Local Family Spreads Kindness to Those in Need

A family in Peterborough is spreading viral kindness in their neighbourhood by offering assistance to those self isolating due to COVID-19.

The Hurlington family. According to Alvea, the most cookies they have ever made and delivered in one day is 8,000. Photo Courtesy of Alvea Hurlington.

The Hurlingtons are known in their neighbourhood as “The Cookie People” after years of distributing homemade cookies to their neighbours in the Marsdale Drive area near Beavermead Park during Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Alvea Hurlington, the oldest sibling, says that ever since the family moved to Peterborough 16 years ago, they have made an effort to get to know their neighbours and delivering cookies has helped them do that.

When COVID hit in March 2020, the Hurlingtons felt that they needed to do something.

The family quickly put together a flyer letting their neighbours know that if they needed help picking up groceries or urgent supplies, temporary childcare or even just a friendly phone call, they would do their best to make that happen.

Alvea Hurlington says the #ViralKindness project was spearheaded by her father. Photo Courtesy of Alvea Hurlington.

Since distributing the flyers, the family has received a few phone calls from seniors living nearby needing assistance and even calls from people that do not need help but who are thanking them for their kindness.

Baking cookies and offering grocery deliveries are not the only things the Hurlingtons do says Alvea.

“We do lots of stuff in the community,“ she explains. “Every Saturday morning through our church organization, Mom and I deliver packages of crafts to young children.”

On Friday evenings the Hurlingtons prepare food for families that are in need of an extra meal.

“Everything we do we do it as a crew,” Hurlington said.

Nobody is more or less deserving of support, she explains. The Hurlingtons hope that through their viral kindness movement they are able to build their community and make some friends while they do so.

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