Inspires Kindness and Connection Across Southern Health-Santé Sud

For the second year in a row, the Healthy Living Team launched the Love My Community Challenge to coincide with Mental Health Week in May. While last year’s initiative was directed at schools, this year we expanded the challenge to include organizations, businesses and community groups throughout the Southern Health-Santé Sud (SH-SS) region.

Originally created by students at Roseau Valley School in southern Manitoba, Love My Community Day began as a grassroots effort to spread kindness, create joy and strengthen connections across generations. The initiative encourages people to engage in small, meaningful actions that support both personal and community mental well-being.

Inspired by that vision, our team worked to extend the movement region-wide, inviting all schools and classrooms to take part by completing a community-focused project. These projects could be anything from neighborhood walks and cleanup efforts to intergenerational events, collaborative art nights or senior outreach activities. The possibilities to show appreciation and care for our communities are endless!

This year, 10 schools and classrooms submitted incredible projects that showcased creativity and compassion. Activities included movie nights, BBQs, street hockey games, mini pow wow, community clean-ups, handwritten thank-you notes, inspiring chalk messages, Pink Shirt Day events, and even beautifying local soccer fields.

To add a little extra motivation, five participating schools were randomly selected to receive a $200 prize to be used toward a classroom celebration—an opportunity to come together, build connections, and support mental well-being in a fun and meaningful way.

We were also thrilled to see several community organizations join the challenge this year. Their contributions included kindness rocks, Earth Day initiatives, senior lunches, parades, presentations, children’s concerts, art projects, and much more—each bringing joy and positive energy to their communities.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the schools, classrooms and organizations that participated and helped foster a culture of kindness, connection and mental wellness. Your efforts have a ripple effect that reaches far beyond the challenge itself.

We hope the Love My Community Challenge continues to grow in the years ahead—and that even more schools and groups are inspired to get involved. Together, we can build stronger, more connected and more compassionate communities.