meet heywot!

Hello, Kind Krafters,

I’m your new Ambassador! You can call me H.T. I am currently in between my undergrad and masters courses at Dalhousie University. My interest spans a lot of areas, but I’m passionate about community and sustainability. A few more short things:

  *   I love painting and reading. I just finished Vita Nostra by Sergey & Marina Dyachenko.
  *   My favourite season is fall.
  *   I also love to cook. I'm trying to recreate a dish from my favourite restaurant. I perfected the liver pate and the jelly. All that's left is the pickles - the best part!
  *   At the beginning of the year, I challenged myself to shop primarily at Halifax farmer’s markets and independent shops as opposed to the larger supermarkets. I’m happy to report that I have yet to fail that challenge. I’ll tell you all about the challenge in my upcoming post.

fall at shubie park

my revived tomato plant

One fun fact
I can make coffee from scratch. Being from the birthplace of coffee, Ethiopia, I grew up roasting green beans and making fresh coffee. While most people are familiar with the process coffee shops use with electronic devices, Ethiopians traditionally roast their beans on a wide and thin clay pan. My family likes dark roast, which makes for a lot of smoke – and a lot of fire alarms set off over the years. Some of us may not have liked standing over the smoking pan as much as others, but the smell was worth it. Even in the summer heat!

How did you get involved?
Kind Krafts is a great place to volunteer. I have also volunteered with the PETA and with the IWK for gift-wrapping during Christmas time. To be completely honest, gift-wrapping is my one true hobby. Nothing beats the rush and excitement of the gift-wrapping table at Christmas, and I love catching up with everyone every year. Last summer, I worked remotely with a non-profit organization, but I found their scope to be challenging personally. When a friend of mine brought me along to one of the many events set up by Kind Krafts, I decided to commit myself for the length of the event. Kind Krafts organizes projects that reach a variety of people. Their community involvement inspired me to commit myself even further after their event ended.

What does community mean for you?
Community represents health. If I go into a pharmacy or a supermarket, I meet the same pharmacist or cashier and we begin to establish a connection. This connection is fundamental to how we live as human beings, even if it isn't the same ties to our friends and family. Knowing that we can all share something, whether it's a food, commiseration over the rain, or a certain colour of yarn, helps to keep us grounded, secure and healthy.

I look forward to discussing how we can foster kindness and community ties!

Until we meet again,

H.T.