By Marty Gordon
Melissa Poole is remembering her 16-year-old daughter, Ashlyn, as a person who would always do good for others. The teenager was killed in car accident this summer.
The accident shocked the Christiansburg community. But now, through a special project called Acts4Ash, others are feeling some of the good Ashlyn used to share with friends.
“Ashlyn’s friends presented us with a beautiful scrapbook of pictures and letters they wrote about her. There was a repetitive theme in all of their letters–Ashlyn always made you smile and brought joy to your life,” her mother said.
That message touched Poole. To quote some of her friends: “she always gave me hope,” “she really did lift up everyone around her,” “Ashlyn had the power to change us all for the better,” “She could walk into a room and light it up with her amazing smile and personality,” and “I absolutely adored her sense of humor, attitude, and outlook on life.”
“Along with those quotes we’ve heard many stories of Ashlyn brightening up other’s lives by leaving encouraging notes, cheering you on in whatever you were doing and making sure no one was left out of anything,” she said.
Melissa and a friend were discussing the upcoming holidays and how to deal with the overwhelming grief of not having Ashlyn here.
She suggested Melissa find something to devote her time to, something to honor Ashlyn and provide a purpose to help in the grieving process.
After considering several possibilities, the family decided on the random acts of kindness project and created the name, Acts4Ash.
“We quickly began designing cards to hand out and created the Facebook page as we knew that would be the quickest way to share this project with our friends and family,” Poole said.
She described her daughter as being full of life with a bubbly personality and a genuine, infectious smile.
Ashlyn Poole played volleyball and softball as well as ran both indoor and outdoor track at Christiansburg High School and still holds part of the school record for the 4×200 relay.
Ashlyn also ran outdoor track for the Roanoke Valley Tigers and competed at the AAU National Championships in Orlando, FL where she brought home a medal for the 4×100 relay.
Now, because of her involvement in multiple sports and her willingness to accept you as you were, Ashlyn will continue to be known and loved by many throughout the New River Valley and beyond.
Acts4Ash can be found on Facebook. The cards that Melissa sends out to other to distribute read: “Please enjoy this random act of kindness in memory of Ashlyn Poole. She brightened everyone’s day and I hope this brightens yours.”
The response to Acts4Ash has been beyond overwhelming. Originally, the Poole family thought it would be received well from family and friends and only ordered 500 cards. Within a week, they realized they would need to order more and fast.
“We had no idea it would catch on so quickly, receiving news attention and travel internationally. At this time, we have already ordered around 4,000 Acts4Ash cards and continue to give them out daily,” Melissa Poole said.
Currently, the page has over 1,000 members, and 134 known acts of kindness have been shared since the page was created on November 21, 2018, and those acts have not been limited to Virginia or even the United States. Several posts point to incidents around the globe.
According to Poole, they are even seeing people share acts of kindness that don’t even have cards.
“It’s as simple as writing a note with #Acts4Ash included or just sharing her story in person with someone. It has brought us a sense of comfort to see all of the different ways that kindness has been shared as well as received by so many not only in the NRV but around the world.”
She recently placed a copy of the card on the Facebook Page so others can print out the message to share with others.
“Our entire hope and purpose, through this project, is that Ashlyn’s memory will be honored by spreading kindness to one another just the way she did everyday of her short 16 years of life,” her mother concluded.
The Acts4Ash can be found under that title on Facebook.