chocolate?” he said.
And Hadhad jumped at the opportunity.
Peace by Chocolate had already been giving “Mood Booster” boxes filled with chocolate bars and other sweets to thank health-care workers across Canada, Hadhad said, but decided the campaign with Goodable would reach even more Canadians.
“As a family that lived through war, that has suffered a lot in the past decade, we wanted to make sure that Canadians know that we are in this together and it’s important for us to support each other,” said Hadhad.
“And everyone is isolated from everyone, but chocolate connects everyone.”
So far, Lila said they have been inundated with examples of Canadians and Americans showing acts of kindness. This includes firefighters in Calgary who have been putting on drive-by birthday parades for children so that they can celebrate their special days during the pandemic.
“What a nice Canadian thing. On the one hand, you have firefighters who are out there as first responders risking their lives … so they’re carrying on with their day-to-day essential worker stuff, but they’re also taking time out of their days to brighten and raise the spirits of kids who are stuck at home,” he said.
He added the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner for Refugees has also reached out to submit examples of people “that are doing amazing things.”
As Goodable and Peace by Chocolate continue on with the campaign, with hopes of expanding it to reach people across the world with more partners on board, Hadhad said he hopes others will follow suit, by giving back during the global pandemic.
“Kindness is what Canadians do best, that’s what we always say, and we really hope that this campaign inspires other companies and other individuals to join us in this effort,” he said.