It’s not hard to be kind. That’s the message coming from Kindness Corner every Friday in Hedley as one family provides treats and love to school kids and employees.
“We just want to be generous with what God has given us and pour it back into these kids,” Melissa Barlow said.
Barlow and her husband, Kerry, live with their granddaughter, 11-year-old Ava, between Hedley and Quail and have gotten involved with the Hedley community over the last seven years through the Methodist Church there.
“We were working Vacation Bible School last summer, and we realized that there’s nothing for these kids in Hedley,” Barlow said. “They don’t even have a place to go buy a candy bar.”
So, in August 2022, the Barlows purchased a snow cone machine, set up behind the Hedley Methodist Church to have access to electricity, and started giving away free snow cones after school on Fridays. Soon the Martindale family offered the use of their property and electricity across from the school and under some big shade trees.
Kindness Corner was born, and Barlow says the name just morphed into existence.
“It’s just all about acts of kindness and how easy it can be to be kind,” she said.
About 50 kids would enjoy the snow cones each week. As the semester progressed and the days became colder, Kindness Corner switched from snow cones to hot chocolate and homemade cookies. When windy weather came with the spring, they introduced canned drinks and pre-packaged snacks. Then they moved back to snow cones as the school year drew to an end in May.
The Barlows shut down for the summer and then brought the Kindness Corner back for the new school year last week. They are thinking about ways they could continue the practice during the summer months next year.
Barlow said the free treats are for anyone at the school from pre-kindergarten all the way through seniors and are also available for school employees.
“We’ll even take someone a snow cone if we see them out working hard in their yard, or we’ll bring them a drink,” she said. “It’s just about being kind, and we just want to share the love.”
It’s not a fancy operation, just a table and a sign that says, “snow cones,” but people get used to it and by the time the season changes, they already know they are there without the sign.
The Barlows don’t ask for donations or help, but they have accepted it. Most donations come in the form of people helping at the stand or making homemade cookies, and one person donated snow cone syrup. Sharon Alexander, Kari Lindsey, Kay Manuel, and Bonnie Brown are among those who have helped, and some members of the Methodist church have also made cookies. Lois Marie Stevens is the daughter of Hedley’s coach and has been helping while waiting on her visa to go be a missionary in Mozambique.
The family mission has turned into a blessing, Barlow said, and she notes that there are more kids coming to the Kindness Corner this year than last.
“It’s been really fun,” she said. “They know us, and we know many of them by name. Kari Lindsey helps us get to know the kids.
The only kids who can’t enjoy the Kindness Corner are the students who have to ride the bus to Clarendon or Memphis. They don’t have time to go to the snow cone stand and wouldn’t be able to take the treats on the bus anyway.
“That’s been hard. We don’t really want to exclude anyone,” Barlow said, “but kids in Memphis or Clarendon have a choice of other things. These kids in Hedley don’t have anything.”
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