How a P.E.I. woman is making it easy to say thank you

In the early days of COVID-19 Clare Carlyon and her family returned from a trip to Toronto to find a bag of potatoes on their doorstep.

Their neighbours knew they would have to self-isolate, and offered to run errands while she, her husband and 16-month-old son stayed inside their home in Birch Hill, P.E.I.

"We were just really taken aback by how thoughtful everybody was without really giving it a second thought. It was almost just in their nature," she said in an interview on CBC-Radio'sMainstreet P.E.I.

It was just one example of the many kind gestures Carlyon has seen and heard about during the COVID-19 pandemic, now in its seventh week, and inspired her to begin Project Thank You.

It's just the island way, really, everybody looks out for each other. Clare Carlyon

Carlyon has teamed up with Vesey's Seeds and Hallmark to make it easy for people to show their thanks to everyone who has been lending a hand through a difficult time.

It could be anyone from essential workers to neighbours who have run errands or friends who have lent an ear.

"It's just the island way, really, everybody looks out for each other," she said.

"It's not as though it's expected. It's just something everyone does and they're very humble about it. They really don't think it's a big deal. But it actually is a big deal because it means so much to everybody and it just shows what a tight-knit community we have here."

People can go online to penguinandbear.ca, fill out a form, and Carlyon will send a handwritten card and package of seeds to whoever they want to thank.

Carlyon said she gets excited whenever she hears her smartphone ding to notify her that someone is requesting the free service.

"it's heartwarming. Even though you don't know the details of those stories it's very nice to actually write it out just knowing that it's really going to brighten someone's day."

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