Attitude Adjustment (By Way of a Can Opener)

 You know those days when everything, and I do mean everything, gets on your nerves?

 

I was having one of those today.

 

Logically, I know the main reason for it:  I TAKE ON TOO MUCH.  It is overwhelming.  I can’t do it all, can’t keep it straight.  Things fall through the cracks.  And I “fail”.  At least in my view I fail.

 

Logically, oh that good ol’ logic again, logically I know that it is not failure.  I am simply overwhelmed, have bit off more (far more) than I can chew.  No one could keep up the pace and not drop some balls.

 

Logically.

 

And yet I keep trying.  Keep adding to the to do list (then losing the list).

 

So today was one of those days.

 

What was bothering me was the PANTRY.  It is really busy right now, and each time I went out to check it I would find something annoying.

 

First – expired stuff.  Like – fruit bars that expired in 2024.  You don’t want to eat ‘em??  Neither do the people coming to the pantry.

 

Next – dog COOKIES.  Yes, a pack of cookies that looked just like “human cookies” but in the fine print were for dogs.  In a pantry that serves everyone – people who do not read or speak English, children, people who cannot read at all.  DOG TREATS.  No.  I don’t want a guest eating a whole pack of dog treats.

 

Then – a POT and a PAN.  No matter how many times I explain in various social media groups that we do not, that we cannot, accept things other than food and toiletries, people persist.  They put things in the pantry that they think would be helpful to others – bags, plastic silverware, books, a pen yesterday, empty take-out serving containers, plates, bowls, clothes, shoes…  Often it is things that they do not want to throw away, so they put them in the pantry or on the little shelf underneath it that is meant to hold the basket while we fill up the shelves.  And we just can’t handle it.  I don’t know how to explain that it is not our mission.  We can’t be the one-stop-shop.  And we most certainly are not Goodwill.  So don’t leave various stuff here (I always insert a “please” after this rant…).

 

So, steaming mad, I marched out to pick up the pot and pan that someone had left.  And I was confronted with…

 

BROKEN GLASS.

 

Big chunks of thick broken glass, and many, many tiny shards of it, on our sidewalk and in our lawn.  It looked like maybe the person who left the pot and pan also tried to leave a measuring cup or a drinking cup and it shattered on the sidewalk.

 

The same sidewalk that, in just a couple more hours, school kids would be walking down and riding their bikes on. 

 

So, instead of eating lunch on my short break from work, I swept up glass.  And I did it with a very bad attitude, cursing under my breath. 

 

I stomped back in the house, knowing that I had to get back to work.

 

Then the doorbell rang.

 

I opened the door to find someone I hadn’t met before.

 

“Is David here?” they asked with an accent.

 

And instantly, I knew.  I am not sure how I knew, but I knew.  This was the pantry guest that David told me about a couple of weeks ago.  David explained his country of origin and that he lives in his car.

 

“No, David isn’t here, can I help you?” I asked.

 

“Oh, umm, I was just wondering…  If you had any food??” they asked sweetly.

 

“You are _____, aren’t you?” I asked.  HOW I remembered their name I have no idea.  I can barely remember anyone’s name, and somehow this person, someone I had never met and only heard a brief story about 2 or 3 weeks ago, THEIR NAME I knew.

 

They smiled.  “Yes, yes I am.”

 

“David told me about you!  Let me go get you some food.”

 

I filled a bag with things that I knew could be eaten without cooking, plus some snacks, treats, and drinks.  And I put in one of my very favorite special items to hand out.

 

I presented them the bag and pulled the special thing out.  “See this?  I love these.  They are really good!” I explained as I held up a summer sausage. 

 

“Oh yes!  You cut and eat, right??” they clarified. 

 

Yup.  Cut, eat, and yum. 

 

I was rushed to get back to work, but really wished I had more time to talk.  “Hey, do you have a can opener??” I asked, knowing that some of the cans I had given them were not flip top.

 

“No…  No.  But I will use a knife,” they explained.

 

“No!  No.  Seriously, we have can openers!  Let me go grab you one!”.

 

They were so kind, so sensitive.  They didn’t want to take a can opener.  “Leave it for others,” they said gently, wanting to be respectful.

 

“Well, just know that we have more than food.  So if you need ANYTHING, come here and ask, ok?  Clothes.  A coat or hat for winter.  Boots, shoes.  If you have a need, we might be able to get it, so come ask,” I explained as they smiled.

 

They asked about a computer to use to help with a job search.  I pointed out the library just down the street and explained I think anyone can walk in and use a computer.

 

“You can leave that heavy bag of food here if you like.  Go down to the library, use the computer, and come back and pick it up,” I offered.

 

“Oh no, no.  I have the car,” they reminded me.

 

Ahhh yes.  They live in their car… 

 

“Oh that’s right – you have a car.”

 

“Yes ma’am, my car is running on hopes and dreams,” they said.

 

Hopes and dreams.

 

Those fuel their vehicle.

 

Heck, hopes and dreams fuel the world, don’t they?

 

The guest left.

 

I closed the door and turned to go back to work.

 

Tears in my eyes.

 

Hopes and dreams in my heart.

 

And a renewed sense of purpose.

 

 

 .

A Heart Full of Pumpkins

My heart is full, and autumn has officially begun in my world.

Kindness Activist held a PUMPKIN CELEBRATION today, and it was, in a word, glorious.

Did it solve any “real” problems?  No.

Did it end world hunger?  Again, no.

But it DID bring together a community in a unique way.  It gave folks an opportunity to celebrate the season.  It gave new volunteers a chance to help out and spread kindness. 

And pumpkins were the stars of the show.

Hard to choose which little pumpkin you want...

Ohhhhh pumpkins.  I have picked up, transported, and carried pumpkins so many times in the last 24 hours that I may well turn into a pumpkin!  With events like this, it is always impossible to know how many people will show up, which makes it hard to purchase needed supplies.  But we did a bit of math and calculated that we needed 100 small pumpkins/gourds, and 50 bigger ones.  For the bigger pumpkins, we divided the 50 into some BIG ones (more expensive), some FANCY ones (also pricier), and some “regular” old traditional pumpkins (on sale!).  The plan was to give each family one big pumpkin, and each kid age 13 and under could also take one small one. 

Sweet neighbor

We had lots going on!  We had:

-         Pumpkins to choose from

-         Snacks, including homemade cookies from the delightful Duffy, a neighbor who bakes for the Little Yellow Free Pantry and offered to make a special batch for this event.

-         Halloween/Autumn/pumpkin themed books to read aloud

-         The “Penrose Aldi” – a miniature play version of an Aldi’s check-out stand and lots of pretend groceries to purchase.  The check out stand has a belt that MOVES (when the cashier spins a handle) and a scanner that lights up and beeps.  This is fancy, people.

-         Hot cocoa, hot apple cider, and hot coffee

-         Candy and other snacks

-         A raffle with 5 prizes

-         Sidewalk chalk

-         Teeter totter

-     Tattoos (don't worry, the fake kind)

-         On-going 30 second dance parties (every time someone hits the button, loud techno music blasts for 30 seconds)

-         And a super cool craft: guests could paint or color a paper pumpkin or leaf.  The talented Jessica cut out lots of those shapes for the event using her Cricut.

Young artist at work :) 

Like I said, it is hard to know how many people will show up.  I always try to steel myself to be ok if it is just a handful, but this time people came!  Like, we were CROWDED!

Because of a threat of rain, we sat up the Aldis and food on our covered porch.  We had the craft table in the yard, but a back-up craft table was ready on the porch in case it started to pour.  The day was gray, but we only got a tiny bit of drizzle once during the whole 5-hour event. 

Penrose Aldi is OPEN for business!

It was so fun to chat with neighbors!  We caught up with old friends and met new people.  I was delighted to have a couple of kids be brave enough to read stories aloud to younger visitors (and was so glad that I had time to sit on the steps and read some books aloud myself).  Whatever you do – do NOT push that button…  That was one of my favorite stories of the day.

Stories on the steps - I loved hearing these

The artwork people made was amazing!!!  We laminated most of the pumpkins and leaves and tied them to our fence (a few kids wanted to take theirs home).  They look so cute on the fence!  And it is fun to know that the young artists will likely walk or drive past our house and be proud to see their pieces on display. 

Just a few of the painted leaves.  I was too busy to take a lot of photos, but I want to get one that shows the whole fence - it is so pretty!

We gave away the majority of the pumpkins and gourds but still have some left.  And that’s a good thing, because it has allowed us to surprise some people as we were cleaning up.  One man walked by and said hello.  We explained that we had a pumpkin party today, and he gladly accepted our offer to bring a pumpkin home with him.  Another couple pulled over and parked near the pantry.  That often means someone coming to get food, donate something, or perhaps pick up something that we have offered.

But this time it was different.  These people were going out of their way – pulling over and walking up to our house – to thank us.  They weren’t thanking us for today’s event - I don’t think they even knew we were hosting something today.  But they were thanking us for the work that we do in the world.  For spreading kindness.  For being a beacon of hope.  “I drive by your house often on my way to yoga,” the woman said.  “And I drive by all the time on my way to work,” the man chimed in.  They expressed how good it makes them feel to see what goes on here.  Then the woman held something out to me.  “Here, I would like to give you this.  Thank you,” she said.  I looked down at what she had handed me and saw it was money.  I didn’t look at how much it was but I thanked her for being so kind and pitching in.  She said that she appreciates the work that I do, and she hopes others in the community do, too.  We gave them a pumpkin (it was the theme of the day after all) and they were on their way. 

When I peeked at the denomination of the bill I realized:  this complete stranger just gave me $100…  Heart.  Melt.  It reminded me of another time that same exact thing happened when a new to me (at the time) neighbor pulled over a few years ago and did the same thing.  People are so kind.

We sat down to pull out the winning names for the raffle and ANOTHER car pulled over – this time right into our driveway.  David walked over to greet them and see what they needed.

I couldn’t hear the conversation, but the two of them were talking for a long time.  Eventually they walked over and I met the man.  He, too, drives by our house often.  He explained that he just “gets a vibe” from our home.  He asked a friend who lives near us just what this yellow house on the corner was.  “Oh!  That is FRIENDSHIP HOUSE!” they explained to him.

Isn’t that the sweetest?  We’ve heard our home called other things – Kindness House being the most common.  But I didn’t know that in some circles it is known as Friendship House.

He thought we were a business.  In fact, he asked David if we were open.  “Well, this is our house, not an office.  So yeah, we are always open,” David told him.  The man sat down on our steps and we chatted a long time.  He asked (as many people do) if this was all part of a religious organization. 

That’s a really common assumption, and I understand why people think it.  Churches, mosques, and synagogues are most often the groups that work to feed, clothe, and care for their communities.  I explained to the man that people of all faiths are welcome here and indeed, were present at the event today.  He asked some hard questions, like, “Why do you do what you do???”.  Those are tough ones to answer in the moment.  But I guess an honest answer is - because I couldn’t imagine not doing it.  Not talking to strangers.  Not laughing with children.  Not going out of my way to be kind.  It is just who I am.

If our legacy can do anything, I hope that we can demonstrate that one needn’t be a religious institution to spread kindness.  To have open arms.  To be welcoming and supportive.  You can be just ordinary people who have chosen an extraordinary path.  You can just be “Ms. Susan and Mr. David” and make a big impact. 

I honestly thought about cancelling today’s Pumpkin Celebration.  It was supposed to be a really rainy day, and we’ve been busy lately and I am tired.

But I am so glad we forged ahead.  Seeing the smiles, watching the painting, listening to stories being read and smelling hot cocoa…  It was worth the effort and time. 

Simple yard sign - speaks volumes

We aren’t making a huge difference in this world.  But today we did good.  We spread joy and kindness.  One pumpkin at a time.

The young man in blue made the sign hanging behind him.  He and his mamma worked hard on it, and he was SO PROUD when I complimented him on his art.  

Total Kindness Activist funds spent:  $465.47

When I asked a young volunteer to put this sign together, she had to report:
"Ms. Susan - we have a problem...  You do not have a letter "K"...".  In my haste, I suggested that a letter "C", though a bit unusual, might work.  Lucky for me that volunteer's mom (my friend) had the same letter set at home!  She loaned me a "K".  You would think an organization whose name starts with a "K" would have one...

What a pumpkin head

Just be kind.  Cuz, why be anything else?

Five Guys with a Side of Kindness

Oh so tired.

If there is an award for “non-employee staying at a Five Guys restaurant for the longest period of time” I most certainly won it today.  I was at Five Guys from 1:55 pm to 8:20 pm.  Whew!!

But what a grand event it turned out to be!  A neighbor who works with Five Guys corporate reached out a couple of months ago and asked if Kindness Activist would like to hold a fundraising event at the new restaurant in Arlington.  It is a historic location because they built it in the same location as the very first ever Five Guys.  Of course, we said YES to a fundraiser.  I mean, we love finding creative ways to raise money to spread kindness, and who doesn’t love Five Guys food?? 

I have seen schools and sports clubs advertise these events at restaurants but had no idea how it worked.  I asked lots of questions – could I bring cake to share with guests, what times could it be, how did the percentage split work, would take-out orders count…  We set a date for a Sunday afternoon in September, then the store emailed to apologize and explain that they learned the events had to be during the week.  We chose a date (September 25) and the hours stayed the same as we had arranged for the weekend date – 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

As the event grew closer, I realized the times were not ideal…  It was a THURSDAY, and most people would be at work during those times (or commuting).  Oops.  But I had asked so many questions already…  I decided to just go with the flow, not rock the boat, and test it all out so I could better understand the whole concept.

Today I put on my Kind is Cool shirt and packed a roller bag of things to do.  I told David, “I don’t think there will be many people.  I am looking at this event as a day to learn the ropes, and to have 4 hours of free time to sit and get things done!!”.

Only, I was wrong.  Oh so wrong.

The first person must’ve walked in around 2:10.  I saw her even before she came in the door.  She peeked inside, changed her mind, and started walking away.  But something made her turn back…

I thought I may have recognized her as a pantry guest.  I gave her a big smile, which she returned.  We exchanged pleasantries about how lovely the weather was and she made her way over to my table and sat down.  I realized I did not know her – but I would soon.  We talked for a good 20 minutes.  She told me several sweet stories.  As we talked, I folded colorful sheets of paper I had brought. I planned to make LOTS of Daily Polls for our street corner today.  I thought that would be a fantastic use of time – getting ahead on that task. 

I think I finally asked her what she planned to eat.  “I haven’t had any food since breakfast!” she declared.  “Do you serve turkey burgers??”.

Ahhh – she thought I worked there!  It was quite funny.  “I thought you were folding menus or something,” she said.  I invited her to come sit back down as they prepared her meal and we continued our conversation.

Then the first “official” guest came, a very sweet neighbor.  She joined my new friend and I at the table.

And I can confidently say – there was not a moment of “silence” or slow time after that.  There was a steady stream of people – far more than I imagined.  It was fun seeing so many neighbors!  I got to talk to many, many people.

Two people who wanted to attend but couldn’t sent donations.  They asked us to use the money to treat someone to a meal.  Challenge accepted!!

 

At first, we thought we should use it to buy food for people experiencing homelessness.  Only, there didn’t appear to be anyone in that situation around the restaurant at that time… 

 

Then we thought treating someone at the bus stop would be great – but if you were waiting for a bus, you might not want to go inside to order a meal…  You might miss your bus!  We considered buying meals and walking down the street a bit to give them to people experiencing homelessness in another area where we felt they would certainly be.  But really – half the fun of eating out is getting to pick what you want to eat, right??  It didn’t feel “right” for us to choose and just drop the food off.

 

So, we got the great idea to offer meals to people getting OFF the bus.  An intrepid crew of 3 kids and 1 adult went out to choose the first person!

 

It didn’t take long for them to walk back in.  “We found someone!!” they said.  And sure enough they had.  It was a woman who looked like she was probably coming home from a day in the office.  She was delighted to be treated to a tasty meal!! 

 

As we waited for her dinner to be prepared we chatted about Kindness Activist and the work that we do.  She was very interested and hopes to get involved in future events.  She asked if she could take a selfie, because she wanted to post about her wild experience of getting off the bus and being surprised and delighted by kindness.

 

Surprise!!  Free meal for you!

Next up was 2 young men.  They were a bit confused about what was happening – why was Five Guys giving them free food?  We explained the fundraiser, and the generous donors who wanted to buy strangers meals.  They both ordered very carefully, not wanting to spend too much of the money.  It was very sweet.

 

It's your lucky day - free dinner!

Next up was another woman.  She was so happy!!  “Is it my BIRTHDAY???” she asked incredulously.  Nooo – but it is your lucky day!  That meal used up the donated funds and so we thought we were done with spreading kindness (while at a kindness fundraising event!).  But we were wrong.

 

Because I looked out the window and saw a man who looked exactly like the “target audience” that we had thought we wanted.  He was smiling in the sunshine.  He may have not had shelter.  And he looked hungry. 

 

I rushed outside before he could leave and asked, “Hey – would you like a hamburger and fries??  They are really tasty”.  He gave me a big smile and said yes, yes he would.  So, in we went.

 

The line was a bit long at that point and I told him it would be a few minutes before his turn.  “Mind if I sit here while I wait?” he asked.  “Sure.  I will hold the place in line,” I told him.

 

And he sat right down on a seat.  A seat in that clean, air conditioned, nice restaurant.  A seat that he probably usually would not be allowed to take. 

 

Moments like that humble me and make me consider my privilege.  I can pretty much walk into any establishment I like, order something – anything, maybe just a soda or cup of coffee.  I can cool off.  Use the wifi.  Go to the bathroom…

 

I can.  But many cannot.

 

As he sat and rested, he called me over.  He had been studying the menu.  “Do you think I could get a BLT instead?” he asked.  “Yes sir, a BLT sounds delicious!  What to drink?”.  He said he didn’t want a drink.  “No drink???” I asked.  “Hey, how about a SHAKE??” I offered.  Ahhh - now a shake got his attention.  He examined the shake menu and decided vanilla was in order.  “Want whipped cream on that?” I asked with a grin.  He flashed a mischievous grin and declared, “Why yes!”.

 

When it was almost my turn to place his order, a neighbor came up and handed me a $20 bill.  “For his food,” she told me.  No – I explained that we would buy it with kindness funds.  “No, no, I want to”.

 

Kindness begets kindness.

 

When the man’s food was ready he picked it up and headed out.  I was in another conversation at the time so didn’t get to say goodbye. 

 

Another neighbor and her 2 daughters came in a bit later and as I greeted them I explained that man outdoors had just been treated to a delicious meal thanks to someone’s generosity.  The woman teared up.

 

“My daughter…” she said, pointing to her young girl.  “My daughter…  We saw that man outside, and my daughter asked if we could buy him some food.  But it is so hard.  You know, to kind of assume someone’s situation and that they need food…”.  She wiped away tears.

 

What a beautiful connection.  And such a true sentiment.  It is difficult to find a way to ask that won’t be offensive or belittling.  And sometimes the ask is not accepted.  In fact, that happened today.  One beautiful neighbor asked someone who looked hungry if she would like a free meal, and the person declined.  It’s awkward when that happens, but that can’t stop us from being open and kind.

 

Another person cried today, too.  Who would’ve thought that an afternoon in a burger joint would bring tears, but it did.  A neighbor was standing looking at the menu and I greeted her and asked how she was.  At first, she gave the usual, pat answer of being fine.  Then she confessed that actually she wasn’t fine.  That it had been a very hard day.  “Hey, I had that kind of a day just yesterday,” I told her.  I don’t know her well enough to know if she is the hugging type, but I couldn’t help myself.  And as we hugged, I felt her cry. 

 

Some days are hard.  Hugs are good medicine.

 

All afternoon people came and went.  They chatted.  Some drew pictures for the Five Guys bulletin board.  Some gave suggestions on how we could use the funds raised.

 

Neighbors met neighbors.  They sat at tables and dined together.  They told life stories.  They shared the experience.

 

I thought it would be quiet.  I thought I would “get things done”.

 

And I did get things done. 

 

Not the things I packed into my little bag.

 

But the things that NEEDED to be done.

 

Laughing.

Listening.

Talking.

Giggling.

Hugging.

Caring.

Eating.

Serving.

And being kind.

 

Speaking of kind, the restaurant extended the event an additional hour.  I am not sure when we will find out how much money we raised.  But I know one thing – however much it is, it is enough.

 

Christina, the neighbor who works for Five Guys Corporate and
reached out to see if we would like to have a fundraiser

Because the kindness shown today was incredible.  People being patient with lines.  Being patient with new restaurant employees.  Being open and brave enough to sit with strangers and talk. 

 

And people showing up.  Supporting this little thing called Kindness Activist. 

 

The work continues.  I came home to find a box of pantry donations on the porch, and the Amazon person delivered 5 more as I sat on the porch to write this story. 

 

The boxes can wait until morning.

 

Tonight - I will rest.

 

And think about the beauty of a community coming together for kindness. 

 

And burgers.

 

Don’t forget the burgers.

Flip Top Cans

I have been out of town for a few days and away from my computer.  I THOUGHT I knew what I wanted to sit down and write about this evening now that I am home.  But then I met someone at the Little Yellow Free Pantry who inspired me to tell you something else tonight, something more important. 

There is a meme that has been circulating for a couple years talking about what you “should and shouldn’t” donate to food pantries.  To be honest, it has always bothered me.  One of the things it emphasizes is that you “must” give canned goods that have flip-tops, because “what good is a can of food if the person cannot open it?”.

That premise bothers me.  I had a hard time putting my finger on WHY, but I think it is because it dehumanizes people experiencing food insecurity.  It assumes that they all live on the streets, or in tents, or other places with no access to can openers, let alone kitchens.  But the reality is – many, many people who are food insecure have housing.  They have jobs.  They have kitchens.  They just do not have enough food.  If they can get help in securing food, they can survive and often thrive.

 

But some of the guests who come to the Little Yellow Free Pantry are experiencing homelessness.  They do not have access to refrigerators or stoves or, like the meme infers, they don’t even have access to can openers.  And they are the reason that we always try to have can openers in stock, so that when we see a need, we can hand one out.

 

Tonight when we got home, I filled up the pantry.  Some amazing volunteers filled it while we were away, but it felt good to be back to select the items to put in and to set them carefully on the shelves.  Guests started coming as soon as it was filled, and at one point I was stepping out onto the back porch so that I could pop out to the pantry to see what had been taken and needed to be replaced.

 

A guest saw me under the light of the porch and said hello.  I walked over to greet them and ask if there was enough food inside.

 

“Oh, yes ma’am, there is food in here,” they assured me politely.

 

I didn’t think I had met this person before (but I admittedly have a bad memory).  I asked if there was anything special they would like or needed.

 

“Oh, oh no.  There is food here.  I will take some of this,” they said sweetly, sounding like so many others who come for help – thankful and not wanting to be a bother.  “It’s just…  It needs to have a flip top.”

 

Ahhhhhhhhh. 

 

The flip top.

 

That short sentence – it needs to have a flip top – says so much, doesn’t it?  It says, basically, I am hungry.  I do not have food.  I likely do not have housing.  And, of course, I do not have a can opener.

 

Oh, how I wished I could pop downstairs to the storage area and bring up a can opener like I normally do, but I had given away the last one a week ago.  But I convinced the guest to stay while I ran down and brought up some other items for them to choose from.  I brought up:  pre-cooked cups of rice that can be eaten cold or heated, pre-cooked pasta and pre-cooked meatballs and sauce that come in pouches, a cup of soup that is ready to heat and eat (or eat cold).  Toothpaste and a toothbrush.  A Pop-Tart. Spam.  Tuna.  Fruit cocktail.  Peas – all cans with flip tops.  And a few other items for them to look over.

 

I was happy to see that they had waited for me.  They took a few things (the pre-cooked rice and meatballs were new to them and I think they were excited to try them). 

 

“That is plenty, ma’am.  I do not want to take too much.”

 

I ran inside to grab them a bag since their backpack was already heavy and full. 

 

When I went back outside with the bag, they asked my name.  I told them, and they told me theirs.  The explained that they had just spent their money to go visit their birth state (I am guessing family) and things were very tight right now.

 

“I am re-joining the military,” they said.

 

“Ahhhh, this is a scary time to be doing that…” I said out-loud what I probably should have kept to myself.

 

“Yes ma’am, but it is necessary,” they told me.

 

I looked them in the eyes and said, “Come back anytime.  You are welcome here.  And THANKS.  Thank you for being willing to serve our country”.

 

And just like that, they walked off into the night. 

 

Thank you for the reminder, kind stranger, that flip tops are important for some.  And the reminder that we need more can openers. 

 

Because given the choice of singling people out for needing flip tops, or equaling the playing field even a tiny bit by making sure those who need them get can openers, I choose the can openers every time.

 

And to whoever raised this child:  I wish I could meet you.  I wish I could tell you that you did a good job.  Your child is kind and polite and caring.  They are careful to share with others.  They are working hard to find their path.

 

They are well.

 

And if we can help them even in the slightest, we will. 

 

Because whether it is a flip top can, a can opener, or a genuine conversation, we will give what we can. 

 

Thank you for the reminder, solider.  Thank you for your service.

 

 

If you are able to help us keep the Little Yellow Free Pantry (based in South Arlington, Virginia) filled, currently most needed are:

-          Manual can openers of any sort (we are out)

-          Heat and eat soup in cups (like Campbell’s Chunky Bowls or Sipping Cups) (we have 4 left)

-          Cans of ravioli or spaghetti and meatballs (those also do not need to be cooked) (almost out)

-          Gatorade (any flavor/size) (almost out)

-          Chef Boyardee cups of heat and eat pasta dishes (we are out of these)

-          Cans of Vienna Sausages (we are out)

-          Cans of salmon

-          Cans of corned beef

-          Flip top cans of corn

-          Pre-cooked pasta in pouches

-          Canned tomatoes of any kind

-          Canned potatoes of any kind

 

This is our Amazon wish list, items ordered here ship directly to us:  

 Little Yellow Free Pantry Wish List

If you prefer to shop somewhere else and need a shipping address, please email us at:  KindnessActivist@gmail.com .

If you are local to the DC metro and can help out, there is a tan and green plastic bin on our front porch next to the door.  Please drop any donations there instead of directly into the pantry.  They are then brought inside, stored, and put into the pantry as needed.  This system helps us “spread the love” to many guests.  Email us at KindnessActivist@gmail.com if you need the address for drop-off.

 

THANK YOU.  Kindness Activist is a registered 501C3 non-profit organization.

Ahoy Matey!!

Some acts of kindness are also acts of magic.  We just did one of those today.

And, like almost all kind acts, it probably made us (the doers) feel just about as good as it made the receivers feel.

It all started with the idea of a TREASURE CHEST. 

 

And then it blossomed from there.  And boy did it blossom.

 

My sister Sherry and I decided that we were going to create a TREASURE HUNT.  It sounded simple enough, but the more we worked on it, the larger it became.

We got a plain wooden box.

Painted it black.

Decorated it – and by decorate it I do mean DECORATE.  That box had bling to beat the band.

Isn't is so fancy??

 

Then we got shells.  But not just any shells – FANCY SHELLS!  Our local beach doesn’t have all that many shells, so we had to buy them.

 

Then we got JEWELS!  Rubies, pearls, and glass beads.  Soooo pretty. 

 

We wanted doubloons – pirate booty – but couldn’t find any.  So, my partner David MADE some, and they were fantastic!!

 

David and his handmade coins

So sweet

We got necklaces, because all treasure chests have necklaces, right?

 

We found a pretty feather on the beach – put that right in the treasure chest, too.

 

TADA!  Look at all of the amazing treasures! 
(Many pearls, rubies, glass gems, and more shells hidden under what you can see here.)

We got a small glass bottle to put a secret note in.  Only, regular paper for the note simply would not do, so we burned the edges to make it look rustic (it may have taken us a couple tries to get that right…).

 

So cute - tiny bottle!

Secret note for the inside of the chest

Then we needed to make the TREASURE MAP…  It was tricky – we wanted the hunt to be fun, not too easy, magical, and doable.  I mean, we wanted the kids to be successful!  Of course, it too had to have burnt edges.  In the end our map told the treasure hunters to run 20 steps, splash 4 times in the ocean, shout “Ahoy Matey, I am on a TREASURE HUNT!”, spin around 4 times, walk 10 steps in towards the dunes, draw a fish family in the sand, look for the “mast” from a pirate ship in the water (one of the only remaining parts of the downed ship), find the blue “sail” from the ship, and more.  And of course, the final clue told them that X MARKS THE SPOT.  (Luckily, we had a leftover stepping stone and some spray paint to make the perfect X.)

 

Only we couldn’t just hand a MAP to the hunters…  It needed to be special!  We decided on a green wine bottle.  Perfect! 

 

Only then, we needed a CORK…  Quick trip to some neighbors solved that one.

 

We wanted to bury the chest, but we didn’t want it to get ruined in the moist sand.  We decided to wrap it in fabric.  But the fabric needed to be rustic, too, so we dyed it with coffee.

 

Remember how I told you this project blossomed in scope??  Believe me now?  We worked on this baby for 5 days!

 

And today was GO DAY!  We headed to the beach to bury the booty.  David did the digging, and then made the sand around the area look normal again.  We plopped the X stone down and we were ready to go!!

 

Burying the fabric wrapped chest

X marks the spot.

But how to choose the children to treat??  That was a tricky part!!  We knew we wanted:

-          A kid or kids young enough to still believe in magic

-          Parents who would be ok with us involving their kids

-          Parents or an older sibling who could assist in hunt

 

We looked around the beach a bit before finding a group of 4 kids.  2 were young – probably 5 and 6, and 2 were older – probably 11 and 12.  When they were busy splashing in the water we checked in with the parents, who okayed our request.

 

Then we got to work!

 

We put the green glass bottle into the water and then “found” it.  We walked it over to the kids and explained that this just washed up “over there - near the mast” (trying to help them with a clue they would soon see 😊 ).  I held it out and asked the little girl if she would like to open it to see what the note inside said.  She shook her head no, and I wondered if all of this work was going to be for naught…  Maybe WE were the only ones who thought a treasure hunt sounded fun??

 

Oh my- a note in a bottle?  What might this be?

But then her older sister took the bottle, and the magic began!!

 

We walked away to let them hunt (and we settled into a spot to watch!).  Oh, they were so cute!!  They loved the green bottle.  One kid was filling it up with water as another read the note aloud.  They seemed to take a while to read and study the note, but once they began following the instructions they were all in! 

 

They RAN the 20 paces!

They hollered “AHOY MATEY, WE ARE ON A TREASURE HUNT!” with glee.

They spun around 4 times (that part made me smile – they were very committed!).

They splashed as instructed.

Splashing (see the map in her hand??)
Faces blurred for privacy.

They drew fish families. 

Drawing fish families in the sand (following the map directions perfectly!)
Faces blurred for privacy.

They found the “mast” in the water.

They walked the required number of paces towards to dune.

Then they started looking for the blue sail…

 

Oops…  Another family had a blue sunshade set up, and that was a bit of a red herring.  They went to the sunshade and stood in front of the unsuspecting family 😊 .  We waved from a distance until they saw us, then pointed UP to the blue “sail” we were standing under.  And they came running!

 

On the way to the “sail” they hunted for the X that was marking the spot.  They were looking in the sand for it and luckily, the tiniest girl spotted it and squealed.  They rushed over, lifted the X stone, and the little one knelt down and started digging with her hands. 

 

We hadn’t buried it too deep (we weren’t sure if the hunters would have a sand shovel or not).  After moving away some sand she was excited to see the fabric, which we had tied closed with twine.  She grabbed an end of the twine and untied it, then pulled the fabric and box out of the hole. 

 

Those gems decorating it shone brightly in the sun.  It was so pretty!  They RAN back to their parents with the box still sealed and quickly plopped down on the sand to see what treasures awaited them.

 

Oh, they looked excited!  They dug through the shells and gems and necklaces and coins.  It was so sweet!  They found the little bottle inside with another note.  After they had examined it a while, the 3 biggest girls went back into the ocean (the smallest of the 3 now sporting a necklace from the chest).

 

Meanwhile, the youngest treasure hunter kept digging thru the bounty.  So.  Many.  Things!  Then she had the brilliant idea to dig a hole and re-bury everything 😊 .  After a bit of swimming she returned to dig it all back up again, show her mom a very special shell inside, and put on a necklace to adorn her swimsuit.

 

Oh my goodness this was a fun project.

 

It took a ton of time.

It took a lot of effort.

 

But it made us feel like kids again and I think it really delighted the children involved.  I can imagine that littlest girl starting school on Monday, ready for show and tell.

 

We have not added up the receipts yet to see how much Kindness money was spent making this magic happen, nor do I know how many hours we painted and glued and giggled and created.

 

But it was all worth it.  Because it was time and money well spent to create magic and spread kindness.  It gave us a purpose on some hot summer days, and it gave 4 kids a fun experience and a story to tell.