OLD LYME — The Old Lyme Kindness Committee has been hard at work in an effort to stimulate a positive environment throughout the community in these challenging times.
First, members developed a campaign to support frontline workers, neighbors, seniors as the numbers of those infected with COVID-19 continues to rise. They asked the Old Lyme community to post hearts on doors or anywhere else visible to passers-by and to share photos of kindness they have seen within the community on their social media pages.
The community rallied and hearts popped up all over town and images of kindness in the community were posted on multiple social media sites. The Old Lyme First Selectman’s Office then compiled many of these images into a wonderful video that has been shared on the Town’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
“One of the most beautiful things to come out of this crisis is seeing how much love and support is being shared, between people decorating their doors, sharing uplifting news on social media, and looking for ways to be helpful,” said Melanie Lee, a member of the Old Lyme Kindness Committee.
Next, the Old Lyme Kindness Committee discussed the idea of doing a project to let the teachers, staff and administration of Lyme-Old Lyme Schools know they are appreciated and valued during these times when they are physically separated from their students. The committee developed the idea of a video in which residents could submit short 20-second clips to be compiled into a larger video that would be sent to everyone who works within the school system.
One week later the Old Lyme First Selectman’s office compiled and released the almost eight-minute long video with special guests U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, and State Representative Devin Carney.
Lyme-Old Lyme Schools expressed their thanks for the video to the selectman’s office and also ensured that all members of the LOL Schools community received the link to the video.