From Soldiers to Snow

It has been a while since I have written an accounting update that contains more than one act of kindness, so I shall sit down this evening to do just that!  Here we go.

This first act of kindness was very moving.  If you recall, Kindness Activist sent a big box of treats not too long ago to American soldiers stationed overseas.  Well, this time it was Ukrainian soldiers turn.

I saw that one of my friends, a Ukrainian woman who is living in our community while her country is ravaged by war, was making food for soldiers that were brought to the US for treatment.  I had no idea that occurring, but as soon as I found out, I hoped we could do something – any small gesture – to show them that they are welcome here and that they are appreciated.  So, I contacted my friend and she explained that the men being sent to the US for treatment were and those in need of very difficult prosthetics.  I asked it would be possible for me to bring them gifts.  She confirmed it would be fine, let me know where they would be, and set up a time for me to go.

My partner David and I spent about an hour roaming up and down the Target aisles trying to figure out what would be good to give the soldiers.  We wanted the gifts to be things they would use while they were here (not have to lug them back to Ukraine) and things that would help them be comfortable and/or happy.  We settled on a wide variety of snacks, drinks, decks of cards, and a nice greeting card for each of them.  I packaged everything in blue bags tied with yellow ribbons – the colors of their homeland.  I wrote a message in English to put in the cards, then sent it off to my friend to translate into Ukrainian.  We wrote:

Thank you for working to make the world a safer place.  Thinking of you and your family, and wishing you a future full of peace and love.

Then off I drove – not sure if I would hand the bags to a receptionist, meet the soldiers, or what.

I was very honored that I actually got to see the men in person and thank them.  They were happy to get the gifts.  A translator interpreted a short conversation for us, and I turned to go.  “Don’t you want a picture??” the woman working with them asked.  I didn’t want to make the event seem like a photo opportunity, but she seemed to want a picture for their organization too, so I went back and stood with the soldiers for this lovely photo.

The soldiers

The gift bags

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $176.38

Number of wishes that these soldiers will someday be able to live in a country free of war: Infinite

 

Sometimes when we are out shopping, we use that time to do something kind for other people.  I mean, we are already there at the store, why not treat someone??  Because getting out to the store can be difficult for people, what with kids, transportation, work, gas…

So, one evening when I was at Dollar Tree, I posted in a local online group to say where I was and ask if anyone needed anything.  I said I would treat a couple of people - $10 budget each ($10 goes quite a long way at Dollar Tree!) and I would deliver the items. Responses popped in right away.  One person needed some basic supplies for their home – toothpaste, toothbrushes, garbage bags, tape, toilet paper, dish soap, paper towels.  That was easy enough to collect.  During another shopping trip to Dollar Tree, someone requested snacks – easy peasy.  And one person asked for supplies for an altar for the Day of the Dead – 4 glass candles and multi-colored tissue paper. 

Completed altar for Day of the Dead

These acts of kindness are not expensive.  They are really more about the gift of time and availability than the cost.  They are simple and fun to do.

Household supplies

 

Total Kindness Activist funds spent: $29.22

 

This January our area had predictions of a BIG SNOW.  This had everyone very excited!!  And because we have so many immigrants in our area, some of people have never seen snow.  So, those people were even MORE EXCITED!!

Everyone was asking around for sleds and snowsuits and mittens and shovels…  That’s when I saw a request – did anyone have a sled for some children to use who were experiencing their FIRST SNOW???

We hurried to the store to see if there were any left.  We hunted and hunted, but there were none to be found.  The shelves were picked clean of winter play gear.  But then we saw it – the last sled!  It was not a traditional one, it was a blow up one.  We grabbed it.  We hunted more and found a snow brick maker hidden on a shelf – we will take it!!  And we scored 3 “snow painters”, too.  And of course, we HAD to add hot cocoa and marshmallows...  I rushed home to fill the sled with air and then delivered it all to one happy parent.  I can only imagine how loud the squeals of delight were when the kids whooshed down a snowy hill.

 

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $40.86

5 1/2 Year Old Kindness

 I thought about waiting to share this story until after the entire acts of kindness related to it are finished, but I am excited to tell you about it, and I also like to write when things are still fresh in my memory.  So here is a quick update on…

 JUNE BUG’S KINDNESS HOT COCOA STAND!

If you follow Kindness Activist you will remember that recently a sweet little girl named June Bug hosted a hot cocoa stand to raise money for us!  In a short 2.5 hours, this little dynamo raised $1118.75 – all to be used to spread kindness!!!  (Note – that number is slightly higher than what was previously shared as a couple of donations for cocoa came in after the fact).

Since the cocoa stand was HER idea and since she put so much effort into it, of course my little friend is involved in deciding how the money will be used.  She and her mamma came over one evening to brainstorm ideas of how she would like to spread kindness.  Here are some of the things that she came up with:

-         Give gifts to the teachers and staff at her former pre-school (shhh, don’t tell them because this is still in the works, but “lip chap” is one of her ideas to treat them…)

-         Buy gifts for sick kids at Children’s National Hospital (where her mom was a nurse, and where she has been a patient)

-         Buy things for a classroom (we have chosen a local classroom that has 4 students, all with autism)

-         Pay for people’s meals at an iconic local restaurant – Weenie Beenie (I suspect that she wants to do this one because she wants to eat at Weenie Beenie…)

So, with those ideas to get us started, I picked June Bug up this weekend and we went shopping!

First stop – the grocery store to buy SNACKS for the classroom.  We had some ideas of what the students like (and allergies) from talking with the teacher, so June Bug picked out some terrific items.  She got juices, popcorn, tasty cereal bars, and goldfish crackers.  She even picked out some very special juice bottles with characters on top (we agreed that the students will love them!).

Treats for a classroom

Then off to Target.  But before we could even go inside, we saw something we needed to check out – a young woman selling painted rocks.  They were beautiful!  We talked to the artist and her mother, and it turned out that the woman was Deaf and was selling her artwork because her hearing aid had broken and she needs a new one.  Insurance won’t cover it, so she is raising money to purchase it.

The artist and the activist

It was hard to choose what to buy (there were so many pretty ones!) but June Bug picked a piece of watermelon rock and a rainbow with a cloud rock.  Fun!  We talked about who those would be for and she thought she may give one to her “Sister Cousin” and keep one for herself.  Later that plan changed to give both to her cousins.  So sweet.

Once inside Target, we started in the BOOK section, because books were on her list of things that kids in the hospital needed.  She very deliberately looked for and chose books that she has at home, as she knows those.  “Oh, this is a good one!!!  Let me show you Kindness Susan!” she told me as she turned page after page of a book about a fish.  We ended up with a few books, one nice sticker book (which she has at home, too), 3 coloring books, and crayons to go with those. 

We grabbed some sensory toys for the classroom and the markers that the teacher had requested, then ON TO THE TOY DEPARTMENT!

I feared this part might be difficult.  I mean, June Bug is 5 years old (5 ½ if you ask her)…  Imagine shopping up and down the toy aisles looking only for things for other people and not yourself at that age…

But she was great!  We had written down some ideas of what she thought children at the hospital would want, so we started with one of those: a doll (how to choose?  But she did!).  Then another thing on her list: a stuffy.  She went for a chocolate brown teddy bear, one of the softest I have ever felt.  She decided it would be ok for her to snuggle that in the store and the car on the way home, and I agreed.  She also chose a game, some cool balls, some small wooden train cars, and I talked her into a little lap art desk set and a Rubik’s cube (“For the older kids, June Bug!” I told her.)  I talked her OUT of a musical piano and a MICROPHONE (“June Bug, I am not so sure the nurses would like the children to have those…  Don’t you think they would be a bit, oh, I don’t know, NOISY for a hospital???”)

She added some “lip chap” for the sick children, then our cart was quite full and we thought we were done.  But I remembered the ROCKS.  “June Bug, would you maybe like to give the rocks to people HERE at the store?” I asked her.  She smiled her great big smile and her eyes twinkled.  “Yes, Kindness Susan!!”.  She loved the idea. 

But who to give them to… 

I saw a woman in a wheelchair looking at some shoes.  I pointed her out and asked if perhaps she would be a good rock recipient.  June Bug thought she would, so we approached.  I told her before we got to the woman that she needed to speak up nice and loud, and she did.  She explained we had a very pretty rock that we would like to give her, and handed the watermelon rock to the woman. 

The woman was so happy!  “Oh my goodness, I COLLECT ROCKS!” she told us.  “And this one is beautiful!!”  June Bug and I were both so pleased that we had chosen her to give the rock to.   I am not sure which made the woman happier – getting to talk to a delightful young girl, or adding a pretty rock to her collection.  Either way, June Bug’s gift made her day.

For the 2^nd rock we hunted down someone working in the store.  June Bug decided it should go to someone working hard, and we found the right person: a woman putting the carts and baskets away.  She, too, was delighted to get a gift from a young Kindness Activist.  She asked June Bug her name and shared hers – CiCi.  She was very thankful (and I am quite sure that rock created a kindness ripple was spread throughout the store after we left when CiCi told all of her co-workers what had happened).

June Bug was in charge of checking everything out at the self-check (sorry Target guy, she didn’t mean to ring up those items twice and make you come over and assist us not one time but two…). 

Some of June Bug's excellent purchases

After I dropped my little friend back at her house, I thought about the “coincidences” that had happened that afternoon.  We noticed a person selling rocks outside Target (which I have never seen before).  We stopped to chat.  The person was Deaf, and I am a sign language interpreter so could communicate easily with her.  We could donate to help fund her new hearing aid.  And out of everyone in the store, we happened to choose a woman who COLLECTS ROCKS to gift one to.

But really, I don’t think those things are coincidences.  I love when things like that happen.  I honestly believe that they happen to all of us, and much more often than we know.  If we open our eyes and our hearts and pay attention to the world around us, we notice them.  Try it!

My friend and I still have much more to do – we need to deliver the gifts we have purchased, get the teacher gifts prepared, go to Weenie Beenie…

I am looking forward to it!  Spending time with young, KIND kids is inspiring.  Kids get it.  They are great role models.

Kindness Activist funds spent:

Snacks and toys for the classroom: $63.71

Rocks: $30 (we paid more than the asking price, and purchased 2 more as we were leaving the store)

Things for sick kids at the hospital: $191.99

Getting to spend the afternoon seeing kindness through the eyes of a child: priceless.

All Are Welcome

I was thinking about what to name this story…  Several possibilities popped into my head:

“Two Worlds Colliding”

“Coming In, Going Out”

And others in that same vein.  The concept being – opposite things happening simultaneously.

But the more I considered it, I realized that my framework for the story was entirely off.  It was not opposites.  Nothing “collided”.  Instead, it is a story of coexistence.  Of humanity, and how we are all alike and all are welcome.

So that is what it shall be called.  “All Are Welcome”.

Now the story.

Yesterday Kindness Activist hosted a very fun event – June Bug’s Hot Cocoa Stand.  It was a fund raiser and the brainchild of a lovely neighbor and friend, five-year-old June Bug.  Wait, she is precisely 5 ½, because, as she told me with a gleam in her eyes when she arrived to prepare for the big event, “Kindness Susan!  Today is my half birthday!!”.

June Bug conceived of this grand idea while volunteering one afternoon with her mamma.  As they worked to seal packets of rice, little June Bug hatched her plan.  A HOT COCOA STAND.

It all happened yesterday and it was so fun.  Many, many people came – including lots of June Bug’s family, friends, and classmates.  The sun shone.  The cocoa flowed.  The toppings and cookies were plentiful.  The fire pit crackled and s’mores and marshmallows were enjoyed.

We started at 2:00 pm, and about an hour into the festivities I saw a man waiting at the corner for the light to change to cross the street.  I recognized him as a pantry guest.  I rushed to talked to him before he crossed and let him know that today was a special day and we were serving hot chocolate.  “Would you like some?” I asked.  Well, the smile was enough of an answer, followed by, “Hot chocolate?  Well yeah!!!”.  I brought him over to the stand and grabbed him a cup.  I gave the server, June Bug’s grandma, a little look that I think she understood – this one is on the house.  I took him to the topping bar, got him some cookies, and left him to enjoy his treats.

When I saw him next his cup was empty and the cookies were gone.  He politely asked, “May I have another cup?”.  Well sure!  Seconds on hot chocolate, seconds on cookies. 

He stayed for quite a long time.  I think he chatted with a few people.  At one point I saw him sitting on the sidewalk, taking in the sunshine, his legs stretched out in front of him.  And I remembered – this was the Pantry guest that happened to walk by a year ago during the 2^nd birthday party we hosted for the Little Yellow Free Pantry.  We invited him to join in the fun that day, too, and he happily came under the canopy we had set up to try and keep us dry from the rain.  He ate snacks, drank drinks, and chatted that day, too.

The “completed-ness” of the situation made my heart happy.  Here were guests coming to support June Bug and Kindness Activist, pitching in far more than a cup of cocoa was actually worth.  Donating for the CAUSE – spreading kindness.

And here was a man who is a recipient of that very kindness when he stops by the pantry a few times a week.  He likely spends much of his time alone.  I have never seen him with anyone, and I doubt he gets invited to places or parties. 

And there we were.  All together.  All enjoying the weather and the conversation and the cocoa.

Because when you think about it, we are all the same.

And ALL ARE WELCOME.

 

P.S. – As I was sitting down to write tonight, our doorbell rang.  That is not uncommon around here, but it was getting a bit late.  I answered the door and found a man on the porch, another pantry guest.  He is very sweet – I often heat up meals for him.  I assumed that is what he was stopping by for tonight, though I don’t think he has ever rang the bell before.  I noticed right away that he was sporting a warm stocking cap he had picked up from Project Warmth.  We don’t share a common language, so the conversations between us are rudimentary.  I pointed to his warm hat, smiled, and said, “Nice!  Good!”.  He smiled back and pointed to Project Warmth, showing me where he had gotten it.  “Today – no,” he said, touching his head, explaining that before he picked that hat up, he didn’t have one.  Then he turned my attention to something sitting at the foot of our sidewalk.  “TV??” he asked.  “Oh, no,” I tried to explain, “Not mine.  No.”  He smiled and said, “No!  Me!  Find.  TV?”.  I could tell it was a computer monitor, but thought I should come out and check it anyway.  We walked down the steps and I examined it.  “No,” I said, using the snapping fingers “rats” gesture, “Computer.”

He smiled.  He had hoped that the treasure he must’ve found on the side of the road was a television.  He had no need for a monitor.  “You want?” he asked politely.  So kind – sharing his finds.  “No thank you.  Have,” I explained. 

I offered dinner, he said today he had eaten.  We said good night.  He got back on his old bike, picked up the monitor, and road off into the darkness.

He had just stopped by for a little tech support.  Because he knows, all are welcome.

From Babies to Birds (And So Much More)

I have not written any stories recently of how Kindness Activist funds have been used.  I am sorry about that!  I guess I DO have a good reason – I have been busy with Kindness Activist work!

But I will pause this evening to tell the stories of how some funds have been used.  After all, that is one of the main premises of Kindness Activist – if we talk openly about kindness and share kind acts we see, do, or receive – we can spread kindness ripples.  Those ripples will continue to spread when people inspired by the stories we share go out into the world and spread some kindness of their own!  Ripple, ripple, ripple…

Here is how some Kindness Activist funds have been used.

Having a baby, the first baby, is exciting!  But it can also be scary and lonely, especially if your family lives in a different country and you and your partner are not surrounded by aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents, and cousins.  So, when a woman in our community was expecting her first child, a sweet friend planned a baby shower.  We collected many amazing donations of items from neighbors – stroller, car seat, blankets, clothing, diapers, wipes, books, toys – it was beautiful!  So many kind donations.  One thing that we did not get was a changing pad that the organizer thought would last long enough.  Som Kindness Activist pitched in for that. 

I am happy to report that the baby arrived December 11^th and is doing well (so is mamma).  It takes a village, and this little infant will have that.

Welcome to the world little one

 Kindness Activist funds used:  $25.43

  

Sometimes, it’s the little things.  Acts of kindness don’t have to be pricey, nor do they have to be grand gestures.  Even small acts of kindness can make a person feel special.  And that’s why Kindness Activist refilled a neighbor’s bird food supply recently when he ran out.  He feeds the birds everyday, it gives him joy.  And is on a limited budget.  He was happy to get some food for his friends!

 

Kindness Activist funds used:  $10.27

 

December is an ultra-busy month here at Kindness Activist.  We have a countdown to Christmas calendar on our front that has treats for kids everyday from December 1 – 24, we host a community caroling event, and our BIG annual project, The Santa Project, is all-consuming. 

 

One evening we were at Target buying gifts for the Santa Project and fun things to put on top of the wrapped gifts.  We used a gift card when we check out, and it just so happened that it had a strange amount left on it.  “We will pay $68.96 with a gift card, credit card for the rest,” we explained to the cashier.  “Wow!!  $68.96?  I wish I had a gift card worth that much!” she said as she smiled at us.  We chatted a bit and finished up.

Only, we were not finished.  My partner David said, “Hey, wouldn’t it be fun…” and our plan was hatched!  We checked with a manager to make sure it would not get the cashier into any trouble if we gave her a gift card, then went through another aisle and purchased a gift card for the exact same amount as ours had been - $68.96.  Then we got back in line with the first cashier.

I look exhausted here, and we were only 8 days into 
the calendar and a looong way from the end of 
the Santa Project :) 

She saw us waiting and I noticed a look of slight panic on her face.  When it was our turn, she said, “Is something wrong?  Did I ring something twice??”, looking worried.  “Oh no, just the opposite!” we said before we started “serenading” her with a carol.    

She was so happy and she couldn’t believe her luck.  We saw her again a few days later and she remembered us.  I asked if she had used the gift card yet. “Nope, I am saving it to buy gifts for my family!” she said.

Kindness ripples.  We were kind to her, and she will be kind to her family.  The ripples flow.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $68.96

 

The Washington DC Metro is a very diverse, welcoming, and growing area.  Immigrants arrive from countries all over the world – hoping to make the United States of America their home.  Recently, a mother and her sweet daughter came to the US from Cameroon right before the little 5th girl’s birthday.

 

Neighbors helped to find furniture for the apartment to make it more like a home, clothes for them, art supplies for the girl, and get them generally settled in.  But birthdays are special, so a sweet neighbor organized a little birthday party in a neighborhood park. 

 

It turned out to be a beautiful sunny day in September and the children laughed and played and ran around the park.  The birthday girl looked beautiful in her fancy attire, and the celebration was grand.  Kindness Activist pitched in for pizza and little gifts for guests. 

 

Welcome to America, little friend.  May every birthday be full of delight and wonder.

Unicorns, pizza, and much more

Kindness Activist funds used:  $97.87

I was having an online conversation one evening and the person on the other end typed this, “I am trying to save money for a trip back to the Midwest, where my mom lives.  She is in a nursing home.  She’s been diagnosed with end stage dementia and being looked after by my brother and sister who still live nearby.  Our mom is 89 and we don’t know what the future holds.  I am trying to save money for a round trip ticket to attend her death, which grieves me, but I’m here on the East Coast and she is in the Midwest.  It’s a different world.”

 

As soon as I read the message, I knew Kindness Activist would buy an airline ticket.  My mom died in 2002 and I was fortunate to get to spend lots and lots of time with her (in the Midwest) during the last year of her life.  We traveled, we laughed, we danced, we talked, and we were all around her as she took her last breaths. I realize that is a privilege that many do not have, but I wanted to ensure that this person could at least go see their mother while she was still alive.

 

So, Kindness Activist offered to cover the airfare.  As we were working out logistics, the person told me, “Susan, I would so much like to see my mom again before she dies. I love her so much, and she always loved me.  I will with so much gratitude accept the Kindness ticket…  I’ve been saving to return for a funeral visit and grieving that I can’t make another live visit.  This would be another star in my heaven.”

 

When they returned to Arlington, they wrote to me, “I am home!  I got in late last night, but with the memory if a sweet reunion!  I’m pleased to report that although my mom’s memory is fading, she recognized me instantly,”. 

What an honor to be able to grant a visit with a loved one.  Because of amazing support from people around the country, Kindness Activist could make this wish happen.  (And, if I may “preach” a bit here, please visit YOUR mother if you still have one.  Write her a card or letter and mail it via the good old fashioned postal service.  Call and talk to her on the phone.  Mothers don’t last forever here on earth, only in our hearts.  So please make sure you tell yours that you love her today.

Kindness Activist funds spent:  $368.80

 

 

P.S. – stories of the 2023 Countdown Calendar and the Santa Project coming soon!

The Sounds of The Season

You don’t think of ADVENT CALENDARS as having a “sound”. 

I mean, they are inanimate objects.  Simple or ornate paper creations with tiny doors that peel open daily – December 1 – 24 – to reveal a small “prize” each day.  Most offer a small piece of chocolate (usually of questionable quality…).  But all offer tradition.  A sense of holiday.  Something to look forward to.  A bit of routine.  And a of excitement for what is just around the corner – creeping closer, closer, closer day by day – Christmas.

But one thing they do not have is a “sound”.

Unless, that is, they are LIFE-SIZE.

And not made of paper, but wood.

And not on a mantle or dining room table, but on the purple porch of an almost 100-year-old yellow house on the corner of a very busy intersection.

In that case, with that particular advent calendar, many, many sounds are on offer.

The sound of little feet scampering up 6 steps.  Then back down.

The sound of small wooden doors – various sizes, shapes, and colors – opening, closing, opening, closing.

The sound of giggles and laughter.

The sound of the doorbell dinging or tiny hands knocking every couple of hours to report that today’s cubby is empty and could it please be refilled.

The sound of wrapping paper being ripped away to reveal the magic that is today’s treat.

The sound of chatter as children sitting on the top step eating whatever deliciousness they discovered behind the door of the day.

The sounds of crying as a tiny piece of today’s toy treasure drops between the cracks of the old steps and disappears into darkness (and the sound of old bones creaking as Miss Susan ventures under the cobweb filled porch to try and retrieve the prize).

The sounds of friends – old and new – staying and chatting after meeting up and discovering what was behind today’s door.

The sound – over and over and over day after day after 24 days – of “Good morning friend!  Do you know what day it is day??  The numbers look like…The door is pink and the handle is blue…”.

The sound of whistles, freshly unwrapped, being blown as loudly as possible on the porch, down the steps, down the sidewalk, across the street, and on and on and on the way.

The sound of “Merry Christmas – thank you Miss Susan and Mr. David” for 20 days straight by 2 little visitors who faithfully visited until vacation plans ended their visits before the final cubby door could be opened.

The sounds of joy and curiosity and love and friendship and community and holiday and glee and wonder and tradition.

The sounds of the season.

Total Kindness Activist funds used:  $977.83, which sounds like an awful lot until you break it down:

$40.74 per day for 24 days

Average of 55 visitors per day

.74 cents per visitor per day

Value - priceless

We Never Know

I had a reminder one recent afternoon that life is short.  And that people are experiencing things that we cannot see from the outside, and we should treat everyone with kindness and respect.

I was in the dining room and heard my partner David talking to someone on the front porch.  That is not unusual – we have people drop by often to bring items for the Little Yellow Free Pantry or to pick up something we are giving away or just to stop and chat.  I peeked outside to see who he was talking to, and saw it was a woman with a large bag at her feet.

I popped outside to join them.  The woman explained that she had some clothing to donate – men’s clothes, and some shoes.  Immediately I envisioned the current state of our attic – filled to the brim with donated clothing that was supposed to be sold at this summer’s Kindness Fundraiser Yard Sale, but the event was postponed until next spring due to rain.

“Ahhh…” I mumbled, thinking, “How do I explain that we are not accepting clothing donations right now without being rude?”. 

“Your husband explained that you aren’t taking donations right now.  That’s ok,” she said quietly.

I gave her the usual spiel about how the sale was cancelled this summer so we are way over-stocked.  She listened, then said, “I understand…  I spent all afternoon getting this together…”.

Those moments are hard.  What to say?

Then she quietly said, “My husband just died,” and the tears started to flow.

Ahhh – these were her husband’s clothes.  She had spent all afternoon sorting and folding and bagging his things.  If she is anything like me, she probably held the shirts close, sniffed them, remembered where she had seen him wear them…

The situation had changed. 

This woman was giving not only to help others, but to help herself heal. 

I asked permission to hug her and she gladly accepted.  David and I said that of course, we would love the clothing and boots.  She was uncomfortable with that – we had made it clear that we are not accepting things right now.  But given this circumstance – of COURSE we would accept the gifts.

We helped her unload her car and I asked questions about her husband.  I didn’t want to make her more sad or be nosy, but I figured if the tables were turned I would wish for opportunities to tell people about David.

He was only 70 years old.  Had a physical just a few days before he died.  They were on vacation – first one in a long time due to Covid.  She had just retired a couple of months earlier…  And he died very quickly.  Paramedics worked an hour to revive him, but he was gone.

We stood in the frigid air and talked a few minutes.  She is very much like me – no children, no family in the area.  And now alone.  In a house full of her love of 40 years possessions.

We don’t know what anyone is going through.  Be gentle with one another.  And celebrate every moment you have on earth. 

Kindness Ripples From A Stranger

Who would think that unpacking boxes of donated food could make a person cry…

And yet this evening, it has.

I was out of town over the weekend and the Pantry Crew took over pantry duty for me.  They are a crack bunch of humans who bring in donations and fill the pantry.  You see, since the LYFP has been in existence for 2 ½ years now, people have come to rely on it and know that if they need something, it is a resource.  So, when we are not here to take care of it, the Pantry Crew takes over.

As I was waiting for my Lyft to take me to the airport on Thursday, the Amazon driver stopped and dropped off some boxes.  I rushed to put them inside before jumping in my ride.  And the Pantry Crew brought more boxes that arrived while I was gone.  Now that I am back home, I have begun the task of opening boxes and putting the donations onto the storage shelves.

And that’s what brought me to tears…

People are donating in memory of E.A. Raven.

 

I told the story of this amazing human last week.  She was the “patron saint” of the Little Yellow Free Pantry – a complete stranger who must’ve heard about Kindness Activist by reading about us in the Washington Post or seeing the story about us on “On The Road With Steve Hartman”.  However she heard about our mission, she supported it wholeheartedly and gave very, very generously.  When her sister, another stranger to me, reached out to tell me that she had died, I cried.

 

And this evening donations coming in bearing her name made me tear up again.

 

Cheesy mashed potato cups.  Go-Go Squeeze.  Toilet paper.  A summer sausage. Shelf stable meals.  Soup.  Maple Flavored Spam…  And more.

 

All in memory of E.A. Raven.

May her generosity and commitment to making the world a better place continue to create kindness ripples near and far. 

Thanks, E.A. Raven.  Your work continues.  You are remembered.

(If you would like to donate items to the Little Yellow Free Pantry, the Amazon wish list is here:  Little Yellow Free Pantry Wish List

You can sort the list by priority (high to low) to see what is most needed. 

What is urgent as of November 6 is jars of peanut butter of any brand and type (we are out), cans of vegetables and fruit, cake mixes of any brand and flavor (we are out), and shelf stable meals (like Hormel Compleats or something similar – we go through a lot of those). 

THANK YOU.

 

 

 

 

Mysterious, Generous, Beautiful Kindness

Kindness Activist learned of a death in the “family” today. 

I am sorry to share that the beloved, magical, and mysterious E.A. Raven has died.

E.A. Raven was what could be called the “patron saint” of Kindness Activist.  She contributed so much over the last 10 months.

And yet – she remained a mystery. 

We never met.  I was never sure how she had found out about our work. 

But she was one of the most enthusiastic supporters ever.

I think it all started in December of 2022.  The annual Santa Project was underway – an event that invites children to write and mail letters to the North Pole right from our house in South Arlington, Virginia.  In 2022, 229 letters were written to Santa.  And each and every one of those children who wrote received a personal letter from Santa and at least one gift that they had asked for (most kids got 2 or 3 things).

The Santa Project is a herculean task, and last year I harnessed the power of the people and ASKED FOR HELP.  I made an Amazon wish list with things the letter writers were asking for and shared the link to the list.

That’s when the magic started.

Packages started arriving with Amazon notes signed “E.A. Raven”.  And not just one package, no, the mystery donor granted wish after wish after wish.  I was astounded and oh so thankful.

But the deliveries didn’t stop after Christmas was over.  Instead, they became even more frequent…  E.A. Raven would send food and toiletries to help stock the Little Yellow Free Pantry, a pantry outside our home that helps neighbors experiencing food insecurity make ends meet.  E.A. Raven followed the wish list for the Little Yellow Pantry and sent so, so, so many wonderful things.

One thing I loved about her gifts for the pantry is that she was not judgmental in the least.  Many people who donate food wouldn’t think to donate something “extravagant” like jelly or cake frosting or cookies.  But E.A. Raven and I agreed – everybody deserves good food, and that includes a treat now and then.  Food pantries shouldn’t be just cans of tuna and green beans.

She and I developed a friendship, I like to think.  A friendship, even though we never met. 

And even though I didn’t know who this beautiful human was. 

I don’t know how she found out about Kindness Activist.  Maybe she saw the story on CBS News?  Maybe she read a piece in the Washington Post?  However she heard about our mission, she was 100% on board and supported our work with a passion.

I didn’t have any way to communicate with E.A. Raven.  Well, no way except to scan the codes on the Amazon gift notes included in the boxes and write her thank you notes.  I loved writing them.  I would thank her for whatever she sent, then sometimes tell her about the weather we were having.  Remind her how grateful we were for her donations.  Sometimes my messages were too long (there is a character limit to Amazon thank you s) and I would have to write “cont” on one and write more on the next note. 

I tried to get some details from her, to solve the mystery.  I wanted to send her a Kind Is Cool t-shirt – asked her size and where to send it.  No reply. 

 

I must confess that my friends and I were a bit obsessed about this stranger.  We fantasized about who this wonderful woman must be.  At first, we thought she was using a nom de plume – after all – E. A. Raven sounds a bit like Edgar Allen (Poe), author of The Raven…

 

I resorted to Googling her.  I found a Facebook page that I thought was hers that was meant to showcase her writing, but it was closed.  Still, I sent a message.  No response. 

 

I found some information online about a person who I thought was her…  Perhaps this was her – a woman who held a patent…

 

But really, the mystery was part of the allure.  Not knowing who she was somehow made the boxes and boxes and boxes that arrived full of donations even more special.

 

A few months ago, one of the notes included with a donation explained that she was going to be in the hospital having a procedure done.  I was worried, as were the members of the Pantry Crew.  We wanted to send her flowers and a get well card.  I asked again for her address in a thank you, no reply.

 

She didn’t send any donations for about a month after the surgery.  We were nervous – was she ok??? 

 

Because you see, it was not the donations we were missing.  It was our friend.  Our far away, never before seen, mysterious magical friend.

 

She sent a few more things.  She included a sweet note that said she was in rehab now and it was difficult to order off Amazon using her phone.  I wished on a star for her to get well.

 

Today I got an email from another stranger, E.A. Raven’s sister.  She broke the news: “My sister Betty Raven loved donating items to your charity.  Sadly, she passed a week ago.  I wanted to inform you so that you understand why she stopped donating.”

 

I cried.  Cried for a woman I had never met but was so very thankful for.  I asked her sister when the memorial service would be because I hoped I could take time to go and honor her.  Sadly, the services have already happened.  And strangely, she died on Mary Day, the anniversary of my mom’s death in 2002.

 

Her sister sent a link to the obituary.  It was not until her death that I found out exactly who E.A. Raven was.  And boy oh boy, was she a powerhouse.  She paved the way for women who followed in her footsteps.  I wish I could have met her.  I think we would’ve gotten along swimmingly.

 

Rest in peace, E.A. Raven.  You brightened our lives with your mystery.  You made us smile with your sweet notes.  You taught us that we can be friends with those we have never met.  You fed many, many people in this community.  You were a shining example of KINDNESS. 

 

Thank you.

Here is a link to her inspirational obituary:  E.A. Raven