Chris Jones has devoted her life to helping those in need, working with the community members and families for more than three decades.
Eight years ago, she founded the LIVEfree Project, providing genuine care, support and connection across the region.
Formed on the principle of building authentic relationships with residents, the non-profit organisation offers essential services such as crisis food delivery, free counselling, dental care and student mentoring.
“Unfortunately, in Newcastle, there’s a really high rate of poverty,” she said.
“On a national scale, it’s one-in-nine people but, in Newcastle, it’s one-in-four.
“So, the amount stories of vulnerability and hardship are incredibly high.”
Ms Jones was selected from hundreds of entries globally in Black Pepper’s World Kindness Day Search, aiming to find the country’s biggest-hearted people.
“As someone who has always had kindness on their dial, I’m just so thankful that the corporate world is paying attention to kindness,” she said.
“How do you put a dollar figure on that, how do you put a description on kindness?
“I’m not sure what it is when you look at it in the dictionary, but when you feel it, you know it.
“That’s the definition of kindness.”
Following her state win, Ms Jones is now in the running for an Australian crown.
“I hope in that national exposure, I just want to be someone who raises the fact that the everyday person can realise that they can make room in their world to be kind each day,” she added.
The national winner will be selected by a panel of judges including previous recipients, 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 group providing meals, groceries, clothing and essential household items to people in need.
No matter who it is, they’ll be announced and crowned as Australia’s Kindest Person at a special event in Melbourne ahead of World Kindness Day on 13 November.
They will also receive $5,000 for the charity of their choice.
For more community stories:
- Sum of the best young Hunter mathematicians celebrated
- Islington cycleway connection receives community, council backing
- Designs unveiled for $138m Cessnock Hospital Redevelopment
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