Two Ontario Women Are Giving Kind Notes To Strangers & The Videos Will Leave You Teary
"It could make someone’s day or even save a life."💌
Man looking at a kind note from a stranger. Right: Woman looking at a message that starts 'Dear Stranger'.
Two Windsor-based women are proving that a little act of goodwill can go a long way with an initiative they call "Dear Stranger 143".
In May of 2022, friends Danielle Nantais and Miranda Daniher-Bazlik brainstormed how they could use their creative sides to help people feel seen, shine a light on mental health and spread kindness.
They began writing positive notes and giving them to strangers all while sharing their experiences on social media to spread their messages on a grander scale.
“We wanted to do something that we could show everyone and anyone how simple it is to spread kindness,” Nantais told Narcity via email. “Writing a message to someone that might need it could make someone’s day or even save a life.”
In under four months of sharing these videos, they have reached 841,000 followers on TikTok and 146,000 on Instagram. According to Nantais, the response was bigger than they had imagined.
They have received some truly touching responses to their kind words. "Someone said they were going to unalive themselves, literally in the middle of executing their plan our TikTok randomly popped up on their phone and they started scrolling on our page for an hour. It gave them hope again and they stopped."
The project began with written notes only, but the women have begun collecting donations for their initiative so they can give strangers gifts of flowers or cash in some instances as well.
"We hope to be able to get enough donations to be able to financially give back because times are tough for many and even the smallest amount could be life-changing," Nantais said.
Not only have Nantais and Daniher-Bazlik received positive feedback from the Windsorites who receive the kind notes but people from around the world have reached out online. Some have asked if they can start the movement in their own cities and the two women always respond with a resounding "yes".
When asked about how the Dear Stranger 143 initiative began, Nantais said, "We were inspired to start this project because we are two people that struggle with mental health and know how much everyone is struggling every day. Being kind goes so far."
If you're wondering how they come up with the heartfelt notes, Nantais had this to say; "We write what we feel like we need to hear or what someone going through a tough time would need to hear as a pick me up."
They have no plans of slowing down either. "Some goals we have are to be able to travel and spread this in other areas because we want this love and energy to reach worldwide."
They go out about three times each week to hand out notes (and sometimes gifts) at the Detroit River waterfront. It's a high-traffic area so there are many strangers to choose from. You can read the positive notes and see reactions at @dearstranger143 on Instagram and TikTok.
1 (I) 4 (love) 3 (you).
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or mental health concerns, please reach out to a trusted peer, parent or health care professional. You can also contact the Crisis Services Canada helpline, which is available 24 hours a day, or consult these additional resources. If you need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. Support is available.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.