The Jacob Project

Hey, if you're able to help with this really important cause that would be great. Contributions go to a kid in need that just needs a little help to fill a backpack with supplies. Thank you.

So very excited about this collaboration with the Youth Leadership Program from HRM Gordon R. Snow Community Centre!!

Hey if you want to contribute to this important cause it will help kids in our community. Please consider making a donation of school supplies to fill a backpack for a kid in need of a little bit of help. Thank you.

So very excited about this collaboration with the Youth Leadership Program from HRM Gordon R. Snow Community Centre!!

Hey, it's Jake on this Canada Day. I'm Celebrating being a Canadian by helping others in need. Big bake for Hope Cottage and those who live homeless. Because it's my responsibility to help where and when I can. It's a small thing but it's something I can do. Every act of kindness meets a need. How are you celebrating being a Canadian today?

It's Big Bake day for Hope Cottage! Baking brownies to deliver on Tuesday. If you would like to help I'm happy to take donations of baking ingredients or baked goods. Stay tuned.

Proud Jacob Project momma moment! This little guy finished his first year of university, and not surprisingly, with a 4.0 GPA. 2023 was a different kind of year for Jake. He learned that University isn't just a place of higher education, but that it is where you grow, explore, develop, socialize, as a person, as well as learn academically. Jake saw a lot of changes in 2023 but he never lost sight of his goals. Watching him settle down at the dining room table or at his desk I was always in awe at his study habits. He now knows what he's going to major in (has to declare his major at the end of his second year). I was apprehensive about him turning 19 with all of the societal pressures that goes along with that age, but he has never wavered on his goal of being and remaining alcohol free (and drug free), and to focus on his health. He's been doing some body building these past 2 years and just like Jake, he's up every morning at 6:00 am and out the door by 6:30 headed for the gym. FAITHFULLY! If there is a word to describe Jake, it's disciplined! I've learned a lot from him! :) And despite the attention from some female onlookers this past year, he has a lovely young lady in his life, also a SMU student, accomplished pianist, smart, artistic, gentle, and full of grace, and matches his goals and habits. He is also celebrating his 4th year of employment at Pizzatown next month.

The Jacob Project is not over! Not by a long shot. 2024 marks 10 years for the Jacob Project. In fact, Jake has been talking a lot about where he can take it in the coming months, with some projects coming up. :) Stay tuned! He's going to be looking to his supporters for a little help! Jake wants to make sure we never forget to be kind to each other.

It’s Saturday morning! And no it is not just any Saturday morning. It is the morning of Jacob's 19th Birthday. Time for a big celebration, except that he will be working today/tonight, it’s his long shift so we will only see him for a couple of hours this morning.

And I know I shouldn’t say it yet again because I say it every year, and I know I have to stop repeating it year after year, but I just can’t help myself… where did the time go????? I am almost positive he was just in grade 2 a few days ago. But no, time has passed us by and he’s now celebrating what I believe to be his last milestone birthday. The 19th. The one where he is now allowed to sit down in a pub for a cold beer. Except that, like big brother Brody, Jake has chosen not to drink. I can’t say that I am disappointed in that decision. I think in this day and age when we have become so focused on celebrating just about everything with alcohol – it’s a breath of fresh air to know that some young people have strong enough mindsets that they make their own choices about alcohol consumption.

I love this kid, truly, madly, deeply (ugh, but don’t I hate that Soundgarden song!!) And as much as I can acknowledge how independent he is, and carrying the load of a full time university student, and working 20 hours a week, it’s still hard to acknowledge that he is officially now an adult. I’m grateful that my sons still need their mom and that we are becoming good friends as well. It’s too bad that there wasn’t a University course for moms to learn how to make that transition from “mommy” to “ma”. That would make life easier, wouldn’t it? Although I’d likely fail that course. I like being mommy and I’m not ready to give it up yet.

Happy 19th birthday Jake. Here’s to a year of celebration of resilience, dreams unfolding, and the exciting adventures yet to grace your journey! May this year be marked by growth, excitement, and the pursuit of your dreams. Cheers to another fantastic chapter! No, we did not buy you an investment property for your birthday. I know, I know… that’s your birthday wish… but give it another few years and we’ll talk!! Happy Birthday kid.

A shout out to Hope Cottage for the amazing and successful auction they held to raise funds to keep homeless Nova Scotians fed. I was there, helping out, and it was a great time.

Finished my first semester with a 4.0 gpa. Now onto Macro Economics and Data Analytics. So far, am learning interesting things about how interest rates work. Helps to understand why our poverty and homelessness is so high.

How incredible is this act of kindness? Good job!

Thank you to the residents of Brookhill Estates for their successful food drive!
The food bank truly appreciates it.
We understand this is an annual event for your neighbourhood.
Neighbours helping neighbours.

Last exam done!

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday season, safe travels if you are going away.

Mother Theresa once said: "If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one". As I am getting older I am realizing that there is a huge need out there that will likely never be filled. But if each of us can do one act of kindness on a regular basis, we can help to fill small holes, together. I think that is what Mother Theresa meant.

The people living in homeless communities across our province need your compassion and respect, regardless of their circumstances. They don't get to have a traditional Christmas and for most not even a necessary Christmas. If we could all play Santa and remember they have needs and try to help even one, that's a gift. They need warm blankets and coats, hats, gloves, SOCKS (lots of socks), and food.

Alternatively, a donation to Hope Cottage via their website Hope Cottage , can provide many meals to many people. A gift that continues to help day after day. Or to any local shelter that provides meals and personal items to those living homeless. They can do so much more for so many. A donation of ground coffee alone can help so many. If that is a gift you can afford to offer, it is a huge gift to so many men and women living homeless. I will be dropping coffee off to them later this week, so if you would like to drop donations of coffee off to me if it is closer to you I can bring yours with me.

I am learning that we are called to share our privilege. Not just financially. But our internal privilege. Share our compassion, our respect, to offer dignity, and mostly to offer kindness if and when we can. I think we all have gifts inside of us and if we can use those gifts to help others, we should do the best we can to help.

Thank you for continuing to help others in need. I am so grateful that you continue to follow the Jacob Project and to those that respond, or who reach out to help. You are appreciated.

I hope you have a safe and happy Christmas and holiday.

Jake

A huge shout out and thanks to Melody Conway-Gouthro for making a $500 donation to Hope Cottage last week from her Union, inspired by The Jacob Project. This is the same person that also advocated with her employer to also make a donation to Hope Cottage inspired by the Jacob Project earlier in the year. I am also very grateful to those who let me know of their donations recently of coffee. So very grateful that followers of the Jacob Project are still being inspired to carry out acts of kindness for those that cannot or are unable to help themselves. Hope Cottage uses your donations to serve HUNDREDS of people daily, to ensure they receive hot meals, and personal hygiene items as well as socks and other things. Organizations like Hope Cottage are able to do so much more with donations, to help so many more individuals, every day, so please continue to feel inspired. It doesn't matter how little or how much. Every act of kindness helps someone in need. Thank you Melody for your advocacy for those who need it most.

Hey it's Jake! Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who gave donations of leftover Halloween treats for the families living at Adsum House and Bryony House. I've just finished loading up my car to deliver today. There was a lot and I still have a couple of people who are dropping stuff off over the weekend. This is all because of your kindness. I am happy to be the facilitator or coordinator that helped to make this happen. This is really all about you. I am really grateful to still have your support for the Jacob project. Every act of kindness that we do helps somebody who needs an act of kindness. So I always remind people that kindness isn't just something that we talk about, it's something that we do and sometimes we do that together. So just wanted to say huge thank you to all of you for coming together to help a lot of kids and families who might not have gotten to celebrate Halloween the same way many kids do. I hope you have a great weekend.

While Jake is at school today, mom is hard at work dividing up all of the Halloween treats that were donated for the women's shelters. I Will wait for Jake to report on the results of the donations because he likes to do that, but thought it would be fun to post this question.

Which candy do you think is the most popular Halloween candy? We're not talking about potato chips or chocolate bars because we know those are probably by far the most given out treats. I was a little bit surprised to learn that as I was dividing everything up for the two shelters that overwhelmingly that sour patch kids and maynards had the biggest piles with twizzlers easily taking second place followed by rockets. I was sure that rockets were going to be number one but they were not. And with only a handful of traditional Kerr's Halloween candy I would say it pretty much finished in last place. Out with tradition I guess.

As far as chocolate bars, coffee crisp had the biggest pile, followed by Aero, and kit Kat.

Also want to say a very special thanks to all the moms and dads who took the time to drop off their donations to our house. Jake has long days at school and doesn't usually get home until at least 6:00. He is also now a member of the commerce society at school so he has extra work to do and has presentations to make. By the time he gets home he grabs a plate of food and heads to his bedroom to study and he gets his nose right into the books. He is learning to juggle school and work and downtime.

The families who are currently housed at Bryony house and Adsum house will be absolutely delighted to see all of these treats. Thank you for your kindness and your generosity and for putting others ahead of yourself.

This exercise of collecting Halloween treats every year is so much fun for Jake and his friends who will often help him. He really enjoys it. Jake has learned that it's more fun to do something for somebody else than it is for himself. He knows how lucky he is and how blessed he is to have the privileges that many do not. Very proud of this young man. He is learning now how to become an adult and we all know that comes with its own set of challenges lol :)

Me and my friend Braeden Lamb collected some treats for the kids at Adsum House . Appreciate our Waverley and Fall River friends for their support!

If anyone has any leftover treats that they would like to donate, my friend Braedon and I are trick or treating tonight to collect treats for Adsum house for women and children. A lot of those kids do not get to go out trick or treating for location safety reasons. So every year we try to collect for those kids. You can check out the Jacob project for pictures of previous years. Let me know if you have any leftovers that you would like to donate and I will arrange to come by and pick them up or you can drop them off to me at home or my place of work. I really appreciate your support.

Hey, it's Jake. Just wanted to provide everyone with an update on the Jacob Project. I know sometimes the page goes idle but that's only because I'm so busy right now with school and (school related academic extra curricular) and volunteering that it doesn't leave me much time for social media.

But I wanted to share with you that I am now on the Board of Directors of the "Friends of Hope Cottage" which is a group of volunteers that raise awareness of and organize and carry out events to support the work and needs of Hope Cottage. Tonight I will be helping out with their Annual Thanksgiving meal and silent auction. I want to learn from business leaders and other community leaders how I can be a contributing business leader some day after I graduate, and so it's important that I start my volunteer career with an organization that I've been close to over the past number of years. I have a lot to learn. This is a great start.

I will continue to try to reach out and help others in need, and will also be monitoring this page regularly because the need has never been higher. Some new advocacy groups have also come together to help meet the needs of those living in our tent community and so I am very grateful to know they are doing this work. If we can all do some small part no matter how minor it will help someone, some family, in need. And if all I have to give right now is my time, that's what I will give.

Thank you again for your ongoing support, for continuing to follow my journey, to help others in need, one small act of kindness at a time. Your support has helped to guide me in my grown up life choices. I am grateful for that, too.

If there is anything you can do to help please reach out. Hope Cottage has been providing meals to our most vulnerable for decades. They need our help every day. If you could drop something off or make a donation please visit their website or dropoff to Hope Cottage directly. Every little bit helps.

Our ✨ weekly wish list ✨! 💚

Hey it's Jake, I would like to send a very special thanks to Melody Conway-Gouthro. Melody works at a local NSLC outlet in Fall River, and she saw the work of the Jacob Project and went to her employer (NSLC) and advocated for them to make a donation in support of an organization of my choice. Of course I asked for the donation to go to Hope Cottage. I am very happy to say that the NSLC did make a donation in recognition of the Jacob Project in the amount of $250 to Hope Cottage. This would not have happened without the Act of Kindness carried out by Melody. Thank you Melody for your advocacy and your support of the Jacob Project and for the time you spent working on this initiative. I am very grateful to you and to your employer for making this happen.

We are never too far from the possibility of homelessness, and so we all have to be in this together, to support each other and always be kind and compassionate. No matter how much or how little you can offer...

EVERY ACT OF KINDNESS HELPS SOMEONE IN NEED.

Hi, this is Jake! Act of Kindness needed!!! if there is anyone who is able to spare a little time to make a quick grocery run for some donations Hope Cottage could sure use your help. See the drop off times and location below. Be the change you wish to see. A few dollars can go a long way in helping people eat. Thanks for your kindness. Hit me up if you want me to pick up on your behalf and deliver. I'm happy to be your conduit. Thanks.

Our ✨weekly wish list✨ 🩵.

These goodies are an important addition to our in-house and take out meals! Every donation is appreciated.

Donations can be dropped off at 2435 Brunswick Street, Halifax NS, between the hours of 9am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

I don't know where to start so I'll just begin with Thank you. Thanks for being part of this journey with me.

This whole project started with just wanting to be sure we could provide a Thanksgiving meal to families in need almost a decade ago. It didn't stop there, it grew and so did your support and help.

Over the past almost 10 years we have carried out so many kindness projects for so many people living with greater needs than they could provide for themselves. I can't even begin to list them all, and I've been involved in other projects that I haven't posted here, like delivering food and clothing to people living homeless, and taking baskets and boxes of needed personal hygiene items around to folks in need.

Sometimes I just got so busy that I forgot to post about it. But I haven't slowed down, I have just not been able to keep up with the social media piece.

The past few months I've given a lot of thought to what happens to the Jacob project now that I am going off to University. After considerable thought and asking myself whether I have the time to fully commit to continuing for Jacob project I have decided that I am not ready to let go of the Jacob project and I am not ready to give up on helping those who struggle to help themselves.

I am working on a campaign right now to try to come up with a strategy to raise funds to continue to purchase supplies to ensure that those who need it most are getting the help they need. Right now we are seeing that homelessness is a public health crisis and that means that we need to come together and work harder to make sure that people are taken care of, one act of kindness at a time. That's what's known as East Coast kindness and that's what we are known for, for caring for others and for helping families in need. And not just families but people struggling to make ends meet and people struggling with addictions, people who need a warm winter coat and dry aocks, and even kids who need a school backpack or pair of shoes.

I am asking you today to continue to follow this page and to share it. I am not 9 anymore but I am hoping you will continue with me on this journey. It's important to me. I hope it's important to you too. No matter where I decide to go or what to do with a commerce degree I have every intention of making giving back part of my life. My mom wrote me a letter to read today, (graduation day) and she said that I need to always follow my heart and act with compassion. Following my heart is to continue to do my small part for those who have the least.

Thank you for the last 9 years of encouragement and support and for just being part of the Jacob project. Stay tuned for more Adventures.

- Jake

From Jake's mom: The day has arrived! The Graduating class of 2023. Congratulations Jake Boudreau on your amazing high school experience. You worked hard and earned every feeling this day will bring. I am proud of you and excited for you. You have a whole new life waiting for you. I can't wait to see what it brings. As for the Jacob Project - we know you did your best to raise the issue of homelessness and helping others and kindness - and we know it's always going to be a part of your life. Stay true to yourself, and always remember what I know you already know, that not everyone has opportunities, like you, so always be compassionate, kind, understanding and accepting. Work hard (we know you will), and enjoy this next phase of your life. Well done young sir. Love you to the moon and back!

Water is everything. I get to drink a gallon of it every day. But people living homeless do not. Water is a necessity for all aspects of life - staying hydrated being the most important of those needs. With summer coming and with the forecast that it's going to be another hot dry summer, here's how you can help with a single act of kindness:

Water is not a large expense at many grocery stores. A case of 24 bottles of water is an inexpensive way to carry out an act of kindness for someone who truly needs this, and people living homeless need water as the very basic need among many.

Is this something you can help with? I'm going to be going back to visit people living homeless in the tent shelters in Cobequid Park again next week. I will be delivering some cases of water to them from the Jacob Project among a few other items.

Every act of kindness helps someone in need, and these individuals and families are in need. Any other pre packaged non perishables you can offer are also very helpful.

I would be happy to pick up donations to deliver to them if you can help.

Thank you,

Jake

Kindness grows!

Kids Who Care Committee creating a difference one kind act at a time - The Laker KENNETCOOK: Students at Kennetcook District School have shown how big their compassionate little hearts are. Known as the Kids Who Care Committee, the students have completed various projects all aimed at helping others. They dud this under the guidance of Grade 4/5 Teacher Laura Webber. The student...

It's Prom Day for young Jake Travolta!! Hahaha He's doing his thing...getting ready. So proud of you Jake. Have fun today. Make memories that will last a lifetime.

I was told by someone that The Dartmouth SPCA needs cat food and litter right away if anyone is able to help. Thank you.

To all of my friends of the Jacob Project. First of all, thank you for continuing to follow me. I am really grateful for your support over the years. I don't even know how to ever thank you all for making Acts of Kindness part of your every day lives. I hope that it will pay off in the future and that we all learn to be kinder people and a kinder society.

I have been watching the fire in Tantallon/Hammonds Plains, and the one in Barrington. The news isn't great. So many homes have burned down, people have lost their entire lives in a matter of hours, people escaped with the clothes on their backs, and many have lost their pets. It's hard to see people posting pictures of their cats and dogs, horses and chickens, and even a pig. They are so helpless, and can't help themselves.

The SPCA needs our help and I am asking that as an act of kindness that you can make a donation directly to the SPCA's Paws Support program that will allow them to purchase food and supplies to help with housing many many pets over the coming weeks and months. Curently they are caring for 75 evacuated pets who will be missing their families.

If you can afford a donation to help so that these family pets remain loved and cared for that act of kindness will go a long way to ensuring that a pet will be loved, fed, played with, and kept safe until it can be reunited with its family. I know that we will be asked to make donations to help with the victims of the fire, and I understand if that is how you wish to help. But I would be so appreciative if we could also help save and care for these animals. Where it says to write a private message you can tell them that every act of kindness helps someone in need. (and if you want to mention in honour of the Jacob Project that is fine too).

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

As always, thank you from the Jacob Project. Here is the link. Please let me know if you can help.

https://www.novascotiaspca.ca/community/pawssupport/

Paid a visit to Hope Cottage on Friday to drop off much needed coffee. If you can help with any donation it would be so appreciated.

So a lot of really great things happening for me all at once. I wanted to tell you that I was selected by Saint Mary's University as the recipient of the Sobeys School of Commerce Innovators Scholarship. This is a 4 year scholarship worth $50,000, and will cover a huge part of my tuition and expenses. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that honour. I am so grateful to the Sobeys family for this amazing contribution to my life.

I was taught that it takes a village to raise a child. When I started the Jacob Project I had no idea what that really meant. The Jacob Project has meant a lot to me over the years because it served others. What I got out of it was giving back. It was seeking out people who need help. To understand the difference between the have and have nots. In the beginning I thought I could save the world but now I know that while I can't save the world, I can help with acts of kindness that, if spread, can help the world. But a large part of that was your doing. My followers of the Jacob Project were a part of the village. Now I know what that means. You all took part in this. For that I am grateful because without your support, the Jacob Project would have been and gone.

When I got the call today from SMU about the scholarship I was most excited to first thank my parents, but then to come here and thank all of you for giving me purpose in keeping the Jacob Project going. My job is not done. The Jacob Project isn't done. There is still a purpose and a need to motivate others to carry out acts of kindness and to help those who can't help themselves. I also know that there are many students who attend university who struggle to eat enough.

I hope you will stick with me and watch as the Jacob Project goes to University.

I'm heading to Hope Cottage next week to drop off some coffee that was donated by some of you. I plan to match each of those donations. More than anything I hope each of you will find a way to make giving back something you do on a regular basis and to remember those who struggle among us. That's what's most important, that we take care of everyone. Thank you for your gifts of support and for your donations to great causes. Please continue to make kindness your gift to the world. I promise the same.

Oh, and also just a note to say how excited I am to have the privilege of being able to go to university. Thanks mom and dad for encouraging me to "do good". love you.

Jake

Hey, it's Jake! I am putting out a call this morning for an act of kindness. Hope Cottage is in need of coffee. If you're able to add an extra can of ground coffee to your grocery list this week please drop it off at Hope Cottage. Their hours are on their page. Or as always I am happy to pick it up and take it to them on your behalf. If you haven't seen the cartoon in today's newspaper so I am putting it here. I think what it means is that there is no exit from homelessness. It's all entering but no exit. Whatever you can do, no small donation is too little. EVERY ACT OF KINDNESS HELPS SOMEONE IN NEED. Please reach deep. A small cup of coffee goes a long way. Thank you so much.

Can you help?

Hope Cottage does its best to provide our Clients with a snack with every meal. Almost all of these snacks are due to the fantastic donations of so many of our community members! Unfortunately, our snack stock is very low. We understand that life is hard right now, and not everyone is able to donate! We are so grateful for every share, like, and message we receive. ❤️. Online donations at www.hopecottage.ca

If you are in a position where you can donate, we are open from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday for drop-offs at 2435 Brunswick Street, Halifax.

HUGE shout out to the Bedford Minor Hockey Under 13 hockey team for donating food, coffee, and essential winter wear items (gloves, socks, etc) for the clients at Hope Cottage. For those living homeless these are such important items to donate on a regular basis. One of the moms of the players reached out to the Jacob Project and wanted to find a way to inspire the kids to help. They "teamed" up and did a food drive. These young people are learning early about the importance of giving and taking care of others, and carrying out acts of kindness. Here is a note from the parents:

Hello Jake,

I just wanted to pass along the gratitude from the hockey team parents’ for letting the team tag along with the Jacob Project on the act of kindness. I am a believer that this experience planted a seed of awareness in these kids and will sprout to future opportunities for them to be kind to others, share the good that they have and to pay it forward.
Jake, thank you for being this great example for the kids! So many parents said: “The world needs more Jakes”. I can’t agree more!

Thank you again.
Kind regards,
Anastasia

But don't thank me, thank you all for your big hearts and your thoughtfulness. I encourage each of you to continue to find ways to be kind.

The company I work for (Pizzatown) also had a New Years Eve event and donated the proceeds of the cover charge to Hope Cottage ($200). Thank you Bedford Minor Hockey and Pizzatown.

Every act of kindness helps someone in need!

Thank you ,

Jake