TYNE VALLEY, P.E.I. — A Tyne Valley business owner is hoping to spread messages of gratitude through cards of thanks while social isolation and distancing restrictions are in place.
Earlier this spring, Clare Carlyon was in Toronto with her toddler and her husband as news of the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic spread. Fearful of air travel, the family rented a car and drove back to P.E.I. Upon their return, Carlyon and her husband, Ian McKillop, were inundated with offers from neighbours, friends and strangers to help them during their two-week isolation period.
“When we came home, there was a bag of Farmboys’ potatoes on our porch. We felt very supported and connected with the community. And there are so many stories like ours out there. There’s still so much positivity to spread,” said Carlyon, who is originally from Australia.
Carlyon said the experience got her thinking about how to best spread her gratitude.
“There’s been so much to come out of this (coronavirus), some of it bad and some of it positive. It’s allowed people to recalibrate, to re-evaluate our values.”
Before long, Carlyon was developing a plan to help others express their gratitude by submitting a nomination to her. She’d post the messages of thanks online on her business’s webpage and mail out thank-you cards. Along with the cards, she plans to send out packets of cosmos seeds, which bloom into a deep pink flower.
“It’s the colour associated with gratitude. I’m not much of a gardener, but I’d like to be one. And I keep thinking about how colourful summer is on P.E.I. from the fields to the red dirt soil. So, I wanted it to be more than just thank-yous.”
Carlyon has partnered with Veseys Seeds and the local Hallmark franchise to send out 200 packages of thanks.
“They were able to sell me the seeds and cards at wholesale prices. It will be the postage that costs the most,” said Carlyon.
While she would like to continue the initiative after the 200 packages are sent out, she doesn’t think it will be financially possible due to the loss of income she faces while her seasonal Airbnb business is closed.
Those interested in sending a thank you can fill out a form on Carlyon’s business page, penguinandbear.ca, and social media. Carlyon will write out the message and include a package of seeds with the note. They will be mailed out shortly thereafter.
How Project Thank You works:
- Submit a thank-you message at penguinandbear.ca.
- Clare Carlyon will write the message in a thank-you card and enclose a packet of cosmos seeds.
- Carlyon will mail the cards.
While developing the idea, Carlyon researched coronavirus to ensure sending cards via mail would be safe, and she was reassured.
Carlyon said she wanted to find a way to give back.
“With a 16-month-old son, it’s hard for me to go out and do deliveries for people or drop necessities off to them. But this is something I can do. I want to pay the positivity forward.
“As a community, we’ve reassessed what makes society tick. Along with the health-care staff, it’s the delivery drivers, the cashiers, the people who go out to the grocery store for their neighbours without a second thought. And there are so many stories of them.”
"As a community, we’ve reassessed what makes society tick. Along with the health-care staff, it’s the delivery drivers, the cashiers, the people who go out to the grocery store for their neighbours without a second thought. And there are so many stories of them.”
Clare Carlyon
Carlyon said there’s something special about writing a thank-you card, even if it is someone else’s message.
“You’re excited about the joy they’re spreading. Maybe someone just isn’t having a good day, and this can be something that makes them smile.”
Wanda Myler, the owner and operator of the Summerside and Charlottetown Hallmark Cards locations, described Carlyon’s initiative as dropping some brightness into people’s lives.
“It’s an absolutely awesome idea. I know just working with her for the last few days to make sure we found her the right thing has brightened my day.”
Laurie Smith of Veseys Seeds, who helped Carlyon secure the seeds, agreed.
“It’s wonderful. Sometimes you only hear about the bad stories, not the feel-good stories. What she’s doing is really important. It’s a great initiative, and I think it’s a way she can show appreciation for the people who have also taken her in.”
The submissions are open to all Canadians, but there will be a focus on Prince Edward Island stories.
For more information, visit penguinandbear.ca.
