Acts of Community Kindness in Action: A Recipient’s Heartfelt Tribute to Good in the Hood Volunteers

At Good in the Hood, we believe that kindness is a ripple, one small act can spread far and touch lives in ways we may never fully see. Our volunteers, donors, and supporters come together every week to make sure people in our community feel cared for, valued, and never forgotten.

Sometimes, the impact of this community kindness is best expressed not by us, but by those who receive it. Recently, one of our recipients, a self-described “old person without family”, sent us a heartfelt poem. It beautifully captures what Good in the Hood means to them and reminds us all why this work matters.

Their words are a testament to the power of community, generosity, and the simple joy of putting a smile on someone’s face. We’re honoured to share it with you here.

---

Good In The Hood

A letter for kids of any age between 5 and 105

There is this song that I really like.

It's called, "Angels On The Subway".

I think that what this song means is that as you go about your life,

there will be people who give for the sole purpose of making others smile.

As you travel about your day, whether you are going to school, playing sport with your friends,

drawing pictures, helping Mum and Dad, studying at uni, working part time

or pursuing your carer, everyone else is making a journey too.

All of the volunteers at Good In The Hood are really special people.

Everybody has a special skill.

They give parts of themself that come from their heart.

Sometimes people might be having a tough time.

Any time that you can put a smile on somebody’s worried face,

You are an angel.

I am an old person.

I don’t have any family and I don’t get out much anymore.

But every week the volunteers from Good In The Hood bring me Delicious Goodies.

When I think about it, there are so many people who work as a team to put a smile on the faces of people like me.

There are the Businesses who Donate the Groceries.

There are the People who Pick Up And Deliver the Produce and Food.

There are the People who run the cafe at Good In The Hood.

There are the Cafe Owners who Donate Their Gourmet Delicacies.

There are People who Co-ordinate Events.

As well as the Chefs who create delicious and healthy meals.

There is nothing better than a nutritious meal that has been made by someone who cares about others.

Volunteer Chefs give a little piece of themselves into their cooking.

There are the Young People who create Beautiful Artwork.

Colourful drawings with happy messages always make me smile.

One time I received artwork on my meal that said, “Tuck in!”

And you bet I sure did.

The meal was delicious and the colour in the drawings are so bright.

Check out this one!

.

There’s also the Teachers who help glue the pictures onto the containers.

There are the Kitchen Staff who clean the pots and pans after cooking.

There are the Cleaners who Sweep and Mop and Clean.

There’s Marco De Angelis who makes sure everything runs smoothly.

There’s the Co-ordinators who pack the bags to deliver to the customers.

There’s the Food Delivery Folk who drive their cars out

into the community to bring the parcels of food to people like me.

So I just wanted to say, THANK YOU to every person who is a volunteer at Good In The Hood.

We may never know each other’s names.

But I want you to know that volunteering your talents makes

You an Angel in the life of somebody else.

---

Every act of kindness, no matter how small, has the power to brighten someone’s day. To all our volunteers, donors, and supporters — THANK YOU for being the angels in our community and for reminding us that care, compassion, and a little generosity truly make the world a better place.