HEATHER Baird, Gippsland woman and former foster child who started a charity to help foster children was today announced as the winner in the search for Australia’s kindest person ahead of World Kindness Day on November 13.
National women’s apparel retailer Black Pepper’s World Kindness Day Search aims to find the country’s kindest people, share their stories and hopefully inspire others to live a little kinder each day.
Heather, who lived in orphanages and foster homes from the age of 2 ½, experienced many difficult situations but the one that stuck with her the most was going to school with other foster children in old clothes and wishing she could have nice things.
Heather had always wanted to help children in similar situations so in 2014 she started A Better Life for Foster Kids which supports foster children and their carers with clothing, toiletries and other essentials, furniture, advice and referrals and funds for foster kids to participate in normal childhood activities.
Heather was selected as the national winner from hundreds of entries nationwide and was up against state winners including Pamela Tatt from Queensland who started Knit4Charities which has donated nearly I million items to charity, Eman Rahim from South Australia who was once homeless and is now a charity leader providing food relief for vulnerable South Australians and Chris Jones from NSW who founded the LIVEfree Project and has dedicated her life to helping those in need.
Black Pepper Marketing Manager, Jacquie McIntosh said their World Kindness Day campaign had once again unearthed some incredible community heroes.
“This is the third year that we have run our search for Australia’s kindest person and we have been completely overwhelmed by the incredibly kind people it has unearthed.
“It was not an easy decision as we had some wonderful state winners who have demonstrated incredible kindness, however Heather’s ability to overcome personal hardship to show empathy, selflessness and unwavering commitment to foster children and their carers is truly inspiring and the epitome of kindness.”
Heather was selected as the winner by a panel of judges including previous winners, Victorian woman, Joy Sparks, a retired teacher from Melbourne who spends her time cooking and caring for the homeless, and South Australian, Rose Darling, who founded Community Help and Togetherness CHATS,a volunteer run organisation providing meals, groceries, clothing and essential household items to community members in need.
She was crowned as Australia’s kindest person at a special event in Melbourne today and has won $5,000 for her charity.
