CHALK IT UP TO HOPE

Area woman’s messages inspire kindness

WEST CHESTER » When the pandemic began in March, Noel Dolan found sidewalk chalk children had discarded as she took her dog for a walk. During stay-at-home orders and nothing but pessimistic news, she took the chalk and wrote a few messages about hope and peace.

She found it so inspiring, she has written messages on the sidewalks of Sharpless Street, Price Street, New Street, Nields Street and Rosedale Avenue in West Chester, that she has written messages every day, except on days it rains.

“It’s uplifting messages in a time of a pandemic,” said Dolan, an arts and culture teacher at Villanova University. “It makes you feel like we are part of a community when we can’t gather with one another.”

Dolan said gets inspirations for her messages, often when she walks her dog Calvin, a Schnoodle, a crossbred dog which is a mix of a poodle and miniature schnauzer.

Some of the messages come from lyrics to songs, such as “All You Need is Love,” by the Beatles.

A common theme revolves around hope and helping to survive the grueling days of a pandemic.

“I start every day with Yoga, walk the dog, and then do messages even before breakfast,” Dolan said. “I like to put myself

in the right frame of mind.”

Recently, she was writing messages on the sidewalk near West Chester University when a construction worker approached her and he looked forward to the messages. Even a security team at WCU told her they loved her message which read “Life is like an EtchA-Sketch: Shake it up and start over.”

Last week, Dolan noticed that someone has been leaving painted rocks near her messages.

“My husband and I, who

moved here from Hoboken in June of 2019, have really enjoyed the messages as making the neighborhood an especially welcoming place,” said Ellen Chandler of West Chester. “Especially the personalized one she wrote for us by our wildflower street strip.”

Dolan said she will continue to write the uplifting messages until the pandemic ends, as long as she can find the chalk. Recently, someone left five sticks of chalks on her front step.

“A mom and a little girl went by and the girl said she likes the color purple, so the next day I used purple for my message,” Dolan said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Hope is a common theme in the messages by Noel Dolan of West Chester.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Another sidewalk chalk message penned by Noel Dolan of West Chester