Can you Commit to #3Things4Neighbours?
Usman Tahir Jutt is a business owner and philanthropist in Calgary, Alberta. He started the hashtag #3Things4Neighbours in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s asking Calgarians to commit to three simple acts of kindness to support their neighbours during these uncertain times.
“Albertans are no strangers to crisis,” says Usman “As we saw in Fort McMurray during the devastating wildfires and in Calgary during the awful floods, the communities banded together and people were empowered through simple acts of kindness to come together and help each other. I wanted to encourage Calgarians to do the same in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Usman says that choosing three things doesn’t have to be complicated. He tries to pick three things he can do for his community each week. This week, his three things are:
- Reaching out to those who are particularly vulnerable, such as seniors, and asking how he can help.
- Connecting with friends each time he goes to the grocery store to see if he can pickup anything on their behalf, and
- Checking on those people in his network who he hasn’t connected with in a while.
The hashtag has already garnered significant attention in the YYC social media community. Local institutions like the Calgary Firefighters Association and several Community Associations have committed to the #3Things4Neighbours challenge. Usman’s hashtag is one of several community-led movements gaining popularity for spreading messages of positivity during the pandemic. Others include #albertacares, #supportlocalyyc and #yycHubs.
To join the challenge or to find examples of simple acts of kindness, Usman encourages Calgarians to search the hashtag #3Things4Neighbours or visit calgary.ca/helpingothers.
“The City’s got some great tools and resources on how to support your neighbours,” says Usman. “Start by choosing three things, then share them on social media, and encourage others to do the same. We’ve got to rally together to create a Calgary that we can all be proud of.”