kindness activist

kindness activist

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Mystery Santa!!

And then there was the year Santa came on Christmas Day

I just finished a huge Kindness Activist Project.  One in which 142 kids wrote letters to Santa, and Santa bought all of them gifts from their letters (using money raised by Kindness Activist events) and wrote them each a personalized letter.  I will, of course, write the full story and share the accounting of that project soon.  But let’s just say – I have been quite exhausted and catching up on much needed rest on a lazy vacation since the gifts from Santa were picked up… 

And, as you may guess, I am more used to GIVING gifts than RECEIVING them.  Which may be the reason Santa’s Christmas Day visit to our home caught me so by surprise! 

I woke up late on Christmas Day and lazed around our vacation home.  I noticed on my phone that someone had rung our doorbell in Arlington around 10:30 am, so I checked the video clips to see if it was a friend.  In watching the clip, I couldn’t quite make out who the man was.  But I saw that he was leaving a LOT of items in a bin on our porch marked for Little Yellow Free Pantry donations.  Usually neighbors leave cans of tuna, soup, shampoo, and other items to be put into a free pantry at our home.  Now, I couldn’t quite SEE what the man on Christmas Day was leaving, but he was dumping bags and bags of items into the donation bin…  And a couple of times he stepped back to take a photo of the bin.

So strange…  It was a Christmas Day mystery!  I forwarded the video clip to friends who are covering the pantry for me right now, and they too were confused…  But they promised to go check out the scene and let me know what the man had donated.

Sure enough, a few hours later my friend and her daughter came over to see what was in the bin.

And…

The bin was FILLED with brand new TOYS!  Still in the package toys!!  Hot Wheels!  Games!  Puzzles!  A special Barbie!! 


It really feels like Santa came to visit!  It’s so exciting!!  I am not sure who the mystery donor was, and how he happened to grace us with this many lovely gifts, but I promise that they will be put to GOOD USE!  So many children will be thrilled to get them!  Perhaps visitors to the Little Free Yellow Pantry, perhaps neighborhood kids who don’t have birthday gifts, or perhaps children who write letters to Santa next year.

THANK YOU, mystery Santa.  Thanks for keeping the spirit of Christmas alive.  Many children will have big smiles (as do I!) because of you.



Thursday, December 23, 2021

Christmas Shopping Kindness

You would think it would be EASY to give away kindness, wouldn’t you? 

But things aren’t always as easy as they should be…

Take tonight for example.!  My partner David and I were out running some errands, errands that included shopping.  It is December 23rd, just 2 days before Christmas.  I knew that there would be some stressed-out, last-minute shoppers out there, and I decided I would treat them!  Here was the plan:

Find shoppers who were looking for gifts for OTHER PEOPLE, 
and treat them to a gift for THEMSELVES!  Easy, right??

 Only, I set a few rules that I had to follow…  The rules were:

1.  The shopper needed to be alone

2.  The shopper must have things in their cart/hands that looked like they were holiday shopping

3.  The shopper needed to be female (not to be sexist, but I decided I would feel more comfortable approaching a women with this offer, and also felt like women would be more accepting of it)

4.  The shopper must choose something for THEMSELVES, not for someone else

5.  The budget was $50

6.  The shopper must be wearing a mask, and wearing it properly

Rule number 6 proved to be the trickiest!  We are in Florida for the holidays, and Florida seems to be “the land where people think science is make-believe”, so many people choose not to wear masks.  And if they DO wear them, they are often down around their chin…  So yeah, rule number 6 made it hard to find potential shoppers to treat.

We tried this kindness experiment first in Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  I strolled the aisles for so long looking for someone who fit the bill to treat!  Why, I am sure I walked more in that store than most B, B, and B associates do in a day!  😊  I finally decided on a woman I had passed a few times.  She fit all of the criteria! 

As I approached, I asked if she was doing her Christmas shopping.  She confirmed that yes, that’s why she was in the store.  I then explained that I run a project called Kindness Activist, and I wanted to treat her to a Christmas gift of her choice.  Her budget was $50, and she could get whatever she wanted in the store, but it had to be for HER, not for someone else.

She was, understandably, a little startled.  She asked for the explanation again and I gave it to her.  She stammered about getting something for someone else, and I repeated that it must be for her, and that she deserved a holiday treat! 

Like most women, she seemed to be the type who thought of others before herself (again, an overgeneralization, but one I believe to be true).  The idea of splurging on herself so close to a holiday really threw her for a loop!  I suggested some things – a pillow, a blanket, kitchen ware…  But she was too surprised to think!  I told her I would look around the store a bit, then find her again and see if she had chosen anything.

So, I strolled a while, then came back to her.  She hadn’t chosen anything yet.  I explained that we needed to check out, and clarified, “Do YOU want anything??”.  She smiled from under her mask and stammered, “Yes!  Yes, I do!  I just don’t know what…”.  She was so sweet.  I showed her a really soft pillow with arms I had seen.  It was Ugg brand and very nice, and at $49.99 right at budget.  She looked it over and said YES, yes, this was the treat for her.  It was something a bit extravagant that she was probably not likely to splurge on, and it matched her décor, too.

The winning item - nice and soft!

That sealed the deal!  We checked out, stapled the gift receipt to her pillow, and put it in her cart so she could finish her shopping.  She was a sweet woman and very appreciative.

We tried the experiment again at WalMart but were not as lucky.  Very, very few people met the mask requirement, and one who did was on a never-ending phone call (and another that I asked said she was not Christmas shopping).

Which leads us to the here and now.  If a stranger approached YOU 2 days before Christmas and gave you a $50 budget to buy a treat for yourself, would you be open enough to accept it?  If so, what would your treat be?

Kindness funds spent - $53.24

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Junior Kindness Activists (and much more)

I tried an interesting experiment recently.  I “hired” two Junior Kindness Activists.  This was a first!  I asked two neighbor kids, Kitcha and Sophie, if they would be willing to take on the task of being Kindness Activists.  I would fund their work via Kindness Activist – their job would be to decide how to use the $50 each that I gave them to spread kindness, and to write up the story on how they used it.

Junior Kindness Activists!
They are really smart kids.  I love having conversations with them and was eager to see how they would decide to spread kindness.   In conversations with their mother, I learned that they were having a difficult time deciding what to do to have the most impact.  WELCOME TO MY WORLD, KIDS!  It is one thing know that you have funds to spread kindness, it is quite another deciding the best way to responsibly use the money!! 

In the end they chose to work together.  Here are the stories of what they each did with the $100. 

Kitcha's Kindness

Sophie's Kindness - the back of the page said
"happy with my choice".

The organization they chose is:  https://www.heifer.org/  Please check it out, maybe you will want to donate, too!

And if YOU have a child who would like to be a Junior Kindness Activist and is willing to accept my challenge - $50 for them to use to spread kindness and they must write a story of what they did with it – please let me know!  It is inspiring sharing the concepts of kindness with children. 

Total spent:  $100

 

Acts of KINDNESS don’t have to be big.  No need to be flashy.  Really, any kindness given is always so appreciated.

We were grocery shopping this week, checking out in the self-check area.  I saw near us a woman was checking out her items – a bunch of bottles of Similac baby formula, a pack of strawberries, and a bag of ice.  As she finished ringing the items I stepped over and said, “I would like to get those for you please,” as I put my credit card in the card reader.  I could sense her huge smile under her mask.  “Oh my goodness!  Thank you!  It is food for my baby!  And strawberries for my son, who was home crying that he needed strawberries, so I came out to get them.  And ice for me…”.  I paid, she thanked me and said she was on the verge of tears.  See the thing is, it was not a huge deal.  She obviously had the money to pay for the items or she wouldn’t have been in line with them.  But she deserved some kindness.  We all do.  And her smile made me smile. 

We met up again in the parking lot – turns out we had parked right next to each other.  We chatted a little bit, then went on our ways.  But I like to think that her weekend just a little bit brighter – and a little bit better – after that interaction.

Total spent:  $44.22


I had a fun time surprising another shopper, too, this time in Trader Joe’s.  If you shop at TJ’s, you know that they have limited time products each season, and the winter holidays are when all of the exciting things come in!!!  Special cookies and chocolates and candles and toiletries are stocked for a limited time only.  Well, last year I got myself a Beauty Advent Calendar and had a great time with it.  You open one little door a day for 12 days and find a little beauty treat inside.  I was excited to see them at our local Trader Joe’s recently and got one for myself.  Then I had an idea and rushed back to grab one for a stranger.  But who to choose?


A woman was in line wearing scrubs and comfortable clogs – I figured she was a doctor, physician’s assistant, or nurse.
  I decided she was the lucky target!  When it was her turn and she got to a register, I walked up and said, “I would like to give you an early Christmas gift!  This is already paid for.  Enjoy!” and showed the receipt to her cashier. 

I was greeted with another big smile (under a mask) and a THANK YOU!  I hope she has as much fun opening those little doors as I know I will.

Total spent:  $21.19

 

Kindness Activist supplied the neighborhood with PUMPKINS!  We made a pumpkin patch under the Little Yellow Free Pantry and encouraged passersby to take a pumpkin or gourd.  We have had a really warm Autumn here in Northern Virginia, and the orange of the pumpkins mixed with the red and gold leaves – all shining in the sun – was beautiful.  I lost count of how many pumpkins and gourds were given away, but safe to say it was a LOT! 

One of the spooky cookie haunted houses in the contest!

Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins!
We also hosted a pumpkin decorating contest and a haunted house cookie building contest (Kindness Activist supplied the cookie kits and pumpkins).  It was so fun seeing what kids came up with!  In the end, the judges had a hard time deciding…  I mean, how do you CHOOSE?  So, each entry got a ribbon (specially made by a neighbor!) and $2.

Two girls who became fast friends at the Fall Photo Event!
I also decided to celebrate Autumn by inviting people over to have their photos taken.  I asked local photographer Alex Sakes if he would do the honors, and then set up a little area in our yard for the photos.  We had a great time!!  Many people showed up and not only got their photos taken, but kids painted pumpkins, made bracelets, painted pictures, ate snacks, and played on the teeter-totter.  I heard many raves about how the photos came out, and I know that several families are going to use the pictures as their holiday cards!!  I hadn’t even recovered from hosting this event yet before people started reaching out and asking if there would be a winter photo session, too!  We shall see…


Our picture from the event

P.S. - Donations were accepted at the photo event, and people were very generous!  $884.79 was donated that day – so the Autumn celebration events paid for themselves (and then some for the Kindness Activist fund!).

Total spent on pumpkins (and more pumpkins!), mums, gourds, cookie kits, ribbons, prize money, and the photographer: $722.68

 

And finally for this report, I was moved when I saw this post today in my local Buy Nothing group:  In Search Of women’s warm clothes in L/XL (sweaters, fall jackets etc). I’ve put on some post baby weight, plus meds for postpartum depression, and not much fits anymore. Thought I’d check here before purchasing. Thanks for considering.

What an amazingly vulnerable ask to the community.  Depression, and mental illness in general, is not talked about enough in our society.  Postpartum depression is REAL, it is serious, and many, many women experience it.  I was very impressed that this neighbor opened up about her experience and I know that her willingness to do so likely helped other women who saw the post who are experiencing the same thing. 

Now, in our community, used clothes are passed around from neighbor to neighbor and cherished.  Heck, I am wearing a skirt and pair of boots I got from a neighbor right now!  But I really thought that the woman who posted deserved something NEW, too.  When children are young, most of the focus is on them and not the mom.  So, because of Kindness Activist funds, this new mom will be able to treat herself to some new clothes at one of her favorite stores, Uniqlo. 

Total spent:  $100

 

There you have it!  That’s today’s report on how some of the Kindness Activist funds are making their way back out into the world.  They are becoming kindness ripples – spreading a bit more kindness with each drop.


Monday, November 8, 2021

Storing Kindness

I have big news to share…

Maybe it won’t sound BIG to you, but trust me, it is B I G!

Because of the amazing support of my neighbor Stephanie Richman (whose daughters usually work the lemonade stand at the Kindness events) – I NOW HAVE A STORAGE UNIT FOR KINDNESS ACTIVIST ITEMS!

And, because of the amazing generosity, encouragement, and community support of the remarkable company CubeSmart, that storage unit is AT NO COST!  Special shout out to District Manager Michael Jones!

You read that right! 

Stephanie used her magic to reach out to the community and found a storage unit for Kindness Activist that will not eat into the funds raised!  I have wanted a storage unit for quite some time but never felt I could justify using donations for the expense.  Having storage means that instead of only gathering donations a month before the sale, I will be able to gather and store some things year-round!  This, my friends, is a game changer!!



So, if you have items you are ready to part with that are in good condition and things that someone would pay for, I may be able to take them off your hands before next summer’s Kindness Yard Sale! 

Thank you Stephanie and thank you CubeSmart.  You have made my heart happy!







Saturday, October 23, 2021

Kindness Received, Given, and Received Again (all in one day)

I started the day filled with a long to-do list.

I end the day with only 2 items checked off the list, but a heart filled with happiness.

As I was rushing about trying to get things organized this morning, a neighbor came over to let me know that the little girls who have sold their art in front of their home previously were hosting a KINDNESS YARD SALE today!!!  Brilliant – the tradition is being passed down to the youngsters!  These are the same sweethearts who donated proceeds from their art sale to the Kindness Yard Sale, and now here they were having a sale of their own!!

I got some money ready (figured this was a cash event…) and went down to ask the youngest guest staying with us, Hareer, if she wanted to come to the sale with me.  I think “yard sales” are probably not a thing in Afghanistan, so she wasn’t quite sure what I was up to…  She seemed to want to come but wasn’t quite ready for her family outing so could not join me.

Fast forward a couple of hours – I had completely forgotten to walk across the street to shop.  Life had distracted me (damn to do list!).  But those 2 sweet girls who held the Kindness Yard Sale walked up on our porch and presented me with the proceeds!  Yes, they donated $25 to Kindness Activist!!  They were very proud (as was I!).  I love it that kids get it.

Tiny Kindness Activists
Another great thing happened today.  A neighbor has been contacting us every Saturday for about a month so that we can come “save” food.  Her work hosts events on Saturdays and always serves delicious food.  They order too much, she rescues what is left, gives it to us, and we find good homes for it!  She is out of the country for a month but arranged with her co-worker to continue the mission.  Today we rescued delicious chicken kabobs, rice, salads, and baklava!  There was more than usual so instead of delivering it all to neighbors, we stopped in DC to hand some out to people living in tents.  Most of the tents were empty – we figured because it was a nice day and people were out in the sunshine.  But we gave meals to 3 people and they were super appreciative.  I also gave a meal to a police officer who drove by as we were handing out the food.  

When we got home I posted the meals in my local Buy Nothing group and neighbors came to get them.  It was SO FUN when one couple came!  It turned out they were on their way home from the ceremony where one of them had become an American citizen!!!!  I rushed inside and grabbed tiny flags (pride flags, they are the only ones we have!) and the 6 or 7 people who were here at the time cheered and waved flags.  Cars driving by honked and waved – it was brilliant! 

Finally, we ran to Trader Joe’s tonight to pick up some pumpkins for an event I am hosting tomorrow.  The woman behind us in line looked tired.  She had a reusable shopping bag filled with roses, but for some reason I thought that maybe they were the flowers that were going to be thrown away and she had been gifted them.  I guessed that she was going to work on a corner and sell them.  Anyway, I could see that she was buying a bag of frozen dinner and 2 bananas.  I wondered if she was experiencing homelessness – but that is impossible to know for sure.  As our cashier was ringing up our purchases, she went to a cashier near us.  I went over to her area and, without saying anything, put in my credit card to pay for her purchase.  “What are you doing??” she asked rather sternly.  “Umm, I am getting your items for you,” I replied meekly.  “Why??” she asked.  “Because you look NICE.  You were behind us in line, and you look like a nice person.  I like to treat people to groceries sometimes…”  She looked at the cashier and asked, “Do you know her??” and he said, “She is a secret agent” and grinned.  The woman thanked me and I went back to our register. 

Then the woman approached ME.  In her hand were 3 beautiful red roses from her bag.  Now she was passing kindness on to me.  My heart swelled.

Total spent on her groceries:  $3.77

Total received from her gift of flowers:  not measurable


Sunday, October 10, 2021

Homeless or Houseless? Kindness Yard Sale Accounting Update

Here is an update (and some inspiration!) on how Kindness Yard Sale funds have been used recently:

This evening I was outside on the front porch, STILL trying to arrange left-over items from the Kindness Yard Sale (the task that never ends, but I enjoy).  A man rolling a large duffle bag suitcase walked up.  His had a huge smile on his face as he approached.  He said he was here to thank me for the pantry.  He had gotten food out of it before, he explained, took it across the street, sat down and had a meal.  His gracious demeanor was so heartwarming.  I asked if he would like some groceries and he said yes, and we discussed that he didn’t have much space to carry them between his backpack and his duffle bag.  Also, that he didn’t have a can opener, so everything needed to be able to be opened without that.

With those things in mind, I rushed down to the pantry storage area and brought up a big basket of food for him to choose from:

Honey – nope!  I got that out of the pantry the other day and I still have some!

Tuna with a flip top – YES PLEASE!

Granola bars – yes

Toothpaste – nope, I have dentures!

Foil pack of tuna – oh yes!

Cowboy Beans – oh no, those are too spicy I tried them once

Applesauce -no, that should go to a family with a baby

Can of soup with flip top – no, another family will need that more than me

And on and on we went through the items

I have had interactions with people experiencing homelessness at the pantry before, but here is where this one went different.  The man, Christopher, asked if he could put some dollar bills under the labels of cans in the pantry. 

This man doesn’t have a kitchen.

He doesn’t have a can opener.

But he wanted to share what he has with others.

The epitome of giving.

As he pulled out some one-dollar bills.  I said “No, no, please save your money.  But your idea of hiding bills in with the food is so fun!  I will hide some money in there!  Thank you for the idea!”

But Christopher said, “Now don’t say no to my blessings!!!!”. 

So he, a street preacher, and I, a pantry shop keep, walked on over to the pantry.  He figured out a good system to squeezing dollar bills in behind labels, leaving the money visible only under the can.  We hope that the people who come for the food do not see the money until they get home.  We giggled at the idea that someone might see ONE can with money, then rip all of the labels off the other cans hoping to find more!!

As we talked he preached of love and joy.  He told me that many people in our country have physical houses, but are homeless because the houses are not filled with love.  Now that’s the kind of church I can get behind.

My new friend Christopher.  I misunderstood his name the first time he said it and thought his name was Christian.  He loved that and thought it was a huge compliment.

Two other grocery related Kindness Activist things have happened this weekend.


Right after the story about the Kindness Yard Sale ran on the CBS Evening News on Friday, messages and friend requests started popping in from people I don’t know.  One of the messages said this:

“Hello.  I’m (___).  Can you please help me with a few groceries for my family?  Please.  I recently lost my job due to the pandemic and I take care of my 80 year old mother as well.  Anything will help and be greatly appreciated.  I am still waiting on my unemployment, hopefully next week.  All of this caught me completely off guard.  Anything will help and be greatly appreciated.  If not, I completely understand.”

I saw his message pop in and replied.  We chatted a bit and I asked him where he lived.  Within a half an hour, I had sent an electronic grocery gift card to a local store so that he could get some food.  The next day he wrote back, “Just wanted to tell you we got groceries.  Thank you again.  God bless you.  Mom says thank you.”

It wasn’t much, $75.  But I was only able to meet him because the news did the story.  I am so happy that the attention of the news ended up bringing him and his mother food for their bellies. 

Kindness Activist funds spent - $75


And finally, a neighbor contacted me today to ask if I could use some SALMON for the Little Free Yellow Pantry.  She had some frozen and wanted to donate it.  We no longer have an extra refrigerator and freezer for the pantry, but salmon sounded like such a great donation that I told her to bring it on over and squished it into our personal freezer. 

Well, about two hours later another neighbor contacted me and explained that she was low on food.  Her car is broken, so transportation to the grocery store is difficult, and funds are low. 

It is HARD to reach out and ask for help.  And I was honored she was willing to be vulnerable and come to me.  After checking on likes/dislikes, I loaded up 4 grocery bags from the storage area for the Little Free Yellow pantry, then ran to the grocery store to buy perishables.  So, you guessed it, that salmon found a new home!!!  A grateful home where it will be cooked with care and enjoyed!!

These tasty groceries were added to the salmon and items from the Little Free Yellow Pantry

The woman later posted a very gracious thank you in our local group:

“Just wanted to say I am very grateful for you Susan Thompson-Gaines and the food pantry. Got some groceries today because of it. So, if you have donated, I appreciate you very much. Miss Susan is the epitome of an amazing neighbor. She brought food to me within an hour of me messaging her today (cars been out of service for weeks now).   I used to be embarrassed to let people see I need things sometimes...especially food. But I've come to terms that I need help sometimes and I shouldn't be ashamed of asking for help if I need it. I feel blessed to be able to live in this community. And for "My neighbors" not judging me.  It makes me feel a little more open than i would be normally.  I just feel like I wanna be an open book, cause I know I’m not the only person in life doing it alone and feeling like, ‘Damn - can I just catch a break?’ I appreciate you guys so much.”

Kindness funds spent - $67.90

So, I say –

To all who have donated food to the Little Free Yellow Pantry – thank you.

To those who donated items to sell at the Kindness Yard Sale – thank you.

To those who shopped at the sale – thank you.

And to those who donated funds – thank you.

Together, we are spreading kindness. 

If you would like to contribute funds:

Venmo - @susan-thompson-gaines

PayPal – thompsongaines@msn.com 

If you would like to contribute pantry items, we currently need:

Honey

Maseca

Pasta

Pasta sauce

Canned vegetables

Canned fruit

Single servings of cereal

Cereal

3 or 4 can openers 

Monday, October 4, 2021

WHIRLWIND

 What a magical world we live in.

 The last couple of days have been a whirlwind. 

 I spoke with a producer of the CBS news segment “On the Road” with Steve Hartman.  She had reached out right after the Kindness Yard Sale asking if I might be willing to talk with her about doing a piece about the sale.  I put off replying because I was exhausted, but finally sat down to talk with her and after that everything was like a single snowflake that rolled and rolled into an avalanche in the span of 2 days.  Not only did they want to DO a piece, they wanted to do it in 2 days!  And they wanted me to do a “big act of kindness that they could film”.

It was an awkward position to be put in…  I wanted to do the story – it would bring more attention to kindness and perhaps bring in support for Kindness Activist.  But most of the kind acts I do with the project happen ORGANICALLY.  They are not forced and usually not PLANNED.  But I brainstormed to come up with ideas…

After I rejected all of my own ideas, David came up with a brilliant one:  PUT QUARTERS IN THE LAUNDRY MACHINES AT THE LOCAL LAUNDROMAT!  I.  Loved.  It!!!  Of course, I embellished it…  Buy laundry detergent, maybe cupcakes, and show up at the laundromat and declare loudly it was FREE LAUNDRY DAY!!!  Then stay a couple of hours chatting, dancing around, and eating cupcakes with people while their clothes washed.

And then I thought of a back-up plan:  buy grocery store gift cards and floral bouquets.  Board buses as they stopped near our home and present the presents to bus drivers to THANK THEM for being so magnificent and driving all through Covid.

I was really pleased with both ideas.

But the producer of the show was not…

So, I worked to think of yet ANOTHER idea….  I saw a blurb on Facebook for a local high school asking for donations of homecoming dresses.  Hmmm…  Wheels turning…  What if I could take a student SHOPPING for a homecoming outfit!!??  Wouldn’t that be fun?  I mean, I am ALL FOR used clothing (go Goodwill!!!), but everybody deserves a new outfit once in a while, too.

After much angst and worry, I was finally hooked up with the name of a student whose parent was willing to let them be picked up from school by a stranger and filmed for national tv… 

In fact, I almost had TWO students!  I was working super hard to get SOMETHING they could film, and just about got a student from two different sources.  In the end, one backed out due to shyness (and their parent not being thrilled about them missing some school).

This all sounds like a whirlwind, right????

But that is only the whirl, not the wind.

While this was all happening, I was sicker than I have been in a couple of years.  The world was spinnnning and I had shivers and was afraid I had, you know, Covid.  (Not to worry, 2 tests came back negative!)

I got a flat tire and had to leave my car in the Trader Joe’s parking lot overnight.

And a refugee family from Afghanistan moved into our basement apartment and will live with us for a month.

Eeerrrrr – rewind.

What?

Yes, you read that right.  We have 5 new people living in our home.

And I couldn’t be happier.

I am so honored to host these guests.  It is a mother, father, adult son, adult daughter, and young daughter from Kabul.  They got out recently and we were lucky to end up being their hosts.  I am so grateful for this opportunity.

So back to the tv filming.  The producer, host, and a cameraman arrived at our house early this morning.  I had warned our new guests that this was going to take place – the father joked that he might be in the background on American television.  😊 

But at the same time as I was prepping for the interview (how much did year one of the Kindness Yard Sale bring in??  What kind acts have we done???) – we were trying to help our new friends enroll their beautiful 8- year-old daughter in school and make sure they have the supplies they need.  To say the candle was burning at both ends is putting it mildly. 

During a quick break in “hand modeling” filming, I peeked in our backyard and saw the most beautiful sight I have seen in a very, very long time.  David, Steve (the star of the show), and the father of the Afghan family were sitting outside playing a card game.  A card game that the man from Afghanistan was teaching the 2 American men.  It was the most genuine cultural exchange that I have witnessed in oh so long.  What an HONOR, what a GIFT.  To share a game from your homeland is to share a treasure.  I quickly snuck this photo and realized that if nothing else came of the day, THIS MOMENT was enough to have witnessed.


 After a full morning of filming and answering questions at our home, it was time to PICK UP THE STUDENT I HAD NEVER MET at her high school.  I was a bit nervous, but also excited!  I wasn’t so much excited about the filming of it all, but the chance to meet a new person and take her shopping!!  It was funny – we had a Go-Pro camera attached to the passenger side window of the car as we drove to the mall, and before we had driven one block, I messed it up by raising the window.  Oops!

I won’t spoil the news about the filming and the show here.  But I will say that I feel like the student and I made a genuine connection, and that I hope she keeps in touch with me.  I had such a fabulous time talking with her, giggling, and shopping.  Once the tv crew left we set about really shopping!!  She was the perfect person to treat to a Homecoming outfit (and more).  She was humble, kind, grateful, and wise.  I would love to hang out with her again (and look forward to seeing her looking gorgeous in her homecoming photos!).

So yeah, what a strange magical world we live in. 

Aren’t we all so very lucky?

Kindness Yard Sale funds spent:

Many toiletries, supplies, beds, and bedding for family that just moved to America – $356.81

Dress, shoes, bra, necklace, purse, necklace, earrings, nails, and nail polish for Homecoming outfit – $165.63

Toy and card for new nephew in Guatemala that my new friend I took shopping has not met yet – $34.96

Gift certificate and card for very hardworking mom of new friend I took shopping – $30.96

Gift certificate for girl who couldn’t go on the televised shopping adventure today – $100

Honor of being involved in a day like today - PRICELESS

P.S. – please tune in to CBS Evening News to see the story about the Kindness Yard Sale.  It will air this Friday, October 8th at 6:30 PM Eastern. 

Sunday, September 26, 2021

Support From Joe

I have loved Trader Joe's for years.  I mean, loved...  Like, loved so much that in 2015 I embarked on a ridiculous project to review one Trader Joe's product EVERY.  SINGLE.  DAY. For a whole entire year!  And I did it!!!  That Trader Joe's review blog (like at bottom) now has well over a million hits.  Looks like I am not the only person who loves Trader Joe's.

I didn't think my love for TJ's could get any deeper, but recently it has.  A woman from our local TJ's contacted me and asked if there might be a way for her store to help out the Little Yellow Free Pantry!!!  As you can expect, I was so excited.  I do not really like asking for help, and I am not that great at marketing.  So the fact that THEY reached out to ME was amazing!

I met with that woman and the manager of the store.  We talked about the Little Yellow Free Pantry, my vision for it, and how it serves the community.  I explained that I really feel that everyone deserves good food (and a tasty treat sometimes, too).  We talked about how diverse the people who access the pantry are - families, people experiencing homelessness, immigrants...  It is open to everyone, no judgement.

And they GOT IT.  Like, they felt the same way I do (which is not surprising when I think about it, Trader Joe's as a corporation is so open minded and great about giving back to the communities they serve).  

So here we are!  They have agreed to do a trial of supporting the Little Free Yellow Pantry!  I am thrilled.  They donated supplies that are in high demand - pasta sauce, honey, soup, beans (Cowboy beans, I need to buy some of my own and try them, that's a product I haven't tasted yet), and canned chicken.  And BAGS so that I can put pantry visitor's shopping in sturdy bags.  

Color me grateful.  

Their support will not replace community donations for the pantry, obviously.  Kind and generous neighbors keep it stocked with all sorts of amazing food that visitors are so thankful for.  

If you are considering a donation to the Little Yellow Free Pantry, items we are currently low on (last week of September 2021) are:

  • rice
  • single servings of Mac and Cheese
  • boxes of Mac and Cheese
  • single servings of cereal
  • boxes/bags of cereal
  • single serving bottles of water
  • cake mixes
  • cake frosting
  • canned vegetables
  • single servings fruit cups
  • bags of sugar
  • Maseca (flour)
  • salt
  • pepper
If you are in the metro Washington DC area, pantry donations can be left in the plastic bin on our front porch.  If you are not local but would like to contribute, donations are always accepted.  Venmo is @susan-thompson-gaines and PayPal is @thompsongaines@msn.com. 
  
Thank you Trader Joe's.  And THANK YOU  community.  Knowing that visitors can stop by anytime day or night and get food that is nourishing and filling makes my heart happy.  It truly takes a village, and I am proud to be a part of this one.

Link to my Trader Joe's review blog:  Trader Joe's 365