Celebrating its 95th anniversary in 2025, the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough recently brought smiles to the faces of shoppers in two downtown grocery stores by handing out 160 gift certificates worth a total of $4,000.
The initiative part of Kin Kindness Day, an annual event dedicated to promoting kindness and compassion with the goal of fostering a culture of empathy and goodwill.
“Kin Kindness Day is a reflection of our mission to make a difference and give back to the community,” says Kinsmen Club of Peterborough president Barry Craft in a media release. “We were grateful for the opportunity to support local families and show our appreciation to the people of Peterborough through the simple gesture of helping with this week’s grocery bill,” Craft said.
On Saturday, February 22, Kinsmen Club members handed out $25 gift certificates to unsuspecting shoppers at No Frills on George Street and at FreshCo on Brock Street.
According to the Kinsmen Club, when the recipients found out the intent of the gift certificates was a simple act of kindness, “more than a few” paid it forward and asked that the gift certificate be given instead to someone who was more in need.
A community service organization founded in 1930, the Kinsmen Club of Peterborough supports a variety of local charities and non-profit organizations each year, such as Kawartha Food Share, Cystic Fibrosis, and Five Counties Children’s Centre.
