Warm Kindness

Last winter I started something I call “Project Warmth”. 

We live on a busy intersection, and a lot of people walk by our home.  Sometimes in the wintertime, when I am snuggled up inside our warm, cozy house, I see people walking by that look so cold.  I don’t feel like I can open the door and invite every stranger in for a cup of tea to warm up, but I CAN give them something to help protect them from the freezing weather.  So I do!

With this project, every day I put an item of WARMTH outside on our front gate.  Some days it is a hat.  Sometimes a scarf or mittens.  Sometimes I put out a coat or sweater.  They hang on our gate next to notes (one in English and one in Spanish) that tell passersby that if they are cold, they can take this item for free. 

Someone in our town is now sporting this pretty and WARM hat.

 

A sweater might not seem extravagant to you, but it is an extra layer of warmth for fight the winter cold.

Many of the hats, sweaters, etc. are items I have collected from Freecycle, an online sharing organization where people give away items they no longer need.  I put a “wanted” post on Freecycle a couple of years ago asking for winter gear and several people donated.  So I washed it all up and keep it in two big “homeless giveaway” bins.  Once, after someone saw Project Warmth on our gate, I even came home to find a bag of hats and scarves on our porch with this note from a neighbor I do not know:

Someone else got into the kindness act - she left me a bag full of warmth to pass around!

I love Project Warmth.  It makes me happy to imagine that I helped someone make their walk to the grocery store a bit more bearable.  Or a day laborer’s wait for work a bit less cold.  Or a homeless person’s night more humane. 

 

Signs in English - I change the "item" part depending on what I am giving away at the moment

 

Signs in Spanish, which a kind friend from Puerto Rico translated for me :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure, one scarf is not going to change the world.  But it MIGHT bring a smile to someone.  It might remind them that they are not alone.  And I believe it will add a little more WARMTH to their life, and a bit more happiness to mine, because I was able to share the warmth, and share the kindness.

 

Bringing a bit of warmth to my community, one stocking cap at a time.

Here is a piece I wrote about Project Warmth when it began:  Project Warmth

Do you know a Kindness Activist?  Maybe it is YOU, maybe it is a neighbor or your cousin.  Whoever it is and whatever they do that is kind, please let me know about them.  I would love to feature more KINDNESS ACTIVISTS here.  If people read about kindness that others do, they are inspired to go into the world and spread their own kindness!  Send me an email at:  kindnessactivist@gmail.com 

 

Now if you will excuse me, I have a scarf I need to go hang on our gate.  :)