Kennedy Kids Share
Kindness with Ferndale Kitties
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Feb. 3, 2016)
Ferndale, MI – Second graders from Kennedy Elementary got a purr-fect lesson in kindness on Saturday as they visited The Ferndale Cat Shelter’s CatFe Lounge to drop off donations for the animals that are waiting to be adopted.
The effort was part of Kindness Week, a national celebration of being good to others. The students collected financial donations as well as items like food, toys and two cat beds. Going to visit the felines helped them to see their kindness in action.
The CatFe Lounge is a space where people can come hang out with uncaged kitties that are vetted and ready for adoption. There are places for people to sit and relax, or bring their laptops to use the wireless. A $10 suggested donation helps fund the program.
The CatFe opened in November and has since found homes for 35 cats according to Deanne Iovan. “It’s going well,” she said. “It’s fun to see it grow every week.” The space grows and changes based on what donations come in.
The beds donated by the students are a welcomed addition. “The cats all like to find their own spots so that really helps,” Iovan said.
Kennedy teacher Toni Troginger said the students are learning about communities as part of social studies lessons. “Coming out to the CatFe, and to Ananda next door, helps them see how people come together to make communities better,” she said.
After spending some time getting to know the cats, they went next door where they learned some yoga exercises. “One of the kindest thing you can do for yourself is to find the time to be calm and let your heart rest,” said the instructor as he guided them through empowering poses and mindfulness activities.
In addition to the excursion, the students focused on ways to be kind through the week. “Mostly things like being nice, saying hello, helping an old person across the street,” said second grader Griffin Pawluck when asked what Kindness Week was about.
For Claire Richardson it was about spreading love. “I gave my little sister a note,” she said. And since her one-year-old sibling can’t read yet, she kindly read it to her. “It said I love you Emily.”
Kindness Week is a national movement that takes place the last week of January. To learn more visit http://www.greatkindnesschallenge.org/index.html.