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A Tin A Day spreads kindness through self-care packages

Christine Wincentaylo collects empty coffee and cookie tins, packs them with self-care items such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, bandages, condoms and tampons, and hands them out on the street.

Edmonton social work student packs hundreds of tins for people living on the street

Emily Senger · CBC News ·
An overhead shot of a cookie tin, bandages, socks, soap, a comb and a toothbrush all on a white carpet.
In a project she calls A Tin A Day, social work student Christine Wincentaylo packs empty cookie and coffee tins with self-care items and hands them out to people living on the street. (Emily Fitzpatrick/CBC)

A MacEwan University social work student is packing kindness for people living on Edmonton's streets, one cookie tin at a time.

In a project she calls A Tin A Day, Christine Wincentaylo collects empty coffee and cookie tins, packs them with self-care items such as shampoo, soap, bandages, condoms and tampons, and hands them out on the street.

The tins also contain a list of mental health resources, if the recipients want more help.

"I have a lot of people saying, 'Wow, no one has cared about me like this before,'" Wincentaylo said.

Wincentaylo started A Tin A Day two years ago and since then has given out more than 500 tins.

She said the inspiration came from her own struggles growing up in a low-income household.

Wincentaylo's grandfather — she calls him her "father figure" — was also an inspiration for the project. He taught her to treat everyone with respect, no matter their circumstances.

A young woman wearing a black tank top sits on a bed. She is putting something into a yellow tin. There are two cardboard boxes beside her.
A Tin A Day founder Christine Wincentaylo packs tins in her bedroom. She will distribute the tins filled with self-care items to people living on the street. (Emily Fitzpatrick/CBC)

One of Wincentaylo's early memories is from when she was five years old. Her grandfather approached a homeless person, talked to them in a kind way, bought them a coffee, and treated them just like anyone else.

Wincentaylo said packing the tins reminds her of her father figure, and of a happy time in her childhood.

"I think it's interesting to see, the people I've talked to on the streets are saying thank you, but I don't think they know how much they've helped me," she said.

The A Tin A Day operation happens in Wincentaylo's home. She stores the tins and supplies in her bedroom until she has enough to distribute. So far, she's financed the project through small grants.

She also got support from the Kinsmen Club of Edmonton, after some of the club's members saw her make a presentation at a Pecha Kucha night at the Garneau Theatre earlier this year.

An overhead shot of a tin packed with tampons, deodorant, socks and bus tickets.
An example of a tin packed by social work student Christine Wincentaylo as part of her A Tin A Day project. (Emily Fitzpatrick/CBC)

"We're always looking for opportunities to invest in things that are community level, or that have a direct impact in the community," said Gus Michalik, president of the Kinsmen Club of Edmonton. "We heard the presentation and it was quite touching."

The club purchased $1,000 worth of toiletries to fill the tins.

The Kinsmen Club will partner with A Tin A Day again in February.

Wincentaylo plans to keep the project going as long as she can. 

"I'm not stopping anytime soon."

CBC Edmonton is sharing stories of kindness and giving in our community, as part of the Make the Season Kind campaign.

 

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