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Acton boys spreading good cheer with random acts of kindness

The youths have been delighting local grocery store customers by helping them with their shopping carts
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Acton youths Cairo Douglas (left) and Justin Mason.

They say one good deed can have a ripple effect, multiplying into many more acts of kindness in the community.

This ‘pay it forward’ concept is certainly alive and well in Acton, where two local youngsters have taken inspiration from the kindness of a stranger and turned it into a summer of doing good for others.

Ten-year-olds Justin Mason and Cairo Douglas have been busy helping local residents at No Frills by providing them with shopping carts and returning the carts when they’re done.

While the carts at the local grocery store normally require $1 to unlock them, the youths noticed that some of them weren’t attached to the others.

“We take those carts out and give them to people so they don’t have to pay for them,” said Mason. “We also started putting carts away for people.”

The boys have been known to help customers load groceries into their vehicles as well.

The pair say they were motivated to start helping others after a man came to Mason’s aid when a Pepsi he bought at Dollarama exploded.

Not only did he pay to replace the drink, but also bought the youngsters a bag of chips as well.

Mason and Douglas were inspired on the spot and stayed at the dollar store for a while afterwards to hold the door and greet customers.

The boys say they’ve received a warm reception from the people they help. But one interaction stands out in both their minds.

“We asked this one lady, ‘Do you want a free cart?’ And she said, ‘Nothing is free anymore,’” said Douglas - a moment the pair found quite amusing.

The boys’ mothers, Jamie Mason and Jill Douglas, said their sons are naturally helpful, but also modest as they don’t go around bragging about what they’re doing.

The women were pleasantly surprised to learn more about their children’s good deeds from a recent Facebook post that praised their helpful actions.

“We didn’t know these things until people told us,” said Jamie. “I always say they’re living an ‘80s summer - they go on bike rides together, check in once in a while and come home for dinner. They’re always finding adventures.”

Do you know a young person in Halton Hills who’s doing something inspirational? If so, please email details to [email protected].