Queens Library’s ‘It’s Time for Kind’ includes food drive, letter campaign

The Queens Library will be spreading some warmth this holiday season with its first “It’s Time for Kind” campaign.

The program includes a canned food drive, read-a-louds, movie screenings, letter-writing campaigns and other events designed to get library patrons and staff to share kind moments.

“We live in challenging times and difficult times,” Queens Library CEO Dennis Walcott said. “Kindness can change the world.” Photo Credit: Hans Pennink

“We live in challenging times and difficult times,” Queens Library CEO Dennis Walcott said during a campaign launch event last week. “Kindness can change the world.”

Walcott said even doing one seemingly small kind deed can lead to others.

“When you do something kind for another person, they will pass it on because you make them feel good,” he said. “And they will do something kind for someone else, so your act of kindness will have an impact.”

People can drop off canned goods at library locations through Nov. 30 for a food drive with the Food Bank for New York City. The library is hoping to collect 3,000 pounds of food.

There will be more than 200 events across the 62 branches to provide the public with opportunities to perform small acts of kindness, such as sending messages to hospitalized children and troops overseas or making blankets for animals at shelters.

In addition, students from English for Speakers of Other Languages and other workshops at the Queens Library will be inserting handwritten letters into books and other materials loaned to the 850 customers from their “Mail-a-Book” program.