Small Acts Big Impact Campaign a Success

The Small Acts, Big Impact awareness campaign, which challenged New Brunswickers to perform meaningful acts of volunteerism, has reached thousands of people through social media over the past two weeks.

Organized by the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation, the campaign encouraged individuals from all walks of life to carry out simple acts in the fields of literacy, food security and transportation.

“I congratulate and thank everyone who participated,” said Ed Doherty, minister responsible for the Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation. “New Brunswickers understand the importance of making a tangible contribution to the promotion of economic and social inclusion. Their engagement with this campaign is remarkable.”

The goal was to inspire individuals to join the movement of overcoming poverty while learning more about the challenges their fellow citizens face on an everyday basis. Participants were invited to take photos of their acts, share them on social media and challenge friends, families and social networks to do the same.

During the two-week campaign:

• More than 130 photos of small acts were shared through social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and posted on the live feed of the campaign’s website.

• More than 27,000 people viewed the campaign’s video on various platforms.

• The website has been visited more than 2,300 times.

• The campaign’s Facebook page reached more than 78,000 people and received more than 300 likes during the campaign.

Literacy rates, access to healthy food, and barriers to transportation are just a few challenges facing those in poverty in the province. Because of the scope of these issues, many New Brunswickers feel that they cannot make a significant difference.

“I thank the 12 Community Inclusion Networks which played a critical role in ensuring the success of this awareness campaign,” said Monique Richard, co-chair of the corporation’s board of directors. “These networks are at the heart of building community capacity and raising the level of engagement through collective and collaborative impact.”

Although the campaign ended Dec. 4, individuals may still contribute and register their small acts by visiting the website.

The Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation is a Crown corporation that co-ordinates and supports the implementation of the Overcoming Poverty Together plan. The corporation’s board of directors is made up of members representing persons who experienced or are living in poverty, non-profit organizations, the business sector and the government.