From spreading gravel on the neighbor’s icy driveway to buying a stranger a cup of coffee, Melissa Ganey hopes to share generosity and positivity in town through the new Haines Random Acts of Kindness Facebook group.

“It just brightens your day hearing all the different things that happen in the community,” Ganey said.

Ganey and her family started doing random acts of kindness for people in town about two years ago. She said she was also inspired by the Juneau Police Department that dubbed 2017 a year of kindness. The department posts on its Facebook page ways that citizens, businesses and officers “pay it forward” in the city.

Haines residents are welcome to join the group to “share any sort of acts of kindness you witness, hear of, or one that you’ve done,” Ganey posted in the group.

She created the Facebook page on Jan. 14 and – as of Tuesday – it has over 115 members. Anyone can join, and Ganey said she hopes to be “building our community as one.”

“I hope it takes off and people continue to keep posting on there.” Ganey said. “I want it to be a good example for children growing up here, too. It can show how fortunate we are to live in a community like Haines.”

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