COLONIE — At no time has pride in your hometown meant so much, or has a platform to brag about the good things going on been as needed.
Towards that end, Town Board member Melissa Jeffers started “Proud to be Colonie.”
“I’m just trying to spread some positivity,” she said. “I get discouraged seeing posts bashing politicians and the responses to the posts can be even worse. It’s too depressing.”
Found on her Facebook page are posts about the Colonie EMS and the Colonie Police Department re-stocking the North Colonie Central School District Backpack Program, which supplies food to children on Friday afternoons to make sure they have something to eat over the weekend and deputies from the Sheriff’s Department handing out masks at the Verdoy Fire Department.
Private businesses and organizations get a nod too, and there is a post about the Taste of Italy in Latham donating food to workers at the Niskayuna Post Office and Victory Church handing out care packages with masks, hand sanitizers and other pandemic essentials.
“I started realizing we have businesses and residents who are doing outstanding things to help other people and I felt it would mean a lot to try and share some positive news,” she said. “It’s not Democrat or Republican, but just things that are happening in our community. We do have a voice, and we do make a difference every day and it’s important to realize there is good things going on now.”
There are more than 160 members on the Facebook page and it is open by invitation by other members of the group who are part of doing the good deeds, the beneficiaries of those good deeds or anyone else who wants to spread good news during the pandemic.
Other stories include the police and fire departments doing birthday parades, and people hand sewing masks for first responders and police officers dancing in a parking lot.
“I hope people will share own experiences so we can celebrate other people’s achievements,” Jeffers said. “I think it’s a way to bring our huge town together. We have so many different pockets in town that are very diverse and have their own needs but this is a reminder our entire 57 square mile town is in this together. If we do something good for someone else once a day we will get through this.”
To check out the Facebook page click here.
