HEADLINES | Hidden Envelopes and Waffle Wisdom
Description
Episode Summary
Most days, the news scrolls by faster than a Tim Hortons drive-thru—but every so often, a few stories remind us that goodness is still trending quietly, faithfully, one act at a time.
This week, Johan shares stories of neighbours whose small acts made a big impact:
00:55 The Interest Rate on Kindness Just Went Up
02:27 Waffling Her Way into Everyone’s Heart
4:40 Neighbourhood Watch | When Fences Make Good Neighbours—and Jackhammers Don’t
6:46 Knit Happens – How Port Stanley Painted the Town Red
From hidden cash to hand-stitched gratitude, these stories prove compassion is still Canada’s quiet superpower.
Sources
1️⃣ “‘Sharing the Wealth’ with Kindness Project” — by Christina Chkarboul, Newmarket Today, Sept. 23 2025
2️⃣ “Years of Kindness and Compassion Recognized” — by Amanda Jeffery, Drayton Valley and District Free Press, Oct. 9 2025
3️⃣ “Belching and Jackhammering ‘Bad Neighbour’ Earns Rebuke from B.C. Judge” — by Jason Proctor, CBC News, Aug. 14 2020
4️⃣ “How More Than 100 Volunteers Painted Port Stanley Red to Pay Respect to Veterans” — by Alessio Donnini, CBC News, Nov. 4 2025
-
Johan Heinrichs [00:00:03]:
These headlines point us back to what really matters. Ordinary neighbors showing extraordinary care. I'm Johan Heinrichs, and this is Neighbourly Headlines. Real stories of kindness, community and faith in action across Canada. Let's take a look at what's been happening close to home. Most days, the news scrolls by faster than a Tim Hortons drive thru at 8am but every so often, a few stories remind us that goodness is still trending quietly, faithfully, one act at a time. Let's get into our first story. The interest rate on kindness just went up.
Johan Heinrichs [00:00:55]:
In Newmarket, Ontario, financial advisor Julianne Goyet decided to make generosity her business plan. Throughout September, she and her daughter tucked envelopes of cash around town, each one containing a note and a challenge to share the wealth. They left them in places like the public library, the laundromat and a local diner. No fine print, no tax form, just a simple invitation. Find the envelope. Do something kind. One envelope at Wimpy's diner came with $20 and a note encouraging a customer to bless their server. The result? A bigger tip and a few tears of joy.
Johan Heinrichs [00:01:37]:
Now, some people say money talks, but in new market it whispers, pass it on. Julianne says we just need to be kind to everybody and bring our community together. And I think that's incredible. Not just because she's being generous, but because she was empowering others to be generous too. She didn't just give money, she gave people permission and resources to pass kindness along. There's at least a three way blessing happening here. The giver gets joy, the receiver gets to pour compassion on someone else, and the next person down the line gets hope. That's the kind of interest rate you won't find on a savings plan.
Johan Heinrichs [00:02:17]:
A few dollars, a scrap of paper and a good idea. And suddenly a whole community is reminded that generosity doesn't deplete, it multiplies. Now for our next story, waffling her way into everybody's heart. Over in Alberta, Bharti Caluisa just received the province's Small Community Enhancement Award. A fancy way of saying you've been loving your neighbors really well for a very long time. For 35 years, she has been a volunteer educator, multicultural leader and a friend to seniors in Drayton Valley. When asked how she earned the award, she just smiled and said, just an act of kindness. Now, Barney doesn't just talk about kindness, she's got a recipe for it.
Johan Heinrichs [00:03:03]:
Her metaphor is waffles. She says if you just add the right amount of baking powder, the whole thing rises beautifully. Too much and it's a Mess too little and it falls flat. In other words, balance your batter and your compassion. But she doesn't stop at the metaphor. She lives it out. She started a visiting program called Chit Chat with Bharti, where she spends time with seniors who don't have many visitors. She organizes chair yoga, whatever that is, help with groceries and laundry.
Johan Heinrichs [00:03:37]:
And get this, she ends each visit with a small shoulder or hand massage just to remind people that someone cares. She even teaches kids and teens to write Christmas cards for seniors who have no family. She's basically running a kindness factory. One conversation, one waffle, and one act of service at a time. And while she's famous for helping others rise, Bharti is the kind of person who insists she couldn't do any of it alone. She says, I needed my husband, I needed my friends, I needed my community. And that's the beauty of it. Her story isn't about a single big act.
Johan Heinrichs [00:04:15]:
It's about thousands of small ones stacked up like, you guessed it, waffles. Sometimes the secret ingredient to community isn't power or policy, its presence, sprinkled consistency like baking powder. And maybe Bharti's right. A good act of kindness, like a good waffle, is best shared fresh with someone sitting right across the table. And now it's time for our Neighborhood Watch segment. Before we move on to our final headline, it's time for our Neighborhood Watch, the segment where we peek into the more creative side of community life. When fences make good neighbors and jackhammers don't. Today's story takes place in Campbell River, B.C.
Johan Heinrichs [00:05:04]:
where one man happened to turn yard work into a full blown courtroom drama. For six years, a man named Reno and his neighbors traded insults. Dog poop. And finally, jackhammers. Yes, he actually jackhammered his neighbor's retaining wall while dressed in orange coveralls, laughing Merry Christmas between each swing. A judge has now ordered him to pay over $16,000 in damages and issued what might be Canada's most polite warning. Don't be that guy. This is one instance where tearing down the walls, as it says in the theme song of this podcast, isn't quite what we're talking about.
Johan Heinrichs [00:05:44]:
You have to admire the dedication, though. It takes real commitment to hold a grudge and a power tool at the same time. And this gives a whole new meaning to needing to mend fences. We share these stories not just for a laugh, but for a lesson. If your relationship with your neighbor is so bad that you need hearing protection, maybe start a conversation instead of concrete removal. And we all had those quirky neighbors. And I'm sure in many cases we are that quirky neighbor. Lets move from quirky neighbors to better neighbors.
Johan Heinrichs [00:06:18]:
So what would you do? Would you call it in? Would you try to talk it out? Would you let go and pray? Or would you grab your own jackhammer? And no, don't do that. In fact, this might be one of those polls where you want to choose that other category and tell me what you would do. You can do that and weigh in on our weekly poll at the Care Impact podcast group on Facebook. Because every neighborhood's got its quirks and sometimes you're the quirky one. And now on to the last headline of the day. Knit Happens. How Port Stanley Painted the Town Red. Meanwhile, in Port Stanley, Ontario, more than 100 volunteers spent nearly a year knitting and crocheting 15,555 red poppies, each one a handmade tribute to Canada's veterans.
Johan Heinrichs [00:07:10]:
Their goal was to paint the village red, and they did exactly that. And it's a good thing Port Stanley doesn't host the Running of the Bulls, because with that much red yarn, they'd be in a lot of big trouble. But from park benches to the iconic fish shaped welcome sign, the whole town is draped in remembrance. Organizer Kathy Holworth said the idea came after seeing a similar project in Stratford. She thought someone should do that here, and then realized that someone could be me. 6,000 volunteer hours later, Port Stanley's bridge and legion are covered in poppies, a vivid reminder that gratitude is best expressed with our hands, not just our words. And let's hope that they've had enough volunteers to help clean up afterwards. Now you're hearing this after Remembrance Day, but this community shows that honour can be beautiful, practical and stitched together one poppy, one story and one neighbor at a time.
Johan Heinrichs [00:08:15]:
So from New Market's hidden envelopes to Drayton Valley's waffles and Port Stanley's sea of yarn, these stories remind us that compassion is still Canada's quiet superpower. And as for that Campbell river fiasco, let's just say that kindness is cheaper than court fees. These headlines remind us that good news is still all around us if we take the time to notice. Do you have a story of care happening in your neighborhood? Share it at NeighbourlyPodcast CA or join our Care Impact podcast group on Facebook. Neighbourly is an initiative of Care Impact, a Canadian charity equipping churches, agencies and communities with tech and training to care better together. Learn more@careimpact CA. I'm Johan Heinrichs and this has been neighborly headlines because every story of care deserves to be seen and shared Turning.
Singer [00:09:10]:
Over tables Tearing down walls Building up the bridges between the stones of this turning over table Breaking off chains when I see you in a stranger.
