I am back with another update on how Kindness
Yard Sale funds are being used!!!
Oh how I wish I could include you all in the activities
when the money is spent. It is so fun to
be able to share the kindness with the world.
Ok, first up!
I used Kindness Yard Sale money to buy Starbucks
gift cards. We bought 20 $5 cards, then
headed over to our local grocery store.
Grocery store employees have worked SO HARD during this pandemic, and
lately the grocery shelves here in the DC metro area have been bare. There was a bad snowstorm, leaving delivery
trucks stuck on the highway. Plus, people
PANIC shopped and hoarded items. And
some store employees are sick with Covid and cannot work. The end result is hard working employees and
cranky customers. So that’s why we
treated them to Starbucks cards! It was
very fun to hand them a card and thank them for all they do to keep the community
nourished. We gave out 10 cards, will do
the other 10 the next time we shop.
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| Ready to go in and hand out gift cards! |
Kindness money spent: $100
One thing I really respect in people is the
ability to be VULNERABLE. It is
difficult! Really putting yourself out
there, being honest, especially when things are rough, can be hard. That’s why when I read this post from a
neighbor, I new it was the perfect way to use Kindness Yard Sale funds:
“Would anyone be able to pick up
some food from the Salvation Army on Glebe Rd for us? Our car was repossessed the other day, I have
been unable to get groceries and other necessities as I didn’t know our car was
taken.”
I was so moved by the
request. The woman was not asking for a
hand-out. She didn’t ask for money. She didn’t even ask for FOOD. All she wanted was someone to pick up food
for them at the Salvation Army. And the
post was made 2 days before THANKSGIVING!
I contacted the poster
and explained about Kindness Yard Sale funds.
I asked her to give me a shopping list and we set out for the store! It was very fun filling the cart with food
for these deserving strangers. And they
were so appreciative when we delivered it.
Turned out they were new to Virginia, there were chronic health issues
too, and the family was just in a hard spot.
Other neighbors also pitched in, and the kids in the family wrote
letters to Santa and got gifts through that project, too.
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Operation "THANKSGIVING!!" under way
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Because of the yard
sale, that family was able to have a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, I saw that the next month, the woman
even posted to invite others to join in their Christmas dinner if they would
like! Inviting strangers to the
table!! That is kindness.
After the grocery
deliver and support the community gave, the woman edited her post to add:
“Thank you so much everyone, we
are truly blessed. We could be going through this anywhere in the world, but we
are here, and the community has been nothing short of amazing. Bless you
all for the information and offering to help. We were blessed with lots of
groceries and met an amazing couple! My faith in humanity has been restored to
a whole new level! Happy Holidays everyone
and when you need a hand, or someone to make you a cup a of coffee and offer
you an ear, you have a whole a family here who appreciates all of their
neighbors!”
Kindness money spent: $292.32
I got word of a sweet
couple who were new to America. They came
from a WARM climate and bam – here they were in the middle of winter! They use public transport, which means a lot
of walking to and from busses and metros.
Kindness money was used
to buy them a cuddly blanket and a nice pair of warm boots for the man (a
student). Because of kindness funds, he
can now walk to and from transportation without freezing his feet!
Kindness money
spent: $59.80
A local elementary school
contacted me about a program they run. They
were arranging Thanksgiving meals for families that did not have them, and
wondered if Kindness Activist could pitch in.
WHY OF COURSE! That is exactly
what Kindness funds are for! I pitched
in some Kindness money and the organizers were so thankful. Because of the yard sale donations, many
families were able to have tasty meals.
Kindness money
spent: $200
And finally for this
update, Kindness funds were used to help a visitor to America SPREAD
KINDNESS.
My friend Ixi is from Guatemala,
and her parents came to visit to meet their new grandson! Her father is very active in his faith
community back home, and had connected with a priest in Arlington on a previous
visit that he really liked. So even
though he was here visiting and on vacation – he set up a MEAL for people
around the church! They wrote:
“Saturday November 27 - Thanksgiving day in Virginia, USA. Faith in Action, along with the Hispanic Church
of Clarendon, shared the Bible and served 85 lunches to Central Americans
living in difficult situations in this country. God was Glorified. thank you
everyone who contributed God bless you and multiply.”
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| The JOY of spreading KINDNESS |
Kindness money spent: $100
That’s it for this
update. There are MANY more stories to
be told, and I promise to get to them!
These funds are not MINE, but the WORLD’S, and I pledge to be
transparent, as always, in how they are used.
Thanks again for all of
your support for Kindness Activist. Let’s
keep spreading kindness and watching the kindness ripples form.
