PARIS GIVES BACK!

There’s no shortage of volunteers and individuals willing to make a difference so let’s appreciate the kindness in this community

By Casandra Turnbull

I love small-town living for a variety of reasons but for the purpose of this column, I’m going to focus on the giving, supportive, and sharing nature of the residents who call Paris home.

No matter how quickly Paris grows, and will continue to grow, the spirit of helping your neighbour seems to cultivate with the population. We might be considered the prettiest town in Canada, but I truly believe we can be the friendliest too.

This community is chock-full of volunteers willing to make a difference, whether they’re a Rotarian, an Optimist, a Kiwanis, or a member of the Lions Club, they’re willing to volunteer their time to make this a the best place to live.

Aside from the thriving service clubs and all the wonderful things they do, there’s people willing to extend a hand everywhere in this community, from a plethora of social media accounts created to help one another, to the little free libraries displayed on people’s lawns, the giving spirit is alive and well indeed.

The Little Paris Bread Co.

Everyone knows of Pay it Forward, perhaps you’ve seen it in a drive thru line. But did you know it can be found at The Little Paris Bread Co.? Customers can purchase and extra item and pin it to the Pay it Forward Community Board If you’re having a tough week and that pay cheque isn’t quite stretching as far as you’d like, you can take a tag and bring home a loaf of bread, biscuits or scones or even a container of soup!

“Anyone can contribute an item we sell to the board. When someone buys an item, we fill out a tag and stick it up We also contribute tags on behalf of the bakery,” explained business owner April vande Leygraaf. “Connectivity is so important! And so is a sense of community Given the chance I think people want to help when they have the opportunity. And I love the idea that if someone is having a rough day, they can walk in, pull a cookie and a coffee off the board and know that they’re loved by their community.”

If you haven’t met the owner April and staff, that alone is worth the visit

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